She soldiered through and parked in front of the townhouse about forty minutes after leaving Biltmore Threads.She and DeMarco hustled up to the front door,neither of them having much hope that a man in his thirties would be at home in the middle of the day--especially not one who would likely be searching for a job.
So they were both surprised when the door was answered by a ruggedly handsome man.He looked a little scraggly around the edges but well-groomed.He did look a little tired,though,maybe like he had just rolled out of bed.
"Are you Travis Rogers?"DeMarco asked.
"I am.Who's asking?"
DeMarco took the lead this time,showing her badge and taking a step toward the door to let him know that they weren't going to be turned away.
"FBI? What the hell for?"
"Your name came up in passing in regards to a case we're working,"Kate asked."If you'd give us just five minutes of your time,we can be on our way."
Clearly confused and a little alarmed,Travis stepped to the side and opened the door.When he did,Kate saw that his right hand was in a cast from high on the wrist,all the way to the knuckles of his fingers.
It'd be pretty hard to kill someone the way the Nashes and Langleys were killed if you had a cast on your right hand,Kate told herself.
The front door opened into the living room,which was quite clean.A laptop sat on the coffee table.She saw a LinkedIn profile on the screen;apparently Travis was indeed doing some job hunting.
"I'm going to assume this is about what happened with the whole thing at Biltmore Threads,right?"Travis said as he sat down on the couch."Although I don't know why the FBI would get involved in something that small."
"Can I ask why you got violent with Mr.Garraty?"Kate asked.
"It was just months and months of frustration,you know? I'd been asking for a raise for about half a year.I'd been there for almost five years and had only gotten two small pay bumps,so I thought I was due.Garraty basically told me that he could pass on my complaint but if I kept pestering them,it was going to look bad.We had some words and,quite frankly,I lost my shit.I threw his little name placard thing from his desk at him.I started to rush across the room at him but thought better of it."
"And what about your past offenses?"
"A bar fight when I was nineteen and then defending myself when some dipshit lost his cool in a fit of road rage when I accidentally clipped his car.Not to be a smart ass,but you're welcome to look all of that up.Look…this whole thing with Garraty and Biltmore Threads…it's embarrassing.So if there's anything you need from me,just let me know.I'd like to get it behind me as soon as I can."
"Well,what about the material you were stealing?"DeMarco asked.
"I only did it twice,and that was after I had started to get pissed off about not being paid fairly.I'm not proud of it.But I've been to court and I'm going to pay the fines."
"Garraty said you stole the materials for your girlfriend."
"Yeah.Jess runs this little Etsy shop.She makes these trendy little custom clutch purses and shoulder bags.She makes more than I did doing it…so yeah,I took some material for her."
Kate was all but certain that Travis was innocent.He'd made some dumb choices,sure,and he had unfortunate luck when it came to physical altercations,but he sure as hell wasn't a murderer.
"What happened to your hand?"DeMarco asked.
Travis rolled his eyes and looked at the floor."Just another genius decision on my part.I was so pissed when the cops got called on me at Biltmore Threads that I punched the wall outside the building.It's a brick wall,and it hurt like a bitch.I broke three fingers and got a hairline fracture down the base of my hand."
"Do you have any proof of when you did this?"DeMarco asked.
"Yeah.Actually,the first bill for the x-ray came today."He got up and went to the edge of the counter in the attached kitchen.He retrieved a piece of mail from it and brought it back to them.Kate and DeMarco looked it over and saw that the initial consult for the x-ray had been three weeks ago--at least two full weeks before the Langleys had been murdered.
"At the risk of sounding nosy,can I ask what this is about?"Travis asked.
Kate had just one more thing left to do.She almost decided against it because she was that certain that Travis Rogers was innocent.She took the evidence bag with the scrap of blanket inside of it and showed it to him.
"Does this look familiar to you?"she asked.
His initial reaction told her what she needed to know.There was no alarm,no guilt,no fear.He merely looked closely at it and shrugged."I don't think so.Is it something from Biltmore Threads?"
"It is,"Kate said,pocketing the bag again."Thank you for your time,Mr.Rogers."
When they headed back out to the car,the feeling Kate had experienced coming out of Biltmore Threads started to unravel.The blanket fabric coming from Biltmore had seem like an omen of sorts,a sign that they were on the right track.But now,back to having no leads whatsoever,she felt a little lost.
"You think we should try speaking to the neighbors of the victims now?"DeMarco asked when they were back in the car.
"That's the best idea I can think of,"Kate said."Of course,the Nashes had no immediate neighbors--no one who would be able to see any coming and going from around their house."
"So the Langleys,then,"DeMarco said.
"Right,"Kate agreed."But first…I have to get some coffee.This whole regular-sleep thing that comes with retirement has ruined me."
***
Coffee in hand,Kate stepped out of the car adjacent to the Langley residence.She looked to the house next to it and realized that they may have hit the jackpot.While she hated to give in to stereotypes--especially in her line of work--there was one that she had found usually proved itself true: the older the woman,the more prone they were to gossip.And there was just such a woman standing on the porch next door to the Langley home.She was carefully filling a bird feeder with some sort of liquid.A hummingbird feeder,if Kate was seeing it correctly.
Kate and DeMarco approached slowly,not wanting to seem threatening or in a hurry.The woman gave them an uncertain smile as she finished up with the bird feeder.It swung gently as she released it,the red liquid she had just put inside of it looking almost like Kool-Aid.
"Hummingbirds?"Kate asked.
"That's right,"the old woman said.She was pushing seventy…maybe eighty.It was hard to tell due to the beaming smile on her face."They come by and see me at least twice a day as long as I keep the feeder full.Now…can I help you ladies?"
"Yes,ma'am.I'm Agent Wise,and this is Agent DeMarco,"Kate said,showing her ID."We've been assigned to the case involving the Langleys and were hoping you could take some time to speak with us."
The woman looked over Kate's shoulder,toward the Langley house.The radiant smile on her face was gone now.There was no frown there,either…just a resigned look.A what-has-the-world-come-to look.
"Nice to meet you agents,I suppose,"the woman said.She hunkered down in a lawn chair that sat against the porch rails and looked up at them."I'm Callie Spencer,by the way.Been living here in this house for about twenty-five years now."
"So you've been here the entire time the Langleys lived there?"
"Yes indeed.Scott and Bethany moved in sometime in the early nineties,I'd say."
"Would you call them friendly?"DeMarco asked."Social?"
"I guess so.I mean,they weren't rude or mean or anything like that.They were an okay couple,but a little private.Especially over the last few years."
"Any idea why?"Kate asked.
Callie frowned and nodded."Bethany sort of got different after her sister died in that car accident.Ten years ago or so,I suppose."
"Can you expand on what you mean by private?"DeMarco asked.
"Well,you know…private might not be the best word.If we crossed paths on the sidewalk,we'd chat it up for a while.But they never came over just to visit.Never really volunteered any information.Scott would catch me out trying to mow the lawn from time to time and insist on finishing.So,no,not private but not really outgoing,either."
"Do you know if they had any regular visitors?"Kate asked.
"None that I know of.I believe Scott had a friend or two from work come over every now and then during football season.And there was a period of time,you know,when Davey was living with them."
"Davey?"Kate asked.
"Yes.Well,I called him Davey.His real name is David.He's their nephew--the son of Bethany's sister.When she died,he came and stayed with them.He was only ten years old.He'd stay with the Langleys for a while and then would go away for months at a time.I found out later from Scott that during those times,he was staying with his uncle from his father's side down in Texas."
Kate and DeMarco shared a look.This wasn't necessarily a lead,but it was new information that could take them several different places."Do you happen to know how long ago Davey was still living with them?"
"Oh,I think he moved out for good two or three years ago.About time,too.I felt sorry for him,you know? Passed back and forth between families.But the Langleys were good for him,I think.They were sweet people.They were foster parents.Did you know that?"
"Yes ma'am,"Kate said,recalling the information they had found while digging around at the Roanoke Police Department.
"When was the last time they fostered someone?"DeMarco asked.
"Oh,I can't say with any certainty.At least a few years,I think.One time they kept this little girl for a few months.The sweetest thing.She'd come over here and we'd play checkers on the porch."
"And what about Davey?"Kate asked."Did you have many interactions with him?"
"Not many.They were keeping Davey for the first go-round when my husband passed away.They all came over here--Davey,too--and gave their condolences.But,you know,being neighbors,it's pretty easy to sort of just see things about people,you know? And with Davey,he was always very quiet.He had this sort of brooding quality to him.I do know that as he got older,he became very hard to handle.Defiant,I guess."
"Do you know where he ended up after leaving the Langleys' care?"DeMarco asked.
"Oh,he's still around.He ended up going to community college but he ended up dropping out.I don't know why…grades,or just no commitment,maybe.I'm not sure where he's living but I do know where he works.He's been working at Gino's Pizza for at least several months now."
"You're certain of this?"Kate asked.
"I know he was working there oh,about six months ago,because he delivered a pizza to my door.I usually think it's stupid to have pizza delivered because then you have to give a tip,but I was sick,so…"She realized she was trailing off here.She smiled,rolled her eyes at herself,and continued."Anyway,and then my friend Janell,whom I have tea with twice a week,said she saw him working down at Gino's not too long ago.Maybe about two or three weeks."
"Thank you,"Kate said.
"Hold on,wait.You don't think Davey had anything to do with their murders,do you?"
"Most likely not,"Kate said."But he'd be a great source of information about the family.And right now,every bit of information is critical."
Callie seemed relieved at this,giving them a nod.As she did,a hummingbird floated into view at the feeder.The three women watched it for a moment,the smile returning to Callie's face.
"I do hope you can find who did this,"Callie said."Rumor has it that a family out in Whip Springs was killed,too.A husband and wife.Is that right?"
"We can't comment on that,"Kate said,hating the sound of it.She knew that to someone like Callie Spencer,that noncommittal comment would sound like a big fat yes.
"Well,best of luck,Agents,"Callie said as Kate and DeMarco started back down the stairs.
DeMarco got behind the wheel this time.As Kate opened the passenger door,she looked back to Callie Spencer on her porch.She was staring hard at the hummingbird--which had now been joined by two more.It was then that Kate realized that Callie wasn't so much interested in the birds,as she was intent on not looking in the direction of the Langleys' house.Finding something both sad and comforting about this,Kate got into the car and pulled up directions for Gino's Pizza.
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