Ren kept walking.
Blink.
Blink.
Blink.
28
Back at Tate PD, Ren filled the team in on the Veirs and Shannon Fuller.
Ive asked both the Veirs to come in later, said Ren. After I spoke with Shannon, I went back in to ask them for a photo with the sleeping bag in it. Teddy was in pretty bad shape. We need to know more about her mental health from her doctors. The episode with Caleb as a baby, particularly as he was only a week old, would suggest post-partum psychosis to me. Does that make someone susceptible to future psychotic episodes? I dont know.
I can try speaking with her doctor, said Ruddock.
Is she taking any meds? said Ren.
Xanax for anxiety, said Ruddock.
I was thinking, said Ren, if there was an affair between John Veir and Shannon Fuller, that brings up the possibility of blackmail. Not everyone would know that his wife already knows about it. If someone thought they could blackmail John Veir... She paused. What about Merrifield? Could he have wanted John Veirs help to escape? And something went wrong...
How would Merrifield know that John Veir was having an affair? said Wiley.
Ren thought about it. Seth Fuller? Hes a common denominator.
And theres Seths interest in Caleb, said Ruddock. Plus, if Seth has Calebs trust, too, that could make it easy for him to lure Caleb somewhere.
What is the word on Merrifield? said Ren.
No leads, said Ruddock. Its like he vanished into thin air.
Another thing occurred to me after talking to Shannon Fuller, said Ren. She mentioned running into John Veir at Lister Creek rest area. Im wondering if its somewhere he stops regularly. Did anyone call in video from the store there for Monday?
I can do that, said Wiley.
Why do I not trust anything you do?
He may not have gone inside the store, said Ren. I think he went into the gas station for our benefit, hoping we would assume he wouldnt make a second stop on the way to work.
Well put a piece in the Marion County Gazette and the Salem Journal about items we want the public to look out for, said Ruddock. Well include photos of the sleeping bag, the clothes Caleb was wearing, the suitcase, his school knapsack...
We also got a photo of John and Teddy Veir standing in their driveway maybe their cars will jog someones memory, said Wiley.
Ren nodded. We also need to see if we can establish a connection between Aaron and Caleb maybe theres something weve missed.
Plus, said Paul, if this bruise was caused by him falling or someone striking him, most of his final hours were spent at the middle school dance we need to check if anything happened there.
I can go back and talk to Calebs teacher, said Sylvie. Make it clear to teachers and parents that if they have information, its crucial they speak up, that they wont get in trouble.
A young officer stuck his head in the door. The Veirs are here, Chief.
Ren turned to Ruddock. Can you and I take John?
Ruddock nodded.
Gary said, Wiley how about you and I speak with the mom?
John Veir looked like he had been crying.
I dont know what to feel about you. I have no idea who you are.
John, said Ren, can you talk us through what happened with Teddy and Caleb?
I was in Iraq when Caleb was born, said John. Teddy got post-partum psychosis when Caleb was only a week old. I got a call from her friend, Patti, saying that Teddy had to be hospitalized. Patti said she would take care of Caleb, that shed move into our house, so he was in familiar surroundings and he would be comfortable. Pattis a really kind lady. He paused. She didnt tell me at the time what had happened at the creek. She didnt want to distress me while I was so far away, but she did tell me as soon as I got back. I went and spoke with Teddys doctors. We figured it was best not to tell her what happened.
So Teddy was hospitalized... said Ren.
Yes, and put on medication, said John. She was in and out of psychiatric care for several years after that. And I was redeployed at different points during that time. But what happened that day was a one-off event, the doctors explained everything thats not who Teddy was.
I understand, said Ren.
I cant believe that Shannon connected that with what happened to Aaron I thought shed have more compassion.
Well, its safe to say that Shannon isnt exactly thinking straight herself at the moment, said Ren. Her entire world has been turned upside down. Shes suffered a tragedy she probably thought it couldnt get any worse than losing her only child, and then she finds out yes, yes it could.
John nodded. I guess so.
Ren looked at her notes from Sylvie Rosss interviews. John, we heard that theres been some tension between Teddy and Caleb recently. Neither you nor Teddy mentioned that to us when we spoke with you before. Were you unaware of that?
John shrugged. No not really. It just seemed like a hurtful thing to say in the middle of all this, when she is so devastated. To be honest, I didnt think it was relevant. I know Teddy wouldnt hurt a fly. And none of this has anything to do with me and Shannon. Besides, I dont believe Caleb would have run away from home. I know that for absolute sure. He started to cry.
This is a shitshow.
29
Everyone reconvened at the command center to swap notes on their interviews with the Veirs.
Teddy Veir admitted to the meltdown at The Crow Bar, said Gary. She backed up what Shannon already told you, Ren. I also asked her whether shed told anyone else about the affair, and she said no.
Sounds to me like the anger was specific to the circumstances, said Ruddock.
Ren shrugged. Unless shes one of those people whos prone to explosive rage.
Do you think she might have done something to Caleb? said Ruddock.
Its a possibility, said Ren. She clearly has a temper, but... exceptional circumstances. Though maybe she did lose it with Caleb, and thats why the Veirs seem like theyre lying? Maybe John is protecting her. She shrugged.
Sylvie came into the office.
OK I just spoke with Calebs teacher again, she said. Caleb told one of his friends back in December that he was getting a PlayStation for Christmas apparently he found it in the garage. Only heres the weird part he was never given it. So someone bought it for him, then changed their mind. Or someone bought a PlayStation that wasnt intended for Caleb and stored it in the Veirs garage...
Imagine his little face on Christmas morning, said Ren. Who would do that to a child?
Sylvie looked at her patiently. John or Teddy Veir, obviously.
Ren stood up. Are they still here? She didnt wait for an answer. She ran out to reception. John and Teddy were just about to leave. They turned when they heard their names.
One of Calebs friends said that Caleb found a PlayStation in the garage before Christmas, said Ren. Do you know anything about that?
Bing: John Veir does.
No, said John. Really?
I dont know anything about that, said Teddy. John is the one who takes care of those kind of gifts. But we hadnt planned on getting Caleb one. She turned to John. You didnt change your mind about that, did you?
No, said John. I did tell Caleb if he behaved better consistently that I would buy him one. He had gotten a little disrespectful, he was creating tension in the house. Hes our son, we love him, but I couldnt tolerate that kind of behavior.
Tolerate is a strong word, said Ren. How bad had it gotten?
Maybe I expect too much, said John. Maybe I should tolerate more.
Teddy raised her eyebrows.
I have high expectations of Caleb, said John.
We both do, said Teddy.
If he didnt live up to them, said John, there had to be consequences. So he knew it wasnt a promise or, at least, that it was conditional: if these conditions are met, you will get a gift or permission to go somewhere or whatever it was he wanted at that time. He paused. So the only thing I can think of is that either his friend was lying when he said that, or that Caleb was lying to his friend.
Did Caleb have a habit of lying? said Ren.
No, said Teddy.
No, said John a few beats later.
So, Teddy, said Ren, you definitely know nothing about this...
No, nothing, said Teddy.
Im asking because we were also told that there was a change in your relationship with Caleb after Christmas, said Ren. That maybe things had gotten a little more... God, I hate doing this. This poor woman. difficult?
Tears welled in Teddys eyes. Yes, she said. And I dont know why.
OK, said Ren. She turned to John. Can I just ask did you expressly say to Caleb that he was creating tension in the house?
No, said John. Of course not.
Its just a concern, said Ren. If he thought that he was causing a problem at home, he might have decided to run away, thinking it would either solve the problem, or teach you a lesson, depending on how he took it.
Well, I probably made that sound worse than it was when I said it just there, said John.
I can only imagine what it may have sounded like to a twelve-year-old boy.
As Ren walked back to her desk, her phone beeped with a text. She looked down.
Joe Lucchesi. Shit.
Are you in Denver next week?
Why would I be in Denver next week?
Do not encourage this. You would be a disaster together.
Seriously: how sane can a man be whose wife and son were almost killed by a serial killer and whose daughter was fathered by him? And whose wife died in childbirth because of what that same killer did to her first time around.
Maybe saner than a grief-stricken bipolar FBI agent.
Oh. God.
Joe and I are made for each other.
Run.
Ruuuuuuuuuuuuuuun.
30
The parking lot of The Crow Bar was filled with police cars, SUVs, Crime Scene Investigations trucks. Ren and Ruddock stood by the hood of his car with a map of the property opened out on it. It marked out twenty-seven structures: The Crow Bar and adjoining house, twenty cabins, a reception area, a storage room, a laundry room, and a shower block.
Ruddock pointed to Cabin 5. Aarons body was found in the water here.
Ren nodded. By whom?
A woman out walking her dog. She called it in to us.
And have we got keys to all these cabins? said Ren.
Im not sure, said Ruddock. Shannon Fuller walked over to them. Hey there, she said. Were missing a key to Cabin 8. Clyde reckons its gone from the big ring he keeps all his keys on.