A Reckoning in Mayberry

Part 5/8 Finding Hope

The Wild Bunch was having their afternoon meeting with Detective Zeb Sorrentino in Reuben's room, otherwise known as Command Central. Izito was sitting and staring at a list of bulleted items written on a dry erase board. The list included similarities between Abraham and Naomi and their disappearances. There were some - the connection to Mount Airy, both of them lived in Boston, both vanished, no bodies recovered - that seemed just too coincidental. "Are these things a coincidence?" Zeb asked out loud.

Reuben Cropps tapped - "No coincidences in the world of crime."

Shiela laughed, "Stepped right into that one."

"Don't encourage him," said Izito.

"The suitcase," said Zeb, "Abraham's suitcase. How did it end up in the landfill in Barbados? We never asked the mayor where he got the suitcase. How he ended up with it? Whose yard sale? I think I got distracted by the wife. I'm sorry. I should have been more focused."

"Won't do any good to ask now," said Izito, "He and the wife have probably already come up with an alibi. And don't worry about it. I got distracted too. She's a cool customer. Won't surprise me if she knows all his secrets."

"There's a connection," said Matthew. "And regardless of the evidence, our focus needs to be on the mayor."

"I did hear from at least two people at the hotel that the last person seen with Hannah was a big, strong man," said Zeb.

"Mayor is big," said Reid.

"Yes, he is, but the witnesses would not positively identify him. I think they were afraid they would lose their jobs."

"I want to believe he's our man," said Izito, "but the facts don't lie. The suitcase disappeared twenty years ago, Mayor Booker would have been in middle school. I just don't think he could have kidnapped a grown man at that age and not left a clue. He doesn't seem that smart."

"And, if the disappearance of Abraham is connected to Naomi, then he wasn't even born yet," added Shiela.

"Partners?" tapped Reuben.

"Father? Son?" asked Reid.

"A possibility," said Izito, "Has happened before, remember the Misenheimer case in the 70's, multi-generational, serial killings. But, usually family killings are related to business of a criminal nature. Don't see evidence of that here. As far as we know, Abraham's and my mother's reputations were impeccable, no history of criminal actions."

"But there are killers in families who work together?" asked Shiela.

"Yes," said Izito, "but rare."

"But possible?" asked Zeb.

"Yes," tapped Reuben along with Izito's, "Yes."

"Maybe, it is not a family, maybe just friends or acquaintances. Partners," said Matthew. "We have seen that before."

"Would explain the time frame," said Shiela.

"Yes, but it would mean that the person who got my mother would statistically be at least 60 now, maybe as old as 80. Or maybe dead," said Izito.

Reuben tapped away. Everyone but Zeb laughed.

"What did he say?" he asked.

"He said 60 to 80, not that old," said Shiela and added, "We all agree, of course."

"So," asked Izito, " Do we believe that there are too many coincidences for Abraham and Naomi to not be connected?"

"Yes," tapped Reuben.