"Mary Strong, retired two years ago, was a human resources consultant. She lost her husband many years ago. Her son is a dentist in Montgomery and is married with one son.
She is a Puritan and is keen on participating in church activities. I can't see any high-risk factors from her information."
Sitting in a conference room provided by the FBI's local office in Montgomery, Jubal flipped through the deceased's information and muttered to himself.
Aubrey sipped his coffee. "But it's clear she and the Baudettes were killed by the same people. Cutting off an ear represents an unwillingness to listen, and cutting off a tongue represents an unwillingness to speak."
Alice's computer suddenly chimed, and she quickly flipped open the screen, a look of delight on her face. "We've found a match. The man we're looking for is Wyatt Hammond, who lives in Cleo, less than ten miles from Blue Springs.
The owner of the property is Greg Hammond, Wyatt's brother. He has a wife and daughter, and they all live there. I've sent your address to your phones."
—
"FBI, open the door!"
Aubrey banged on the door. Jack, armed to the teeth, stood beside him, Jiejie behind him. Clay, Jubal, and Hannah had already circled the backyard.
Cleo wasn't even a town, just a typical rural Southern state with a permanent population of less than 500, scattered among nearby small farms.
A woman in her early 30s had just opened the door when she was frightened by the gunpoint of the three men and hid behind it.
"We're looking for Wyatt Hammond." Jack glanced at her, confirming she posed no threat before letting her pass and continuing his search of the house.
"He's my uncle. What are you doing? I'm the only one home."
The woman was restrained by Jiejie, who had entered last. Aubrey went upstairs, while Jack headed straight inside, down the hallway, and opened the back door to let Clay and the other two in.
"Clear!"
After searching every room, including the attached garage, the FBI finally put away their weapons.
"Are you Greg Hammond's wife?" Jubal asked, returning to the living room.
"Yes," the woman looked bewildered, a touch of panic on her face, completely confused about what the FBI was up to.
"Do you know where they are? Your husband and uncle?" Jubal pressed.
The woman was slightly plump, dressed in the style of an American farmer: a work-friendly blue denim jacket and a yellow scarf wrapped around her head.
The house, though old, was immaculately clean. As Jack sat down on the sofa, he could smell the faint scent of lavender from the washed-to-white upholstery.
"I don't know. They said they went camping." Greg's wife twisted her fingers nervously and sat down on the single sofa across from them.
"With your daughter?" Jiejie demanded.
"No, my daughter died of illness not long ago." This answer shocked everyone.
Upon learning that her husband and brother-in-law might be involved in two murders, the woman lost control of her expression and remained stunned for a moment.
"Are you saying that my husband, who never even got into a bar fight, and his brother Wyatt were involved in two murders?"
"Yes, we have surveillance footage. Wyatt hid in the truck bed of the trucking couple." Jiejie's answer made the woman cover her face in pain.
"Do you know why? Are they seeking revenge?" Jack had been observing her expression, and it was obvious that she knew something.
"Maybe," the woman looked up at the photo of the three of them on the table. "Because our daughter, Rose, died of cancer three months ago."
"I'm sorry to hear that. Can you be more specific?" Jiejie took the woman's hand and whispered softly.
"We've been waging a class-action lawsuit over Rose's illness. Greg was furious and said he wanted justice, but we've always intended to fight for it in court."
As if he'd found a motive, Jack lifted his gaze from the pile of legal and medical books on the shelf and stared at the man seriously.
"What's the lawsuit?"
"It's against the owner of a coal-fired power plant and factory here, Griffin. They've been illegally dumping fly ash on nearby land for years, and many people in the area have developed cancer.
Our daughter, Rose, Greg and Wyatt's parents, all died of cancer.
Greg used to drive a truck for Griffin's coal-fired power company, then became a whistleblower. We filed a class-action lawsuit, and it's been going on for three years. Just last week, we lost our final appeal."
The woman gritted her teeth as she spoke.
"Then why did you assume they were going camping?" Jubal interrupted. "Is that some form of mourning?"
His question was naturally purposeful. Although the man hadn't shown any signs of complicity, he still needed confirmation.
"I don't know, maybe that's what I hoped for," Greg's wife said sadly. "He was so focused on the lawsuit, especially after Rose died. I hope he can get away from it all as soon as possible."
The tears on the woman's face grew more and more. "Greg loved Thoreau's book, Walden. He often said that when civilization becomes a nightmare, it's better to try going into the woods."
Waiting for Greg's wife, who was crying again, to recover a little, Jubal continued, "So, did Greg and Wyatt both work for Griffin's coal and power company?"
The woman shook her head. "No, Wyatt worked for the Barrons. They own a farm supply store."
While Jubal was writing in his notepad, Jack opened his phone and showed her a photo of the Bodettes. "Do you recognize these two people?"
"Yes," the woman said, leaning in to take a closer look. "It's Teddy and Janice. Teddy used to be Greg's boss."
"And this one?" Jack continued, showing Mary Strong, who had just been murdered that morning.
"I don't know her name, but she brought a pretty good pie to the company barbecue." The woman nodded again.
With the motive for the crime largely clear, Greg's wife was temporarily brought back to the FBI office to assist in the investigation, and everyone began digging deeper into the situation at Griffin Coal and Electric.
"It's all true. Teddy was a junior supervisor in the transportation department at Griffin Coal and Electric, and Mary Strong was the head of human resources," Alice confirmed.
"So, let's assume that Greg, the whistleblower, initially reported the situation to his superiors through a workplace complaint, essentially escalating the chain of command. In this case, his direct supervisor was Teddy Bodette.
And above that, it was Mary Strong in the human resources department." Jubal twirled his pencil again, as if by habit.
"Apparently, Teddy ignored Greg's complaints, so he had his ears cut off, and Mary probably silenced Greg, so he lost his tongue."
Jiejie's phone rang at this time. After a brief conversation, she hung up with a grim expression. "The ERT team received evidence from the state police. Remember the footprints you asked the state police to check earlier?"
Aubrey nodded. "Yes, I found them in the trailer. What's wrong?"
"They detected sodium chlorate and nitrobenzene on it," Jiejie replied.
(End of this chapter)