Page 24 of Into the Shadows

“Yes, ma'am.”

“All right. I'll let him know you're here.” Her heels clack down the hallway to the left of the small foyer. The place could use an update. The laminate floor tiles look as if they could be mopped a hundred times and still never be clean, while the walls are a faded cream, making them look almost yellow with age.

The woman comes back, a small grimace on her face. “He's ready to see you.” She lowers her voice. “But just a warning, he's a bit grumpy today.” She tilts her head. “Well, he's always grumpy, but he seems especially in a mood today.”

Dread swamps me.Game face, Lottie. You are a professional.

I thank her for the warning and follow her toward Sheriff Lansing's office. The door is cracked, and the secretary gently taps her knuckles on it before gesturing for me to enter. Sheriff Lansing stands from behind his desk. The strength of the buttons on his shirt is being tested by a belly that hangs over his pants. With silver hair that runs in a ring around his head and wireframe glasses, he's both exactly and nothing like I imagined.

“Hi, Sheriff, I’m Charlotte Jackson.” I hold my hand out. He gives me a quick shake and points to a chair in front of his desk. I gracefully sit down, my quivering legs grateful for the chance to relax.

“You can go now, Tawny,” Sheriff Lansing calls out. I hadn’t realized she was still standing in the hallway. She leaves with a huff, and I have to bite my cheek to keep from laughing.

I pull out my notebook and a recording device and double-check with the sheriff that it’s okay to record our conversation.

He sighs as if it’s an inconvenience but nods anyway. “Let’s get this over with. I have things I need to get done.”

If this had been one of my first interviews, I probably would have shut down a little at his tone, but having done this for the last four years, I’ve gotten used to the gruffness of police officers.

“Just remember this is still an active case, so I can’t give you all the details that you’re going to ask for.”

I keep my expression neutral, even though I want to give him a look that says,duh.“I understand. Can you tell me about the phone call you received on the night of the tenth? Miss Mansgrove's boyfriend was the one who called, correct?”

“Yes. Mr. Thompson informed us that he believed his girlfriend had gone missing.”

“What brought him to that conclusion?”

“She was supposed to have met him that evening for dinner after an extra theater practice with a couple of her students. When she didn’t show up, he went to her house to see if she’d forgotten. When he arrived, he walked into the house and found all her personal items still in the house. He called us to report her missing soon after.”

“Isn’t it typical to wait twenty-four hours before filing a report?”

“It depends on the situation. When she also didn’t show up to teach the next morning, it was clear something had happened. We believed it was enough to warrant an investigation.”

“What did you notice when you processed her home?”

“At first, we believed she’d run away. Nothing in the house indicated a struggle took place. It didn't seem like there had been any forced entry. Everything seemed to be where it was supposed to be.”

“So she either knew her attacker or decided to leaveeverything behind. When did you begin to suspect Mr. Thompson?”

“I can't speak about that at this time.”

I frown. “Except you told the media that Craig Thompson was a suspect when you first started investigating.”

“I shouldn't have done that. We do not have enough evidence to say any one person is more of a suspect than another.”

“Does that mean you have more than one suspect?”

“I can't speak on that either.”

“Let’s go back to when you were first investigating. When did you realize that Ms. Mansgrove hadn't run away?”

“We'd done extensive research on her history and her life here in Castle Hill. We had no evidence to suggest that she was unhappy or afraid for her life. Then Mr. Thompson informed us that her purse, cell phone, and other personal effects were still in the house. In this day and age, you don't go anywhere without some form of identification, not to mention a cell phone. Nobody would get very far without them.”

“There had been no large cash withdrawals from her bank account either, correct?”

Sheriff Lansing seems to settle in after this question. His entire demeanor just relaxes back into his chair. I’m not sure if he expected me to sensationalize the case, or if my knowledge of the case so far has pleased him, but up until now, all of his answers have been gruff. I write the change down in my notebook to better explain this interview to my listeners.

“Yes, that's correct. Once we'd confirmed that Ms. Mansgrove hadn't run away, we classified the case as a missing person.”

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