A Shred of Evidence (40 page)

“Yeah, just over a week now.”

Gordy told Bryce exactly what he had told Will and Chet about why he hired Billy, what a good worker he seemed to be, and how his behavior had suddenly changed.

“I figured the kid was havin’ marital problems,” Gordy said. “I’m as shocked as everyone else that he and Lisa are involved in this.”

Bryce turned his head suddenly and put his walkie-talkie to his ear. “This is Moore, over … where …? How far is that …? Yeah, makes sense. We’re on our way. Out.”

“What’s going on?” Will said.

“The hounds are on full throttle and heading across that open field in the direction of the Jackson Caves. Let’s drive around and meet them on the other side. Lead the way.”

Gordy ran to the car and had barely shut the door when Will backed out of the grass, the rear of his squad car swinging around in the opposite direction. Will pushed the accelerator and raced back to the highway, kicking up a cloud of white dust behind them.

“You ever hear Billy talk about the Jackson Caves?” Will said.

“No, but every one of us goofed off out there when we were kids. Why should Billy be any different?”

Gordy winced when he said it, and was glad Will didn’t answer.

Julie sat in the backseat of Special Agent Newt Clifford’s car, clutching Ross’s knee and feeling as though she could be sick at any moment.

“Where are the Jackson Caves?” Ross said.

Newt looked at him in the rearview mirror. “A couple miles east of the Old Seaport city limits. Apparently, there’s a densely wooded area and a number of caves. We’d have a time trying to find anyone hiding in there. But those bloodhounds won’t.”

Julie’s heart pounded and she felt panicky. “How does the FBI know this is where they took Sarah Beth?”

“They don’t, ma’am. They’re following the dogs. We’re going to wait at the edge of the wooded area and maintain radio contact.”

Gordy leaned against a tall, skinny pine and looked up at the leafy, green canopy that separated dark and light. How these woods had enticed him as a youngster! The trees seemed smaller now and the hiding places less discreet. But one thing hadn’t changed: about fifty yards beyond the caves stood a live oak tree with his and Jenny’s initials carved in its bark.

“You’re a million miles away,” Will said.

Gordy smiled. “Funny, I feel right at home even though I haven’t been out here in over thirty years.”

“Hear that? The hounds are getting close.”

“Poor Billy,” Gordy said. “If the dogs don’t scare him to death, the guns will.”

“Yeah, well, I’m more worried about that little girl.”

“Why? Billy won’t let her get hurt.”

“Don’t be naive, Gordy. We don’t know that Billy and Lisa are out here alone. I doubt they were smart enough to pull this off by themselves. We have to be ready for anything. It could get violent.”

“I’m sure all Billy was tryin’ to do was protect the girl.”

“To hear you talk, we should canonize him. Don’t forget he kidnapped a little girl and put her parents through hell. You better get over your attachment to him real quick.”

Gordy let his anger burn silently and then let it go. How could Will possibly understand what kind of person Billy was or what must’ve been going through his mind after Eddie poisoned it?

The bloodhounds were really close now, and Gordy knew if Billy and Lisa were hiding in the caves, it would be a matter of
minutes before the dogs gave them up. The best he could hope for now was that Billy and whoever was with him wouldn’t resist—and no one would hurt him.

Julie Hamilton stood leaning against Special Agent Newt Clifford’s car, listening to the baying of the bloodhounds and keeping an eye on the growing media presence about fifty yards behind them.

“You okay?” Ross said.

“My knees feel like rubber and my heart’s doing flip flops.”

“Yeah, mine too. Agent Clifford thinks the dogs are almost to the caves.”

“I’m so scared of getting my hopes up and having them dashed again.”

Ross put his arms around her and held her close. “Before we go to bed tonight, we might actually get to hug and kiss our daughter. Concentrate on that.”

Special Agent Clifford’s phone rang.

“This is Clifford … Now …? What about the others …? Uh-huh … Yeah, that’ll work … All right.”

Newt turned off his phone and put it in his pocket, then went over and put one hand on Julie’s shoulder and the other on Ross’s. “Okay, let’s go.”

Gordy ran behind Will through the woods to the edge of a clearing where officers were restraining the frenzied hounds. About twenty yards beyond the clearing was the entrance to a cave.

Gordy’s heart sank when he saw the SWAT team taking their positions.

Bryce waited until everyone signaled they were ready, and then put the bullhorn to his mouth. “This is Special Agent Bryce Moore of the FBI. You are surrounded. You cannot escape. We
know Sarah Beth Hamilton is in there with you. Send her out first and then come out with your hands in the air. You will not be harmed.”

Gordy kept his eyes fixed on the entrance to the cave.
Come on, Billy. Make this easy on yourself
.

A minute ticked by. Bryce looked at his watch, then raised the bullhorn and repeated the command. Moments later, he picked up his walkie-talkie. “This is Moore, over … When …? Talk about a double whammy. Okay, out.”

Gordy heard whispering and turned around and saw the Hamiltons standing with a man who appeared to be an FBI agent.

“I’ll give them another minute,” Bryce said. “Then I’m sending in the SWAT team.”

“Let Billy’s dad talk to him!” Gordy said. “Billy will surrender willingly if someone he trusts tells him to.”

Bryce’s eyebrows scrunched together. “Unfortunately, I was just informed that Chet Lewis is doubled over with chest pains and his wife is staying with him till the paramedics arrive. Billy’s going to have to come out on his own or we’re going in.”

“Then let me talk to him,” Gordy said. “He’s scared. I doubt he even understands what’s going on. Come on, what’ve you got to lose?”

Bryce hesitated, his eyes searching Gordy’s, then handed him the bullhorn.

“Billy, this is Mister G. Don’t be afraid. I’m coming in to talk to you.”

“What’re you doing?” Bryce said, taking back the bullhorn. “You’re not going anywhere. It’s too risky We don’t know who else might be with him.”

Will took Gordy by the arm. “We’re not going to hurt Billy unless he poses a threat. Let us handle it.”

“The kid’s not a criminal, Will. If I can’t get him to come out, do what you have to. But at least let me have a crack at it.”

Bryce looked at Will and then at Gordy “You’ve got three minutes. Go.”

Gordy jogged over to the entrance of the cave, his heart pounding and his determination stronger than his fear. He peered inside and thought he saw movement in the back.

“Billy? It’s Mister G. Are you in there …? Billy …?”

“I am here.”

“Are Lisa and Sarah Beth with you?”

“Yes, they are here.”

“Anyone else with you?”

“No. We are hid-ing from Ross Ham-il-ton.”

“May I come in? I need to talk to you.”

“You can come.”

Gordy ducked inside the cave, instantly hit with the cool, musty dampness. He saw two dark forms. His eyes adjusted quickly and he realized Billy and Lisa were sitting together on the floor of the cave and Sarah Beth Hamilton was nestled in Lisa’s lap, hugging a baby doll.

Lisa whispered something to Sarah Beth and the girl looked up at Gordy and smiled. “Hi.”

“Hi, cutie.” Gordy squatted in front of the trio, unexpectedly moved by their guileless demeanor. He swallowed hard and looked at Billy and then Lisa. “I need you to trust me with something very important. Do you think you can do that?”

Billy looked at Lisa and nodded.

“Ross Hamilton is
not
a bad man. The things Billy heard Eddie say are not true.”

“Did Ed-die tell lies?” Billy said.

“Eddie was wrong, Billy. He thought Ross Hamilton was a bad man. But the police found out it’s not true. And Ross Hamilton is sad. He misses Sarah Beth very much and wants her to come home. That’s why the police are outside.”

“Ed-die told me the po-lice cannot protect chil-dren from Ross Ham-il-ton.”

Gordy gently squeezed Billy’s arm. “I know he did, and I’m sorry, Billy. Eddie made a big mistake. Now I need you to do something very brave—even braver than protecting Sarah Beth.”

Will Seevers couldn’t take his eyes off the entrance to the cave, aware that the three minutes were about up. Finally, Gordy came out, waving his hands in the air. “It’s okay! It’s okay, they’re not armed!”

In the next instant, Sarah Beth emerged from the cave followed by Lisa and then Billy.

Special Agent Moore picked up his walkie-talkie and Chief Seevers grabbed his arm. “No, wait.”

Billy and Lisa put Sarah Beth between them, the three holding hands, and started walking across the clearing. Every now and then they lifted Sarah Beth by the arms and swung her, the sound of her giggling filling the eerie stillness. When they were a few yards from the tree line, they stopped.

“What’re they doing?” Bryce said.

Will shrugged. “I don’t know, but I trust Gordy. Let’s wait a minute.”

Billy bent down and appeared to be saying something to Sarah Beth. He hugged her, and then stood up straight and started waving. “Bye-bye. Sar-ah Beth will go now.”

Lisa let go of the little girl’s hand and pointed toward the tree line. “Go see Mommy and Daddy.”

“Sarah Beth!”

“Sarah Beth! Over here! Over here!”

Will recognized the voices of Julie and Ross Hamilton and felt them breeze past him as they raced toward their daughter.

Ellen Jones sat watching the TV, batting her eyes to clear away the tears as Julie and Ross smothered Sarah Beth with hugs and kisses.
Thank You, Lord. Thank You!

“There are no words to describe the elation here,” the news reporter was saying. “We are witnessing live what most people thought would never happen: A very much alive Sarah Beth Hamilton being reunited with her parents. And as you can see on the faces of FBI agents, police officers, and sheriff’s deputies, this is an emotional moment for them, too.

“But not everyone is convinced this is the ideal outcome. I have here with me Valerie Mink Hodges, the reporter from the
Biloxi Telegraph
whose controversial article about Ross Hamilton may have set in motion events that eventually led to Sarah Beth Hamilton’s abduction. Ms. Hodges, do you feel comfortable about this child being returned to her parents?”

“I don’t see how anyone can feel comfortable about that with all the mystery surrounding her father.”

“Do you feel any responsibility for what happened?”

“Absolutely not,” Hodges said, “I’m a newspaperwoman. If what I wrote rattled a few chains, then so be it. If Ross Hamilton wanted me to understand a different version of the story, then he should have returned my calls.”

“Then you don’t feel you owe him an apology?”

“Look, I didn’t do anything
to
Ross Hamilton. All I did was put some facts out on the table that I found disturbing. What other people did with them isn’t my problem.”

“Will you continue to follow this story?”

“Yes. Until I’m satisfied that every stone has been unturned.”

“Thank you. We appreciate your talking with WRGL News. Well, folks, the celebration here continues to be heart-warming, especially in the aftermath of community protest and allegations
of abuse against Ross Hamilton. I wonder if anyone could have guessed such a positive outcome to the eight-day ordeal?”

The announcer seemed distracted for a moment as if someone not on the TV screen were saying something to him.

“In just a moment, we’re going to hear from Gordy Jameson, the owner of Gordy’s Crab Shack and the man who went inside the cave to talk to Billy and Lisa Lewis. I think all of us are wondering how it feels to be a hero. Here’s Mr. Jameson now. Sir, do you feel like a hero?”

“Nah, I just know Billy’s mental limitations and knew he wouldn’t understand why the police and the dogs were there. I went in to explain what was goin’ on.”

“Can you tell us what the mood was like in that cave when you confronted the couple?”

“It wasn’t a confrontation,” Gordy said. “Billy and Lisa were very cooperative. And the mood was calm. Sarah Beth even smiled at me.”

“Did they admit to kidnapping her?”

“I’m not gonna speak for them,” Gordy said. “But I can tell you this: Those kids wouldn’t hurt a flea. Whatever happened, that little girl was never in danger.”

“As emotionally charged as the situation has been with the Hamiltons, do you think Billy and Lisa can get a fair trial here in Seaport?”

Gordy looked dumbfounded. “Who said there’s gonna be a need for a trial? There you go again, gettin’ ahead of the facts.”

“You sound angry.”

“We should all be angry! The accusations made against Ross Hamilton were untrue and hurtful. What a shame most of us fell for it. I’m not just blamin’ the media. Maybe if we’d
all
kept our opinions to ourselves until we found out the facts, a nice young man like Billy Lewis wouldn’t have felt compelled to protect a little girl that didn’t need protectin’.”