“Did he give you a name?”
“He did.” Carolyn paused. “It was Dale.”
PART 3: THE ENVELOPE DALE TOOK
Carolyn’s call left me with one question: what had happened to the envelope sitting on Luke’s passenger seat?
Dale had collected Luke’s belongings after the accident. I remembered him coming to the cabin with a paper grocery sack containing Luke’s wallet, phone, jacket, and thermos. At the time, I could barely bring myself to look inside. I never asked whether anything else had been there.
That morning, I drove to the towing yard in Livingston. Hank, the manager, recognized me and removed his cap when I explained why I had come. He located the inventory from the day Dale had arrived.
“Your brother-in-law signed for the wallet, phone, jacket, and some tools,” he said, tracing a finger down the page. Then he stopped. “There was an envelope from the passenger side too. It said Land Trust across the front.”
I asked if I could see the signature. Dale had signed his name and identified himself as Luke’s next of kin.
“He told me you weren’t able to come,” Hank said. “I’m sorry. I thought he was helping.”
