Every House Has a Secret - 28

 

For the next two days, when he had a few free moments, Brady concentrated on finding Colin and Frank Hodges, George Hodges's sons. Before he did, however, he roughed out a timeline on the various family members in order of marriages and births.

 

(1) Ethan Barrett died 1992 - father of—

(2) Emila Barrett who marries Dennis Hodges. They have two sons

(2a) Dennis Jr. born 1957 and George born 1960.

(2b) Emila murdered 1969

(3) Dennis Hodges marries Irene Long in 1974. They have two sons

(3a) Alan born 1976 and Steven born 1977

(4) Irene divorces Dennis, marries Thatcher who adopts Alan and Steven

(5) George Hodges has two sons. Colin born 1984 and Frank born 1985

(6) Dennis Hodges dies 2010

 

With that accomplished, he moved on to Ethan Barrett's obituary, which he found in the Columbus Daily Dispatch from October of nineteen-ninety-two.

 

It listed his surviving relatives, including Dennis Hodges Junior, and George Hodges, as well as their children. At the time of Barrett's death, George was living in Athens, Georgia. Brady could only presume his sons were there, too, at that point, as they would have been in their teens. But that was then. Where are they now?

 

He ran a search for George Hodges in Athens and came up with four of them. Thankfully, only one was within the correct age-range, so he called him.

 

When a man answered, Brady introduced himself then said, "I'm looking for George Hodges, the son of Dennis Hodges. I hope you're him."

 

"Why?" the man asked.

 

"We recently bought Mr. Hodges house. In the process of renovating it we found some photos which we believe are of you and your brother, if you are Mr. Hodges's son."

 

"'We' as you and your wife, I presume."

 

"Yes." Brady decided to let him think that, rather than going into a long explanation about his being married to a man. No sense in taking the chance he's prejudiced, which he might be given where he's living. He knew that made him just as prejudiced in a different way, but so be it.