Missings, The (22 page)

“Slow down. All of you,” Chase said. “What two men?”

Daniel pulled up, sucked in a breath. He looked like he wanted to say something else but instead he exhaled. “Carlisle. And I think his brother. We followed them.”

“You followed two suspects with a civilian in your car? A civilian I clearly told you needed to stay out of this?” He wanted something to hit. “A civilian you knew wouldn’t? What didn’t you understand?”

“Look, Chase—”

“Stop,” Elizabeth interrupted Daniel, slapped her hands against her thighs. She blushed, looking like a little girl caught somewhere she knew she shouldn’t be, but did not drop her eyes from Chase’s. “This boy knows something.”

“And that’s what I’m here to find out,” Chase said. “Is there somewhere we can talk?”

“All of us?” Elizabeth asked.

Chase looked at the other detective. Daniel shrugged. They would continue this discussion later.

Chase gave a quick nod and Efraín led them to a small community room that doubled as an office. The young man reminded Chase of a scared rabbit looking for a hole. “I need to leave the door open so I can hear customers.”

Daniel turned, walked to the front of the store and adjusted the sign so it read “Closed.” He flicked the deadbolt to lock the door. “Don’t need to listen for anyone now.”

Efraín sank onto a chair. “Am I in trouble?”

Chase waited until the boy met his gaze. “Should you be?”

A hesitation, a glance at Elizabeth, then a little shake of his head. “No, sir. I don’t think so.”

“Fine then. For now you’re not in trouble. But we have some questions.”

Efraín swallowed.

“What do people call you?” Chase worked to get the boy to relax.

“My parents call me Efraín. Almost everyone else calls me Tom.”

“Tom?” Chase asked.

“My middle name is Tomás Hanks. My parents are fans.” It was clear to Chase that the young man had explained this more than once.

“What name do you prefer?”

“Efraín.”

“Okay, Efraín. How old are you?”

“Sixteen.”

“How do you know those two men?”

The boy shrugged. “They’ve been around.”

Chase tried to remember what it was like to be sixteen. Sixteen and as close to trouble as a gambler with a pair of dice in his pocket.

“Been around? You’ve never talked to them before?” Mex had given him the distinct impression that Efraín tied into the case somehow. And the Carlisle brothers definitely did.

“They’ve just been around you know? For a while.” The young boy’s gaze darted for the door.

Chase knew a stall when he heard one. He also didn’t have time to help Efraín get on board in a nice gradual way. He decided to approach this kid directly. With a little bit of a punch to his psychological gut.

“Do you know what we’re investigating?” Chase asked.

A slight shake of his head. “No, sir.”

“Did you read about that body found in a dumpster late last week?”

“Yeah, but I don’t know anything about that.” Efraín looked scared.

“No ID. A young Hispanic male. We don’t even know who to notify. His family still doesn’t know he’s dead. They just think he
might
be. Today I was given his toothbrush to try and make a DNA identification. His toothbrush, Efraín. Am I gonna need yours too?”

Efraín paled.

“He’d been carved up. Eviscerated.” Chase paused. “I think those two men might have something to do with his death.

Efraín ran from the room. A moment later they could hear the gagging sounds of the kid tossing his cookies.

A lot of people go looking for trouble. For Efraín Tomás Hanks Madrigal, trouble had found him.

Aspen Falls Police Department

Tuesday, September 25

Terri sat at her desk, more than one thing eating at her. Something about her visit with Leslie James yesterday didn’t sit right, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on it.

No doubt existed however about the other thing—she was in over her head. Carol Greene, Lily’s grandmother, and her attorney, Krysta Corinn, had asked to meet with her this morning for breakfast. Because of the case Terri almost told them no, but something in Carol Greene’s voice told her she’d better not.

After the waitress poured their coffees, Krysta Corinn got down to business. “We’re concerned you might not be at the right place in your life to raise a little girl.” The attorney laid it out straight and quick, protecting her client and keeping her billable hours to a minimum. No small talk this morning.

“What’s your concern?” Terri tried not to think about the room she’d cleared out in her little home, ready for Lily to make her own decision regarding paint, window coverings and furniture. She tried not to think about the special shelf in the family room reserved for pictures of Lily’s mom and grandmother. Of her life before Terri. She didn’t have a husband to offer as a father but that hadn’t been an issue before. Could that be it?

“Your job is very demanding.” Corinn gave Terri a direct stare. “There may not be room for a child.”

First, Terri thanked her lucky stars she hadn’t said no to this breakfast. It would have proved their point about having a demanding job and would have been one more nail in her coffin. Second, well, she got a little ticked off. “You’ve always known what I do for a living.”

Carol Greene cleared her throat. “Yes, but I hadn’t really considered your hours. Or what kind of element you might introduce Lily to.”

Something had changed. Something had happened. There had to be more to this.

“Mrs. Greene, Ms. Corinn, all I can tell you is, assuming Lily will have me, I’m prepared to be her guardian. I know being a single parent isn’t easy, but people do it all the time.” Terri paused to look at Carol Greene. “Believe it or not, even police officers have been known to do it. The only things I can tell you are that I’m prepared to protect Lily, to be a role model for her, to help launch her into the world, and to love her. I’m also prepared to help Lily remember her roots. The family who loved her first.”

Carol Greene looked a little uncomfortable. Corinn wore a poker face.
What the hell?

“I think we all need to take a step back and re-evaluate what is best for Lily,” the attorney said.

Terri pulled out more cash than her share of breakfast required and laid it on the table. “I’m sorry to hear you feel that way, but this is neither the time nor the place to discuss this in any kind of depth.” She said good-bye and left—before they could make their re-evaluation on the spot and tell her no. They agreed to be in touch.

That had been two hours ago and Terri had been ripped to her core ever since. She wondered what had happened to make them suddenly doubt her ability—her commitment. Should she have stayed at the table and risked permanent rejection? Maybe she shouldn’t have a child. Maybe she had no business wanting to be a mother. Maybe another family had entered the picture. One with both a mother and a father to offer Lily.

She forced her brain to get back to this case and consider her last interview with Leslie James. It took a moment but she got there. The doctor, the setting, James’s words… some little element flitted just out of reach. Maybe a walk to clear her head would help her regain some focus.

The minute the fresh air hit her, Terri had the answer. Armand Fyfe. Rude, yes. Arrogant, no doubt. But underneath all of it Terri read subterfuge. Slime. A person of interest. And he worked in the ER. She did a one-eighty and walked back into the building. Skipped the elevator and took the stairs to her floor.

Once back at her desk she googled the man, found his address, and a few clicks later knew that today was his scheduled trash pickup. Without a warrant and sure he had something to hide, she needed to get to his house before the trash company made its rounds.

Terri wanted to talk to Dr. Fyfe, and some background information would give her the upper hand when they had that conversation. And with a guy like Fyfe, she could use all the surprise she could get. Even if it was refuse inspired. She hated garbage duty, but somewhere in his trash she might get lucky and find an item of interest.

Terri also wanted to talk to Carol Greene. Soon.

She grabbed her coat and some large plastic liner bags.

Armand Fyfe’s Residence

Tuesday, September 25

Terri threw her car in park and grabbed some gloves. Fyfe’s house sat at the top of a fairly steep drive, at the bottom of which stood three large rubber bins, one piled with papers for recycling. At least that one would be easy. Terri gave thanks for people who recycled, including the man whose garbage she itched to get into. She didn’t dare hope he also composted.

The smell coming from the containers told her Fyfe probably didn’t compost. Based on the man’s attitude, she couldn’t really picture him as the gardening type. She fingered out a stick of gum to help with the gag factor, crammed it in her mouth, pulled on latex gloves, then grabbed the large plastic bags she’d brought with her and went to work. Too bad she didn’t have a real reason to call out the CSIs for this little job. Desperate times called for desperate measures.

Less than ten minutes later, Terri tucked everything into the trunk along with her gloves, stuffed some fresh gum in her mouth and headed back to the station. She hoped there might be something, especially in the paper portion of her haul, that might give them some evidence. The arrogance of the man might just be his undoing. Assuming he had something to undo. Which of course, she knew in the cop part of her heart, he did.

She wanted to call Carol Greene but didn’t want anything to interrupt their conversation. She needed to know why the grandmother of the girl Terri wanted to adopt—the same woman who had approached her with the idea to begin with—seemed to be having second thoughts.

That conversation would have to wait. The detective needed to detect. Even if it meant she had to sort through the garbage of a jerk. Things just might end on a high note today, she thought, at least as far as the case went.

She parked her car and popped the trunk.

Daniel pulled into the space next to her. “Need some help?”

“You have no idea.”

Daniel checked out her trunk. “Please tell me this has something to do with our case. That this isn’t crap from some ex-boyfriend or a neighbor you’re gunning for.” He grabbed one of the bags.

“None of the above. This here garbage is special order from Hollywood. You know how I feel about Johnny Depp.”

“Please, Terri. Don’t even tease. This is not the day for it.”

“Okay. Help me haul these bags in, and while we sort through the crap, I’ll tell you everything you want to know.”

“You couldn’t get someone else to do this?”

“It’s just a hunch. But I think we might find a connection.” She grinned at Daniel. “Plus I thought you could use some grounding.”

Daniel shook his head.

“Have you seen Chase this morning?” Terri asked after they’d hauled the last bag in to the conference room.

“Kind of ran into him this morning, as a matter of fact. He’s talking to the kid from the bookstore.”

“Efraín?”

“Yeah. The one a lot of people call Tom Hanks.”

“Why is Chase talking to him?”

“I think he’s involved somehow with the case.”

“Which one?”

“All of ‘em. This one.”

“The kid?” Terri shook off the idea. “No way could Efraín be on the killing end. You think he’s a target?”

“Could be. That’s why Chase is interviewing him. Backtrack, check out whether or not he’s been to the ER, try to connect up some of these loose ends.”

They each took a bag and began going through the garbage at opposite sides of the plastic- covered table. Evidence bags sat nearby in case they got lucky.

“Okay, wanna tell me why I’m gloved up and digging through a week’s worth of someone else’s crap?”

“There’s something hinky about this guy. He’s a doctor at Memorial, and aside from being an obnoxious asshole he’s hiding something. And anyone around the ER who’s also keeping secrets is someone I want to know more about.”

“Jeez, Terri. That’s all you’ve got?” Daniel stopped his search.

“Do I need to remind you about the time I helped you search a septic tank because you
thought
you’d seen someone drop something in it?”

“Fine. You got me.”

They searched in silence then dumped the last bag open on the table. Paper products.

“Want to tell me why we didn’t start with paper?” Daniel asked.

“Too easy. Besides, you’re the one who dumped the first bag. And while I figured we might find something in the paper, that doesn’t mean we could skip the other bags. You know that and so do I.”

“I didn’t know it had already been sorted for recycling.”

“You didn’t ask, so don’t go all bitchy on me.”

The two worked in silence.

“Well, looky here,” Terri said.

Cobalt Mountain Books

Tuesday, September 25

“Are you doing a little better, Efraín?” Chase asked the young man.

Shaking, the sixteen year-old nodded. He took a sip of the water Chase had rounded up for him.

“It’s just you and me now.” Chase had sent Daniel and Elizabeth packing while Efraín threw up. He didn’t need either one of them for this interview. Daniel needed to think about the decision he’d made earlier and Chase needed to calm down before addressing the younger detective about the danger he’d knowingly put a civilian in. The good news—if you could call anything good news—was that his detective had entered the bookstore visibly upset about Elizabeth’s actions. Daniel had learned a lesson. It was Chase’s job to make sure he wouldn’t forget it.

“Do you need a few more minutes?” Chase asked the boy.

“Please. No.”

“Which is it?”

“Talk. Let’s talk.”

“You’re the one who needs to talk, Efraín. You need to tell me about those two men, about why they were interested in a young kid who goes to school and works in a bookstore. But first I have another question.”

“Yes?”