the
trigger. But that ain’t gonna do those kids no good. We need to get
some answers out of this guy. Breaking his jaw isn’t going to
help.”
Sam still said nothing, but he made eye
contact. His nostrils flared wide with each inhalation. I let a few
more seconds pass and he seemed to come down a notch.
“You got it? You ready to go?”
He turned his head toward the dim hallway and
nodded. “Let’s go back. I’m fine now.”
I stepped into the hallway first. Officer
Wiggins stood in the doorway of one of the other bedrooms. She held
up her hand and gestured for me to speak with her as we
approached.
“What is it?” I asked.
“According to the woman, her name is Laura
Weaver, they’ve been here since late last night. They never left.
Got drunk, slept in. Got up around seven-thirty. Made love. Napped.
They were at it again when you two barged in.”
“Who is she?” I asked.
“She’s a student teacher at the school.”
“Interesting.” I nodded and saw Sam do the
same.
“And they’ve been here all night?” Sam
said.
Wiggins nodded. “That’s what she says.”
“Nobody move,” I said, nodding at Sam. “Come
with me.”
“Where’re we going?” He asked as we stepped
through the great room toward the kitchen.
“Garage.”
“His truck?”
“Yeah.”
The first door I pulled open led to the
pantry. It was stocked with sugary cereal, bags of chips, and four
cases of soda. How the hell did that guy stay so thin?
Sam pulled the other door open. “In here,
Mitch.”
The smell of motor oil and gas reached me
before I turned around. I expected to see the single car garage
filled with a truck. Instead, it was empty. I stepped into the room
and looked around. First thing I noticed was a thick pool of oil in
the center of the floor. There were posters along the walls, girls
in bikinis on the hoods of cars or straddling motorcycles. A
pegboard mounted to the interior wall held his hand tools. It
appeared they were organized by size and purpose. Beneath the
pegboard was a custom workbench with a solid steel top and plenty
of drawers. I started looking through them, but found nothing of
importance.
“What you think?” Sam asked.
“I think we need to ask McCree about his
pickup truck.”
Chapter
20
The smoothness of the road had given way to
bumps and bouncing. They must be on a dirt road or gravel driveway.
Debby didn’t dare open her eyes to verify. The ping sounds
she heard beneath her led her to believe it was gravel. Although,
dirt with rocks was a close second. She and Beans had been told to
keep their eyes and mouths shut. One peep out of them, and they’d
have hoods over their heads. That wouldn’t stop her from listening,
though. She’d seen a cop show or two on TV. Right now was about the
clues. And the clues would come from the men. Unfortunately, the
men didn’t speak at all aside from the occasional direction of turn
right or turn left.
They didn’t stay in the van for long. She
wasn’t sure where it happened, because there were no windows in the
back of that van, but they had pulled off the road. When they
opened the door, the bright sunlight blinded her. She stepped out
and saw tall bushes and trees surrounding them. There were empty
beer cans and cigarette butts on the ground. A couple dirty
magazines sat atop a bench made from a fallen tree. She thought it
might be the kind of place teenagers came to hang out. Maybe her
brother had frequented the area.
The men had led her and Beans to a big truck.
The entire passenger side of the cab opened up wide like a whale
ready to devour her. It was like a car in there, with a full
backseat. Nothing like the trucks she had seen before. One of the
men picked her up and placed her on the floor, then put Beans next
to her. They were to remain there for the rest of the trip.
Eyes and mouths shut.
What could she have seen from down there?
Now, Beans cried softly. She reached out her
hand and found his. His whimpers stopped. She
trigger. But that ain’t gonna do those kids no good. We need to get
some answers out of this guy. Breaking his jaw isn’t going to
help.”
Sam still said nothing, but he made eye
contact. His nostrils flared wide with each inhalation. I let a few
more seconds pass and he seemed to come down a notch.
“You got it? You ready to go?”
He turned his head toward the dim hallway and
nodded. “Let’s go back. I’m fine now.”
I stepped into the hallway first. Officer
Wiggins stood in the doorway of one of the other bedrooms. She held
up her hand and gestured for me to speak with her as we
approached.
“What is it?” I asked.
“According to the woman, her name is Laura
Weaver, they’ve been here since late last night. They never left.
Got drunk, slept in. Got up around seven-thirty. Made love. Napped.
They were at it again when you two barged in.”
“Who is she?” I asked.
“She’s a student teacher at the school.”
“Interesting.” I nodded and saw Sam do the
same.
“And they’ve been here all night?” Sam
said.
Wiggins nodded. “That’s what she says.”
“Nobody move,” I said, nodding at Sam. “Come
with me.”
“Where’re we going?” He asked as we stepped
through the great room toward the kitchen.
“Garage.”
“His truck?”
“Yeah.”
The first door I pulled open led to the
pantry. It was stocked with sugary cereal, bags of chips, and four
cases of soda. How the hell did that guy stay so thin?
Sam pulled the other door open. “In here,
Mitch.”
The smell of motor oil and gas reached me
before I turned around. I expected to see the single car garage
filled with a truck. Instead, it was empty. I stepped into the room
and looked around. First thing I noticed was a thick pool of oil in
the center of the floor. There were posters along the walls, girls
in bikinis on the hoods of cars or straddling motorcycles. A
pegboard mounted to the interior wall held his hand tools. It
appeared they were organized by size and purpose. Beneath the
pegboard was a custom workbench with a solid steel top and plenty
of drawers. I started looking through them, but found nothing of
importance.
“What you think?” Sam asked.
“I think we need to ask McCree about his
pickup truck.”
Chapter
20
The smoothness of the road had given way to
bumps and bouncing. They must be on a dirt road or gravel driveway.
Debby didn’t dare open her eyes to verify. The ping sounds
she heard beneath her led her to believe it was gravel. Although,
dirt with rocks was a close second. She and Beans had been told to
keep their eyes and mouths shut. One peep out of them, and they’d
have hoods over their heads. That wouldn’t stop her from listening,
though. She’d seen a cop show or two on TV. Right now was about the
clues. And the clues would come from the men. Unfortunately, the
men didn’t speak at all aside from the occasional direction of turn
right or turn left.
They didn’t stay in the van for long. She
wasn’t sure where it happened, because there were no windows in the
back of that van, but they had pulled off the road. When they
opened the door, the bright sunlight blinded her. She stepped out
and saw tall bushes and trees surrounding them. There were empty
beer cans and cigarette butts on the ground. A couple dirty
magazines sat atop a bench made from a fallen tree. She thought it
might be the kind of place teenagers came to hang out. Maybe her
brother had frequented the area.
The men had led her and Beans to a big truck.
The entire passenger side of the cab opened up wide like a whale
ready to devour her. It was like a car in there, with a full
backseat. Nothing like the trucks she had seen before. One of the
men picked her up and placed her on the floor, then put Beans next
to her. They were to remain there for the rest of the trip.
Eyes and mouths shut.
What could she have seen from down there?
Now, Beans cried softly. She reached out her
hand and found his. His whimpers stopped. She
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