Gone Before Goodbye (Love &Mystery in the--6-oh-3 Book 1) (12 page)

“Me help Travis’ ex? She’s poison, just like the woman she lives with. She treats my nephew like he isn’t fit to take out their garbage. Go ask her.”

“Who?” Noah asked.

“Teagan Raynes, she was always tellin’ Lisa to dump Travis and get herself another boyfriend.”

“I’m sure her advice bothered you.” Noah imagined the anger and words Seth would spew at Teagan. “Enough for you to threaten her.”

“What?” His eyes popped wide. “If she said that, she’s lyin’.”

“Yeah, and if I find out you’re lying, I’m bringing you down to the station. Got it, Bodell? I don’t like liars. Stay away from Teagan Raynes.”

“I don’t want nothin’ to do with her, and Travis was done with the Grant girl before she disappeared. He was the one hurt. He’s sensitive.”

“We want to hear it from Travis,” Noah insisted. “We can come in and wait for him.”

“No use waitin’. I don’t know where he’s gone or when he’ll be back. He’s been missin’ for over a day now.”

Noah sidestepped as his irritation rose. The guy was unbelievable.

“I’ve nothin’ else to say. I can’t yack all night about Travis’ schedule. I’m a workin’ man.” Seth began to close the door.

“Mr. Bodell, what do you think happened to Lisa Grant?” Hines moved toward the shrinking opening.

Seth paused. “Lisa went out with a boy she thought was better than Travis and he did somethin’ to her. She learned her lesson. Too late.”

“Who would hurt her?” Noah yelled to Seth as he began to shut the door.

Seth paused. “Maybe it was you. Everyone knows about how you went rogue.” He slammed the door.

“Well, he’s a charmer,” Noah said as they turned to leave. “Remind me to send him a happy birthday card.”

“He didn’t like your unsmiling face, Cassidy.”

“I never smile on the job.”

“Exactly.” Hines waited until they reached the bottom of the steps to speak again. “The guy’s a loose cannon. He’s also a pretty big guy. He could easily fling Lisa over his shoulder and carry her once he tied her up or knocked her out.”

“Agreed,” Noah said, “but someone smaller and pointing a gun could have taken her, too.”

“True.” Hines sighed. “Did you notice Seth said Lisa and Travis broke up a month ago, and Teagan Raynes stated they were together until the day she disappeared?”

“Bodell will say whatever helps his nephew appear innocent and causes him the least grief. We’ve got to find the two summer school students to confirm or deny the food court story.” Noah unlocked his car.

“Paul’s working on their contact info. We’ll check with him. Besides, I doubt Travis went far. He’ll come back for a meal, clothes, or money.”

“Good idea. We’ll watch his house for the next day or two. Who’s telling the chief, so he’ll give us his waste of manpower speech?”

“You’ve been away for a week. I vote for you, Cassidy.”

“Right. At the end of our stakeout, we’ll find out Travis never left his bedroom but was hiding in the closet. I’ve a better idea. Let’s head home and get some sleep. We’re meeting with the chief at seven a.m., and I’m sending a couple of our best men over to the Raynes to look in the daylight for signs of the intruders. If we hit the sheets now, we can catch three to four hours.” His bed would feel great right now.

“Works for me. Maybe Chelsea will think she dreamed I left during the night.”

“As long as she’s not dreaming about the priest from the movie.”

“I’ll wake her and help her forget him.”

“TMI, Hines.”

Shortly before seven a.m., Noah and Hines walked into the chief’s office for their private meeting. He’d hold another conference in the squad room in an hour with the rest of the team, but preferred to meet beforehand with his lead detectives. The calendar above their boss’ head reminded Noah the teen vanished three days ago.

Teagan’s hoarse voice floated into his mind. “She’s out there in trouble, not far from home. Why can’t I find her?”

The chief cleared his throat. “Well?”

Noah focused and updated the boss on Teagan’s night caller and that two of their best were at her house to investigate in the daylight. “I doubt we’ll find a print, but if one shows, I’ll let you know immediately.”

“Bring in Travis Bodell. He’s a key player in this case,” the chief’s order boomed across the room, grounding Noah in the present. “The boy didn’t show up for his daily squawk at the station yesterday. If he’s stalking Teagan Raynes and sending out possible death threats, we can’t ignore him, no matter if he scribbled the slice poem for his sweet Grammy.”

“We will, sir.” Hines too out his phone for his notes. “I re-interviewed Travis’ core teachers. They hadn’t seen him produce any written assignments. If he uttered a word, they considered it an A plus day. Another teacher stated he would have given Travis a passing grade for turning in a blank paper with his initials.”

“The kid was cruising through school on his path to bigger problems. Either way, I want Travis Bodell brought in. From where I sit, he had motive and opportunity. Dig up the truth about what happened when he and Lisa last met. Don’t accept any of his mambie-pambie ‘I don’t remember’ or ‘didn’t see her’ answers.”

“We should have the students who witnessed their fight located today,” Hines said. “They can confirm the mall story.”

“The men searching the river found nothing.” The chief moved his unlit cigar to the other side of his mouth. “We’ll hold off on dragging further from the village for now. Tomorrow evening you’ll be at the Grant vigil along with the officers I’ve assigned. I’ll make a statement to reassure the public we’re working day and night to find both girls.”

The chief snatched up a sheet. “I have the report on Lisa’s phone. She sent twenty texts to Travis Bodell between July third and forth and called home twice from work. On July fifth, the phone was not in use. Any more on alibis?”

“I checked out the wife of the ill parishioner Father Matt was attending the night Lisa disappeared,” Hines said. “She is in the early stages of dementia, and her memory isn’t solid.”

Noah jumped into the conversation. “And the holy card was mailed locally, though the trail dead-ended at the distribution center. Father Matt has access to holy cards but so does anyone with the Internet.”

“Shake up the priest, too.” The chief waved his cigar.

Noah fought the need to pace. Shaking up the priest sounded good to him. “Stacey Smith, the church secretary, can provide us with a detailed list of his appointments for the day.”

The chief nodded. “Keep looking at the what, where, and when Lisa Grant disappeared.”

“And I learned that Lucy Watson and Teagan Raynes were in AA,” Noah said, “but she refused to give me her sponsor’s name to be interviewed. I know there are at least two groups that meet in Hawick Falls, maybe more.”

“I’ve got that one covered,” Hines said with his feet stretched in front of him like he was ready for a nap.

“Someone in your family goes to the meetings?” the chief asked.

“No. They hold them in the St. Jude’s Activity Center and since Teagan’s a member of the parish, I’ll bet she attends at the church.”

“Father Matt’s church?” Was Hines kidding? The priest was involved in every aspect of her life.

“That’s the one,” Hines confirmed.

“Go to the meeting. Interview the members. Go back to Jake Clark. Find out his story and his relationship to Lisa Grant.” The chief waved his cigar in the air again. “Vic Taylor, an editor for the paper, is covering the Grant vigil tomorrow. Give me something positive to announce. We don’t want the public to think we’re sitting around like fence viewers.” He threw a glance at the wall clock. “I have a briefing with Paul on the Meter Feeder gang in ten minutes. Too bad we’ve got to waste time chasing teenagers through the city.” He tossed his cigar on his desk. “Go. Now.”

At the chief’s final order, Noah and Hines hustled out of his office.

“Am I wrong, or did the chief just instruct us to rile up every person of interest?” Hines mumbled to Noah.

“I’m glad we don’t suspect a baseball team.” Noah’s phone buzzed, alerting him to the text from his men at Teagan’s house. He read the message that they’d found nothing to indicate a trespasser had been on the grounds.

Noah agreed the men should return to the station. He pocketed his phone and filled in Hines.

Paul was at his desk as they entered the squad room. He held up a sticky note with a number and address. “I made contact with one of the All Saints students. I posted a picture of a pretty girl along with a fake name on a social media site. Then I sent a friend request in her name to one of the missing students. He accepted right away. I told him I hoped to transfer to All Saints and was looking for someone who went to the school. He took the bait. Our missing kid was more than happy to give me his cell number and his grandmother’s address, where he’s staying in Maine. I’m still working on the second student. He’s on the Cape.”

“Thanks, Paul, and good luck with the chief.” Noah turned to Hines. “Let’s visit Jake Clark. He doesn’t work on Fridays. We should catch him at home for a quick Q and A.”

Within minutes, Noah was driving toward Jake Clark’s apartment in the village. He found a parking spot on a side street by the pea-green, four-story building. Small balconies crammed with chairs and tables decorated each level of the residences of the Park View Apartments.

“They should rename the place Barely Making It.” Noah took in the facade’s appearance.

“Too bad, the building was a hot commodity twenty years ago,” Hines said. “The lodgings were converted into condos before the real estate collapse of 2008. Most of the people who live in them now are on the verge of falling from the middle into the financial abyss of poverty.”

“Jake’s home sure doesn’t match his inflated ego.” Noah cut the engine. The front of the edifice sat on the sidewalk’s edge and offered tenants a scene of the busy street and a view of Pretty Park. “Guess Jake spends his money on Italian movies and not his living quarters.” He pocketed his keys while Hines glanced in the side mirror and smoothed his red hair.

“The guy’s a person of interest in a possible kidnapping, Hines. Are you expecting a date?”

“I need to look my best when I grill a suspect, gives me a sense of authority.” He scanned the clapboard building. “Place must contain a rear exit. If we have to take him to the station in the future, I hope he’s not a runner.”

“The guy has a degree in dead languages. He didn’t impress me as the kind who exercises or spends his day at the gym.”

“He might be into Latin dancing.” Hines smirked.

Noah grimaced at the weak joke. “I was wrong. Maybe he will invite you in for a beer and a book discussion.”

“I’m pretty sure we don’t read the same books.” Hines gave his hair one last pat.

Noah’s phone buzzed and the chief’s voice barked in his ear when he answered.

“Cassidy, we had a hit and run near St. Jude’s Church about twenty minutes ago. Victim’s a woman, who’s unconscious and at the hospital.”

Teagan? Noah tightened his grip on his cell.

“The uniforms found a purse and wallet nearby with a license for Lucy Watson, Jake Clark’s ex. I’ve got men working on contacting family. We have a clerk from the hardware store across the street. He reported hearing a car speed up followed by a scream. When he looked out the window, he saw a white vehicle fleeing the scene. An officer has confirmed acceleration marks before the hit, looks deliberate. Bring Clark in.”

“Will do, chief.” What was Lucy Watson doing in Hawick Falls?

“I wanted to keep her name out of the press, but a driver passing by called the radio station and gave them details. The newscaster hopped on it and somehow identified Miss Watson. He’s including her accident in the station’s news report.” The chief ended the conversation.

Noah explained to Hines the change in their assignment while they entered the building. In the hall was a series of mounted mailboxes and intercom buzzers to allow people access through the next locked door.

Noah pressed the button for the teacher’s third floor apartment. A woman holding a baby came into the foyer.

She glanced at Noah ringing Jake’s bell. “He’s not home.”

“Do you know where he is?” Hines asked peering at her child. “Cute baby.”

“Thanks.” She smiled at Hines.

“You were about to tell us where Jake Clark is,” Noah reminded her.

She jiggled the infant up and down. “He’s at a meeting about that missing girl. He was her teacher.”

Hines smiled at the infant and asked, “Did he tell you much about her?”

The mother shook her head. “Not really. He’s upset because the girl might have run away. She has lots of problems. He told me he feels awful she’s disappeared. He was trying to help her.”

Noah exchanged a ‘you’ve-got-to-be-kidding’ glance with Hines.

The infant let out a wail, and the woman pulled out her key. “Sorry, my baby needs his bottle. Wish I could help. One girl vanishes in Hawick Falls you think she ran off. Two girls disappear and you wonder if a sex perv is running loose in the city. At least that’s what they say in the paper. Makes me afraid to walk to the store.” They disappeared through the inner door.

“She’s got the last part right.” Hines turned to Noah. “Any ideas where they’d hold the planning meeting for the vigil?”

“I have one and if that doesn’t work, I have a second. Let’s go and find out if Jake Clark took a detour to run down Lucy Watson.”

After the early morning search at her home, Teagan drove to the shooting range. Today was the only day the range opened early, and she hadn’t wanted to miss the opportunity to sharpen her rusty skills. On her way back, she’d spied at least five purple bows around trees and telephone poles. “Yesss.”

She arrived home six minutes before the planning meeting.

Now seated in her kitchen, she looked over the small committee. At the head of the table, Matt was discussing the schedule. The two elderly volunteers, a husband and wife, nodded their gray heads in unison to Matt’s suggestions, but Teagan didn’t hear a thing. She sat at the opposite end in Lisa’s seat.

The teen loved to tilt the chair back on its hind legs and yell, “Ladies and gentleman, my first balancing act.”