Murder Walk

by Melissa Bowersock

  “Yeah,” he agreed. “It’s coming along.”

  He hauled the heavy bags of clay into the kitchen and set them on the floor in a corner.

  “How much do those weigh?” she asked.

  “Fifty pounds.”

  “Fifty pounds?”

  “High water content,” he explained.

  Then he dumped the bag of tools onto the table and spread them out. One by one, he examined them, like a kid taking stock of a Halloween haul.

  Lacey moved up close to him. “Excited?” she asked.

  “Yeah.” He ducked his head, just slightly embarrassed.

  She laughed and leaned up to kiss him. “Good. This’ll be great for you. I’ll be excited to see your work.”

  “Don’t expect too much too soon,” he cautioned. “I haven’t worked with clay in a few years. It’ll take me a little while to get back into the groove.”

  “I’m not worried.” She glanced about. “Is Theodora here?”

  “Yeah, she’s around. She’s looking forward to my starting work, too.”

  “Do you think she’ll bother you?”

  “Nah. She’s an artist. She knows the drill.” He finally set down the last scraper. “Want to go get some lunch?”

  “Sure. I’ll even buy. You just spent all your money.”

  He grinned at her. “Yeah, I did, didn’t I?”

  ~~~

  Back at home, Lacey fired up her laptop to crank out a few background checks. Sam read through his notebook to see what he needed to do next for the studio, and to play around with some design ideas. They worked quietly in separate rooms, comfortable in their own private spheres.

  Except that background checks were so boring. Lacey sighed. Compared to actively investigating a haunting, this kind of work was mind-numbing. Which reminded her…

  She put aside the last job and decided to take a quick break. There was something she wanted to keep an eye on.

  She pulled up Facebook and went to Bret Russell’s page, curious to see if he’d posted anything since his suspension.

  Oh, yeah.

  There were several screen captures of video game scores—obviously suspension from school did not include grounding. Lacey had to wonder what his parents thought of his punishment. She scrolled down further, to earlier in the day.

  A rant against the “tyrants” at the school, including dishing out punishment based on hearsay. Hardly hearsay, Lacey thought, when they had video. Bret finished up with a charming expletive for what Mrs. Tomasi, the principal, could do with herself.

  She scrolled down again. His first post of the day was at 9:30—not an early riser, obviously. She went on back to yesterday’s and stopped.

  Someone better keep their yap shut unless they want to end up like their faggot friend.

  Lacey’s brain seized up. She read it again.

  …end up like their faggot friend.

  Her first impulse was to call out to Sam, but she stopped herself. Stopped and forced herself to think rationally. Was there any other way to take that? Any other meaning that she was missing?

  She racked her brain, but nothing else fit. Nothing else made sense.

  “Sam?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Would you come here for a minute?”

  “Just a sec.”

  She waited impatiently, forcing herself to breathe in, out; in, out.

  Finally Sam ambled over. “What?”

  She pointed to the screen. “Look at this.”

  Sam leaned over and read the post. She watched his eyes dart left to right. Saw his jaw tighten.

  “That little son of a bitch,” he ground out between his teeth. “That’s a threat. That is a pure threat.”

  “Yes it is,” Lacey agreed.

  Sam stood up straight, crossing his arms over his chest and exhaling heavily. “Is it enough of a threat? Blatant enough?”

  “For the police?” Lacey asked. She glanced back at the screen. “No names. No specifics. But I would definitely think they would want to know about it.” She looked up at Sam. “Want me to call Tommy?”

  Sam didn’t answer right away. Lacey could tell he was turning it over in his mind, studying all aspects of it. His first inclination, she felt sure, was to protect his son, but what exactly was the best way to do that?

  “Not yet,” he said finally. “I want to talk to Daniel about it. What time is it?” He took Lacey’s wrist and checked her watch. “After three-thirty. Let me call him.”

  “Okay.” Lacey thought about going back to her background checks but knew she’d never be able to concentrate until she heard what Sam and Daniel worked out. She left her laptop open, on Bret Russell’s Facebook page, but prowled the kitchen, figuring options for dinner.

  From the living room, she heard Sam’s low voice. She couldn’t hear what he said, but she liked the tone of it. Concerned. Gentle. Not sharp at all.

  After scanning the contents of the fridge and checking the pantry, she finally decided dinner would be a salad—either chicken or tuna. Quick and easy, no cooking, no heating up the kitchen.

  Suddenly Sam was in the kitchen doorway, leaning against the frame. “Don’t start cooking anything,” he said. Although his mouth was the typical straight line, his eyes sparkled.

  “I wasn’t,” she said. “I decided we’ll either have chicken salad or tuna salad. Why?”

  Now Sam’s mouth quirked into a slight smile. “Daniel wants me to walk with him.”

  “Walk? You mean… at the school?”

  Sam nodded. “We’ll wait until five-thirty or so, when nearly everyone should be gone.”

  “Okay,” she said, leaning against the counter. “Whose idea was that?”

  “His. I told him about Bret’s post. He’d already heard about it at school. He admitted it freaked him out a little, but then it also pissed him off.” Sam grinned. “Now he’s totally ready to nail this thing.”

  Lacey blew out the breath she’d been holding. “Oh, thank God. I’m so glad. I was thinking…”

  “Me, too.” Sam said. “Hold off on calling Tommy. I think we need to gather as much information as we can before we go to the police. If Bret is tipped off in any way that Daniel’s talking—”

  “He might make good on that threat. Yes, I agree. We go into stealth mode until we have something solid.”

  “Exactly. So we’ll pick Daniel up a little after five.”

  Lacey grinned. “This should be interesting.”

  ~~~

  ELEVEN

  Daniel was ready.

  Kenzie wanted to go, too.

  “Not this time, honey,” Sam said. He put a hand on her shoulder and squeezed gently.

  “But I can help, too, I could feel Theodora.”

  “I know,” Sam said. “But this is different. Don’t worry. You’ll get your turn.”

  “When I’m older, right?” The girl crossed her arms and glowered at both Daniel and Sam. “No fair.”

  Sam smothered a laugh. “Don’t forget, this is Daniel’s first time and he’s fourteen. You’ve got a ways to go yet.”

  Kenzie just huffed.

  On the way over to the school, Lacey had the distinct impression that Daniel had an air of coolness about him. Maybe hanging out with Dad wasn’t so bad after all. There certainly weren’t many kids who could lay claim to this kind of activity.

  Sam parked in the school lot and they all made their way through the gate and past the football field.

  “This way,” Daniel said. He took the lead and led them toward the buildings and the quad in between. In the middle of the quad, he stopped and pointed. “It’s over there,” he said. “Near the wall, behind the bushes.”

  “Okay,” Sam said. “Here’s what I’d like to do. Lacey’s going to film. I want us both to walk, and I’d like you to tell me what you’re getting. Whatever it is, no matter how small. Okay?”

  “Okay.” Daniel nodded. Lacey saw him swallow.

  Show time.

  Lacey got out he
r phone and set it to video. Sam and Daniel approached the area slowly, stepping from the grass, across the walkway, and onto the gravel that bordered the building. Sam’s soft knee-high moccasins made only minimal crunching sounds on the gravel.

  “Here,” Daniel said. He spread his hands out before him. Lacey thought she could see evidence of shovels, places where the gravel—no doubt bloody—had been scooped up.

  “Talk to me,” Sam said.

  Daniel dragged in a breath. “He’s scared. Scared, but mad, too. He, uh, didn’t really think they’d do it. Thought they were bluffing. But they weren’t.”

  “Who’s ‘they’?” Sam asked quietly.

  “Bret… and the other guy. I don’t know his name. He’s older, high school. Tall, well-built, dark hair. I think I’ve seen him at the video arcade.”

  “I see him,” Sam said. “Why’d they shoot him?”

  Daniel frowned, shook his head slightly. “Jason and… the guy had a … thing. Just once. Jason… didn’t like him. Tried to break it off. The guy tried to blackmail him, threatened to tell everyone he was gay.” Daniel glanced up at Sam, a look of wonder on his face. “Jason threatened him right back. Laughed at him. Heck, we all knew Jason was gay. Nobody cared.”

  Sam nodded. “What else?”

  Daniel stared down at the ground again.

  “Jason told him to back off, or he’d tell everyone. That’s when he pulled the gun.” Daniel stood very still. “Jason didn’t think he’d do it. But he did.”

  Daniels’ last words echoed away in the soft evening air.

  Sam stood quietly for a moment, then crossed to his son and put his arm around him. “We’ll find the guy,” he said. “Tell him we’ll find the guy.”

  Daniel nodded.

  Lacey switched off her phone as the men joined her. She took Daniel in her arms and hugged him. She could feel him choking back a sob.

  “Come on,” she said, turning toward the car with her arm around him. “You did good.” She rubbed his back.

  In the parking lot, Sam leaned up against the car and faced Daniel. “What’s the deal with Bret?” he asked.

  Daniel snorted. “He’s a little weasel.”

  “And he’s gay, too,” Lacey said.

  “Not to hear him tell it,” Daniel scoffed.

  Lacey shrugged. “The best defense is a good offense. Do you know what his relationship is with the other guy?”

  Daniel shook his head. “Like I said, I think I’ve seen that guy at the arcade, but I don’t remember seeing those two together. Until now.” He looked away, as if he might unsee the things he’d seen.

  “All right,” Sam said. He put his hand on Daniel’s shoulder. “You did good. Now, I’ll tell you what. Don’t say a word about this to anyone. Let Lacey and me work on it. We don’t want Bret or his buddy to know what you know. Okay?”

  Daniel nodded without looking up.

  “And,” Sam continued, “if you hear about anymore threats, if you see anything that looks suspicious or out of place, you call us, okay? I mean it. Don’t discount anything. Be aware. You got it?”

  “Yeah.”

  Lacey could see warring emotions on Daniel’s face: Embarrassment at being cautioned by his dad, relief at knowing he had backup. It was tough being fourteen.

  “All right,” Sam said, pulling out his car keys. “Let’s get you home.”

  ~~~

  Over salads, Sam and Lacey rehashed the walk.

  “How’d he do?” she asked.

  “He did good,” Sam said. “He’ll need to be more attentive to details, to learn to see the nuances, but overall he did good.”

  “What did he miss?”

  Sam chewed mindfully. “Bret’s scared.”

  Lacey snorted. “The little weasel? Scared?”

  “Oh, yeah. Very much so. I could see it on his face as that other guy shot Jason. Jason saw it, and that’s when it really sank in for him, when he knew the other guy was serious. Bret’s scared shitless of that guy.”

  “Huh.” Lacey toyed with her salad. “I was thinking maybe Bret had hired him to kill Jason, or at least had been in on the planning. But, no, huh?”

  “No.” Sam shook his head. “There was no planning. This guy’s a loose cannon.”

  Lacey shuddered as a cold chill raced up her spine. Loose cannon. Could they figure this whole thing out before the shooter took aim at anyone else? Silently she prayed that Daniel could keep a low—and quiet—profile.

  “So what next?” she asked.

  “Do me a favor and bring up Bret’s Facebook page again, would you? I want to scroll through and see if I see the guy.”

  “Sure.” She got up and brought her laptop over, pulled up Bret’s page and turned her computer so Sam could see it. He munched his salad as he scrolled with one finger.

  His eyes darted across the screen. “No, no, no. I don’t see him. I’m guessing he’s not someone Bret hangs with normally. I don’t think they’re actually what you’d call friends.”

  “If they’re both gay, maybe it’s a relationship of convenience?”

  “Could be.” Sam nodded. “Two outcasts against the world? Yeah, could be.”

  Lacey pondered that. “So the common ground seems to be the video arcade. Maybe not only a play place, but maybe a meeting place.”

  “That’s very likely,” he said. He raised his eyes to her. “How about we go over there tomorrow afternoon? After school’s out.”

  “See if we can spot him?”

  “Exactly.”

  Lacey blew out a breath, but nodded. “Okay. Can you describe him to me? Any more than what Daniel said?”

  “Yeah. He looks seventeen, eighteen. Like Daniel said, tall—maybe five-ten or more. He’s not a big guy, but he does look built. He might play football or something. But he was also wearing a leather bomber jacket, so that could account for the bulky look.”

  “You know,” Lacey interrupted, “it’s not uncommon for gay guys to overcompensate. Build themselves up, especially if they’re not yet comfortable with their sexuality. He could even be using steroids, and we’ve all heard of ‘roid rage.’ That could be a contributing factor to your loose cannon analogy.”

  “Hmm, hadn’t thought of that,” Sam allowed. “Good point. He’s got dark hair, kind of full and shaggy. Not long, but covers his ears.”

  “Any jewelry, tattoos?”

  “Not that I saw. That’d be nice, wouldn’t it? A big X on his forehead?”

  Lacey laughed. “That would certainly make things easy.”

  “No such.” Sam grinned. “But if I see him, I’ll know him. There’s no doubt about that.”

  Over the dishes, Lacey thought about all they knew—not much, really, but more than the PD knew. They had to proceed carefully so as not to endanger Daniel, but she sure would like to know they had backup. Once she put the last dishes in the dishwasher and wiped down the sink, she went to find Sam.

  He was in the living room, going through his notebook. She smiled. They’d both be glad when he could start working in clay. She imagined his fingers were itching.

  “Hey,” she said, settling next to him. “I have an idea.”

  “Yeah?” He didn’t look up right away, but made a last note, then closed his notebook. “What?”

  “Well, I’d love to have the PD up to speed on this, just in case we get a break tomorrow.” She saw the spark of alarm in Sam’s eyes, the argument forming on his lips. “Just listen for a sec. I know we don’t want them barging in and grabbing Bret. That will only alert the shooter. But I was thinking if I just called Tommy, explained what we’ve got, he could keep it under his hat. You know the captain never likes to go on just your psychic feelings; he wants hard evidence. We don’t have any, so it’s not like we’d be giving Tommy information he needs to act on. But at least he’d be aware just in case we do see something tomorrow.” She stopped and drew a breath. “What do you think?”

  To his credit, Sam considered that. The flat look of dismissal
disappeared from his eyes.

  “You think Tommy could keep it quiet?” he asked finally.

  Lacey nodded. “You know Tommy. He’s a straight-up guy. And I won’t even tell him Bret’s name, just to be safe. No names, no descriptions; just that we’re working on it.”

  Ever taciturn, Sam weighed the pros and cons for another minute. “Okay,” he said. “Just keep it simple.”

  “I will.” She grinned at him and went to get her phone.

  Tommy answered on the third ring. “Belvedere,” he snapped. “Homicide.”

  “Tommy? It’s Lacey. Is this a bad time?”

  She heard a heavy sigh. “No. Yes. June is a bad time. What is it about heat and humidity that makes people crazy?”

  “I don’t know, but it does,” she agreed. “You got a minute?”

  “Sure.” She heard papers rustling. “What’s going on?”

  “It’s about the Jason Perez shooting.”

  “That kid? Yeah, we’re working it. I know that’s the same school Sam’s son goes to, but I can’t divulge—”

  “Not a problem, Tommy. I’m not calling to ask for favors. I want to give you a head’s up. We know who the shooter is.”

  “You do? Wait.” More rustling; probably looking for a pen, she thought.

  “Hang on, Tommy. We know, but we don’t know.”

  Stunned silence, then, “Huh?”

  “Remember that serial killer a few months ago? How Sam could describe him but didn’t know who he was?”

  “Yeah. So Sam’s seen him?”

  “Yes. He walked the school earlier today.” Lacey decided to leave Daniel out of this. “We suspect he’s older, probably high school, but we think the kids know each other from the video arcade. I just want to let you know that we’re going over there tomorrow afternoon to see if he might be there. If he is, we’re hoping we can ID him for you.”

  Tommy blew out a raspberry. “Lacey, I’m up to my eyeballs in shootings. I don’t have anyone to send over there with you, especially without more—”

  “We don’t want you to,” she said. “We’re going strictly in stealth mode. If we see anything, we’ll let you know, but we just wanted you to be aware. This is a courtesy call; that’s all. Really, Tommy. You don’t have to do a thing.”