“That’s crazy.”
“I hate that he’s out there looking for new victims,” Sabre said.
“So do I, but you need to leave that for the police. They’ll find him.”
“I just want to see what kind of guy responds. He’s probably not the only one getting to kids this way.”
“How would you even know what sites to sign up for? He could be on any of them, and there are hundreds, if not thousands.”
“You know that how?”
“I’m well-read.”
Sabre typed top online dating sites into the Google search engine. “Here we go. The one Laura used is number three on this list. I’ll try the first two.” Sabre clicked on the first URL and started to sign up. “I need to create a new email address just for this.”
“I have one. Use it.” Bob leaned down and wrote the email address and the password on a pad of paper.
“What do you use this one for?”
“Porn sites.”
“Eww! I can’t use that. I’ll end up with a bunch of porn on my computer.”
“I’m kidding. It’s an old one I don’t use anymore.”
Sabre looked up at Bob to see his face. “You’d better be telling me the truth.”
“I am.”
Sabre typed it in. “I need a username.”
“How about ComeFindMe or Waiting4U?”
“I don’t want to sound like a hooker.”
“Oh, I’ve got it. DazzlingMom or TiffsMom, or whatever you want to call your fake daughter. I assume you’ll mention children, right?”
“Of course, but I think I need more than one. Nesbitt likely looks for a full house, in case one doesn’t work.”
“You’re probably right. Your username could be TwinGirlsMom or TripGirlsMom or—”
Sabre cut in. “I got the point.” She typed in TwinGirlsMom. “I like that idea. It might even be a bigger incentive if he thinks he can get twin photos.”
“Sobs, you don’t plan to meet with any of these creeps, do you?”
“Probably not.”
“What do you mean probably? It’s not a good idea.”
“I won’t unless I’m pretty sure it’s Nesbitt.”
“Will you tell JP about this?”
“I haven’t decided yet.”
“Sabre, I think you should.”
“He won’t like it.”
“No kidding.” Bob touched her shoulder. “Promise me you’ll tell him, or at least me, if you decide to meet anyone.”
“Deal.” Sabre looked him in the eye when she said it. “Now help me fill in the questionnaire and write a profile description.” She opened the list of questions. “I need a title.”
“Must Love Children, you know, like the old Must Love Dogs movie.”
“I like that.” She keyed it in. She put her age as twenty-six.
“Really?”
“I want to be old enough to have seven-year-olds, but young enough to still be more vulnerable.”
“That makes sense. What’s next?”
“Children?” Sabre spoke aloud as she typed her answers. “Two, and they live at home. Religion? Spiritual, but not religious. Political affiliation? Middle of the road.”
“That’s good; be noncontroversial where you can.”
With Bob’s help, Sabre continued through the list, trying to answer the questions in a way that would appeal to Nesbitt, based on the information Laura had provided. When it came to the profile description, Bob said, “Let me do this part.” Sabre stood up and Bob took over. She read as he typed:
I’m a mother of beautiful, model-gorgeous twin girls. I’m looking for a caring man to share my life. My children are very important to me, and it’s imperative for me to have someone in my life who learns to care about them as much as I do and wants to spend time with them.
I am fun, active, and like new adventures. I’m open and honest and expect the same from a mate.
I am financially stable—not looking for a sugar daddy. I want a father for my children, not me.
“What do you think?” Bob glanced up at her.
“It’s a little sappy, but it’ll do the trick.” Sabre tapped his shoulder, and they switched places again. She opened the section where it called for a photo.
“You’re not going to upload your picture, are you?” Bob asked.
Sabre hesitated, unsure. “I’ve heard that most people won’t even read the profiles without photos.”
“Nesbitt didn’t put his on there, and Laura found him.”
“That’s right, but he wrote something in his profile that made him sound like he was a spy or something. That’s why he couldn’t use his image.”
“Besides, do you think Nesbitt really cares what the mother looks like?”
“Maybe,” Sabre said. “Laura is an attractive woman. That might have been the draw initially, and he did need to court her somewhat to get to the kids. But I don’t really want to have my picture on there.” Sabre jumped up. “I know what to do.”
She left the room, returning a few minutes later wearing a blonde wig. “What do you think?”
“You definitely look different, at least at first glance.” Bob cocked his head and scowled. “Why do you have a blonde wig in your office?”
“It was here from last Halloween. It’s time to bring out my inner blonde woman.”
Sabre handed Bob her phone and stood against the wall. “Take my photo, but don’t get too close.”
Chapter 17
Later that day, JP sat with Conner in the interview room at juvenile hall. “I have some questions, and I need you to be straight with me,” JP said.
“Okay.”
“What can you tell me about Judd Soper?”
“He’s a friend of Bullet’s. I don’t know him that well. He came over quite a bit, but I never hang around when there’s company there. I don’t like that guy.”
“What about Andy?”
“Same thing. They’re jerks, both of them.”
“Morgan said someone tried to hug her one night when your mom was having a party. Do you know who that was?”
Conner’s face turned red. “I wasn’t there, but Morgan said it was Judd. Bullet thought it was a big joke. He encouraged them both to do it. I heard him talking with Judd and Andy and making jokes about ‘fresh, young meat.’ Then Bullet tried to hug her himself, the night before he left. I wanted to kill him.”
“Did you tell anyone that you wanted to kill Bullet?” JP knew from the police report that someone claimed he had. That was part of the reason for the probable cause to search Conner’s room.
“I didn’t really mean it. I was just angry.”
“Conner, you need to be careful about what you say to others. What you say to Sabre or me is confidential, but you can’t be saying that to other people or they’ll use it against you.”
“I don’t know if I said it to anyone else, besides my family. I don’t think I did.” Conner’s expression suddenly tightened.
“What is it?” JP asked.
“I told my girlfriend, Emily.”
“Did you know she told the investigator what you said?”
“I heard that, but only after that kid, Ben, said something. Ben heard it and was being a jerk about it. He kept asking me who I was going kill. He made a really big deal of it, and who knows who all he told.”
JP got all the information he could about Emily and Ben and wrote it in his notebook. Then he asked Conner again about the night before Bullet left—what happened and who was there. Conner gave the same account the others had. JP had a hunch there was something wrong with the story, but he couldn’t figure out what.
~~~
After leaving the building, JP turned his phone on and found three voicemail messages. One was a sales call, which he deleted, one was from Sabre, and the other from Ron. He called Sabre back first.
“Mom and Harley are having a barbeque on Saturday, and they’d like us to come,” Sabre said. “Can you make it?”
“I don’t have any other plans.”
“Great. I’ll let her know. Did you talk to Conner?”
“Yes, but I didn’t learn anything new. I have a hunch that everyone is lying about that last night with Bullet, but I can’t narrow it down.”
“Morgan gives the same story.”
“I know. It’s just that the details are all the same, exactly the same, which usually means they’ve been rehearsed.”
“What do you think they’re lying about?”
“I’m worried they’re all covering for someone, but I can’t figure out what really went down.”
“Do you think they’re covering for Conner?”
“Or Gene.”
“Has Ron learned anything new?” Sabre asked.
“I’m about to call him. I’ll let you know.” JP hung up and called Ron. “What do you have for me, kid?”
“The name of the woman who lives in the apartment Derek visited is Ginny, and the name on the mailbox is Bloome.”
“That’s interesting. Maybe it’s Derek’s sister. Or it’s his apartment and a female friend lives there.”
“Here’s the thing. Someone is staying with Ginny right now, and it’s not Derek.”
“Did you get a look at him?”
“No, but a neighbor said he’s been living there about a week and that he’s about my size.”
“Thanks, Ron. I think I’ll pay Ginny a visit.”
Chapter 18
It was shortly after noon when JP drove to Ginny’s apartment. He watched for a bit to see if he could detect any movement. He thought he saw some activity near the window. The next step made him nervous, but he decided to go for it. He walked up to the front door and rang the bell.
Ginny opened the door.
“I need to talk to Gene,” JP said before she could speak.
The woman seemed genuinely surprised. She paused for a second, then said, “There’s no one here by that name.”
“Look, Ginny, I know he’s inside. Just tell him I’m here.”
“I don’t know who you are or what you’re talking about.” She tried to close the door. JP stuck his foot in the opening and held the knob with his hand so she couldn’t close it.
“Let him in,” a male voice bellowed from a few feet away. “What the hell. He already knows I’m here.” Gene stepped forward, and Ginny walked down the hall toward a bedroom.
“Don’t just stand there exposing me to the rest of the world,” Gene said. “Come in and shut the damn door.”
JP looked at the brother he hadn’t seen in over twenty years. Gene had a few more wrinkles on his face, but he still had a full head of blond hair with very little gray, and his body was still buff. Gene had apparently continued to work out and stay in shape. JP couldn’t decide if he should shake his hand, give him a hug, or punch him in the face.
Gene turned before he could do any of those and led him to the living room. “You’ve grown up, Johnny.”
JP wanted to say you sure haven’t, but he didn’t.
Gene sat in a recliner but didn’t raise the footrest. He didn’t offer JP a seat.
JP took one anyway, selecting the sofa so he could look directly at Gene. “What are you doing in San Diego?”
“I’ve been in this city on and off for a while now,” Gene said. “What took you so long to come see me?”
“You’re still a jerk,” JP said. “Why wouldn’t you let me know you had kids and that they were living only a few miles away?”
“Didn’t know you’d care. You never made any attempt to see me after that visit to Norco prison. Besides, I figured Troy would tell you.”
“I don’t talk to Troy much, but the times I have, he never mentioned you or your children.”
“I’ll be damned. The kid can keep his mouth shut. I told him not to tell you, but I figured he would anyway.”
“Nope, not a word.”
Gene stood and walked to the kitchen. JP watched as Gene reached into the refrigerator and took out a can of Bud Light.
“You want a Bud?” Gene asked. “Or are you still drinking that piss water you call beer?”
“I’m good, thanks.”
Gene walked back and sat down. “I’m guessing this isn’t really a social call.”
“Not really.”
“How are my kids doing?”
“How do you suppose they’re doing? Morgan has been removed from her home and is living with strangers, and Conner is sitting in juvenile hall.”
“I thought Morgan was with you.”
“She is, but she doesn’t know me from Adam. She must be scared to death. I’m guessing anything you’ve told her about me isn’t too favorable.”
“I never said a bad word about you, Johnny, except that you were a pain-in-the-ass. I told her you were a cop, but you were one of the good guys. It’s not my fault you went to the dark side.”
JP wasn’t sure he believed that Gene hadn’t spoken badly about him, but the kids seemed to trust him.
“How’s Conner holding up in juvie?” Gene asked.
“He’s surviving, but it’s not easy for him.”
“He shouldn’t be there, you know. He didn’t kill Bullet.”
“And you know who did?”
“No. I don’t know who killed him.”
“You were at the party the night before Bullet supposedly left, weren’t you?”
“Why do you ask that?”
“Roxy almost spilled it, but Derek was the one who convinced me. He doesn’t like to be around your wife when you aren’t home, yet he was there that night. He told me he was sick, but I got the feeling he would’ve had to be dead to still be there. You’ll be happy to know you trained your children well though. They both stuck to your lies.”
Gene didn’t confirm or deny it.
“You’re no better than Dad,” JP said. “Putting Conner in the middle of your mess, just like Dad did to us. What did you think? Conner’s a minor so they wouldn’t go as hard on him?”
“You’re still an ass, Jacky.”
JP hadn’t been called Jacky since he was young. He’d only heard it back then when someone in the family was really mad at him. Mostly, they called him Johnny. “That may be, but it doesn’t make what you’re doing right. Your son is sitting in juvenile hall, awaiting trial for murder, and he’s scared to death—while you run around free.”
“Free? I haven’t been free since I was ten years old. You can take some blame for that. As for Conner, I’d never do to him what Dad did to me.”
“Are you saying you didn’t kill Bullet?”
“That’s what I’m saying.” Gene looked straight at him.
“Looking me directly in the eye isn’t going to make me believe you. I know that trick.”
“And not looking at you isn’t going to either, because you don’t want to believe me. You want to think I’m despicable. Well, maybe I am, but I love my son.”
“Then why haven’t you come forward?”
“Because I’m still on parole, and in case you didn’t notice, I’ve committed a few violations. I’ve been trying to find out who the hell killed Bullet. I can’t do that if I’m locked up. Besides, I thought you might have come up with something by now.”
“Let’s assume for a minute that you didn’t do it, and that’s not to say I believe you, but if you didn’t, who did? Do you think it was Conner?”
“No, I don’t,” Gene said quickly, then paused. “I don’t know. He could have, I suppose, if he snapped or something. But it’s not his nature.”
“But you were there?”
“I was at the house when Bullet left.”
“Why has everyone been lying about that?”
“Because they thought they were protecting me.”
“How about if you tell me the truth about what really happened? Start with the party.”
“There wasn’t really a party. We were all at home, and the only other person there was Derek. We were grilling some hamburgers when a
couple of Bullet’s friends came by.”
“Andy Rankin and Judd Soper?”
“Yes. Roxy knew them pretty well. Too well. I don’t give a rat’s ass what she does when I’m away, but she’s not doing that crap when I’m around. The woman is a tramp. I wouldn’t ever see her again if it wasn’t for the kids.”
“Why don’t you try to get custody of them?” JP couldn’t believe he was even asking that, but for a second, he thought Gene might be the better parent of the two.
“What the hell can I do for them? I can’t even keep myself out of prison, much less raise two kids.”
“You’re probably right,” JP said. “So, what happened after Bullet’s friends got there?”
“I told them to leave, but Roxy and Bullet kept telling them to stay. They even got Muriel to say the guys could stay, and since it was her house, there wasn’t much I could do. She didn’t want them there any more than I did, but she was pretty afraid of Bullet, and she can’t say no to Roxy.” Gene took a long swig of beer. “Bullet and his boys were all in the backyard drinking. Derek and I stayed inside and had a few beers, quite a few beers. Derek can get pretty crazy when he drinks too much, and he was puttin’ ‘em down pretty good. Then Conner came in and said he needed to tell me something.”
“What did he tell you?
“Morgan had just told him that when she got up to go to the bathroom the night before, Bullet came in, naked again, and tried to hug her. I tried to keep calm, but I was ready to blow Bullet’s head off.”
“Did you?”
“No. I jumped up, and Derek grabbed me by the shoulders and told me to think it through. Then he let go of me, and said, ‘Hell with this. Let’s kick his ass.’ So, I did.”
“You did?”
“Yes. Derek was busy with the other two clowns. We were doing great until Andy pulled a gun.”
“What did you do?”
“I gave Bullet one more punch and stopped. Derek backed off, and Bullet told his friends to leave.”
“And Bullet? What did he do?”
“The crazy sonofabitch went to bed with Muriel. I’m sure he slept close to his gun, so I let him be. The next morning early, I heard a ruckus in the kitchen. When I got there, Conner was leaving with Morgan. They both looked pretty scared. Muriel was cowering in a corner, and Bullet was ranting at her.”
The Advocate's Justice Page 7
