The Hidden Grave (Harriet Harper Thriller Book 2)

by Dominika Best

  She’d been surprised by her inability to reach a rehab institution after-hours. Although, she’d never encountered a rehab that presented itself as Morning Sunrise had. Sure, she’d visited the ultra-expensive rehabs in Malibu during a past investigation, yet somehow the Morning Sunrise Institute was another type of place altogether.

  They’d agreed to call on Thomas James tomorrow morning when the place opened. The rest of the night was about finding more of Dan’s friends and acquaintances while he’d been on the streets.

  The homeless population of Eugene came out of hiding after the office workers left the main downtown area. It was the same in Los Angeles and Harri and Jake timed their approach to coincide with the early part of the evening.

  Harri flashed a photo of Dan Ledeyen to anyone who made eye contact with them. They’d found some people who recognized him, but they couldn’t give much information past that.

  “There's a 7-Eleven on that corner,” Harri said. “Back in Los Angeles, the side walls of 7-Elevens are a great hangout spot.”

  “After you,” Jake said.

  They crossed the street and walked to the left side of the bright building. Three boys huddled against the wall sitting on various sleeping bags. Each boy was under his own dirty blanket.

  “Hey guys, can we ask you some questions?” Harri said in her friendliest voice.

  The oldest looking boy passed a beer can to the boy on his right.

  “You look like a cop,” the oldest looking boy said. Dark greasy hair fell into his eyes and his acne-pocked skin stretched over his cheekbones. His boney arms stuck out of his dirty white t-shirt, revealing old and fresh track marks.

  “We aren’t here in any official capacity. You don't have to talk to us if you don't want to,” Jake said.

  “Go away then,” the same boy said.

  “You look like you could use some food,” Harri tried.

  “Food we got. What we need is money,” the boy sitting to the right of acne boy said.

  “How about we chat and see if maybe the information you give us is worthy of some remuneration,” Jake proposed.

  All three boys laughed and snickered. One whispered “Remuneration”.

  Harri didn't want to feed these boys’ habits, but they had struck out with other groups completely. It was getting later in the night and areas like these became rowdy and dangerous as the drugs kicked in.

  The youngest-looking boy, sitting to the left of acne boy, looked like he was coming off something. He had long blonde hair and could be easily mistaken for a girl.

  “What do you want to know,” the talkative boy asked.

  “What's your name?” Harri asked.

  “Manny,” the boy said. “That's Gus,” he said pointing to the oldest looking boy with acne and dark hair. “And that's Chuck over there.” He pointed to the long-haired blonde boy. “He's coming down right now, so I don't know how much use he’ll be,” he said.

  Harri pulled out the photo of Dan taken a month ago.

  “Do you know who this is?” she asked.

  “Yeah, that's Dan,” Manny said. “He's not on the streets anymore, though.”

  “Have you seen him recently?” Harri asked.

  “Nah. He got clean,” Gus said in a voice filled with menace. “He has parents who love him.”

  “He hang out with you guys?” Jake asked.

  “Sometimes,” Manny said. “He and his buddy Alan boosted shit from cars in the neighborhood.”

  He licked his lips and looked at Harri's purse. He’d tell them whatever they wanted for a little cash because his need was overwhelming him.

  Harri watched Manny watch her. They had about five to ten minutes more before these boys shut down.

  “Has Alan been around here recently? Where does he usually hang?” Harri asked.

  “You don't know much lady, do you?” Gus said and took a swig of beer. His eyes showed a feral gleam.

  “That’s why we’re here, talking to you,” Harri said. “Tell us what we don’t know.”

  Gus squinted up to her, appraising her.

  “Why you lookin’?”

  “Dan's gone missing. We’re working with his parents to find him,” Jake interjected.

  Gus turned to Manny then to Chuck. Something unsaid passed between them.

  “What you mean by missing?” Manny asked.

  “He missing like Atticus?” Chuck asked.

  His eyes were glassy and wide. He appeared terrified.

  “I thought they found Atticus in the woods,” Gus said.

  Harri and Jake shot each other a glance.

  “You knew Atticus?” Jake asked.

  “Yeah, Chuck you knew him, didn't you?” Manny asked.

  Chuck nodded his head. His eyes were glazed but he looked more aware since they first arrived.

  “Atticus wasn't using, was he?” Jake asked.

  “Nah. He was just someone I knew in school. When I went,” Chuck said in a voice that was small and scratchy. His need emanated from him.

  “Had you seen Atticus recently?” Jake asked.

  Chuck shook his head no.

  “One of Dan's friends told us about some men he might know. They went by Blue and Peanut,” Harri said.

  Manny and Gus looked at each other.

  “What do you want to know about Blue and Peanut?” Gus asked.

  His voice cracked with something Harri couldn't quite place. Maybe he'd been one of their victims too?

  “Do you know their real names? What kind of car they drive?” Jake asked.

  Gus shook his head no but Harri didn't entirely believe him.

  Manny shot glances to both his friends and peered up at Jake. He was accessing how much he should tell him. Harri was sure of it.

  “What do you know, Manny?” Harri asked.

  “You're looking for some real predators. Ones that like boys a little young,” Manny said.

  His body had tensed, and he leaned away from the dirty wall. Harri couldn't see his hands, but she saw some movement underneath the sleeping bag that betrayed his nervousness. She felt Jake tense next to her. He was watching him, too.

  “We’re looking to speak to Blue and Peanut,” Jake said. “Do you know their real names? That kind of information we’d really appreciate. Monetarily, of course.”

  “I know a name,” Chuck the blonde-haired boy said. “He used to come around our school a lot. And when I got down here, I saw him trolling all our usual areas. I haven't gone with him, but some have.”

  He spit some phlegm out next to him.

  Harri stayed silent to let him finish. Chuck’s eyes flickered with pain and need. His green eyes flashed and were overly bright.

  “His name's Chris Becker. He drives a fancy car. I think it might be a Beemer, maybe a Mercedes. But I think it's a Beemer. His daddy's rich,” Chuck said.

  “Oh, I know that guy,” Manny said. “The guy in the fancy white car. He drives down Ninth Street a lot.”

  “Does he pick up boys?” Harri asked.

  “I've seen boys get into his car,” Gus said.

  The anger had seeped out of his voice. Now he sounded needy and anxious.

  “Did you ever see Dan or Atticus go with this man?” Harri asked.

  “He drove by Milbourne. Atticus always walked home from school. And he was a pretty boy too,” Chuck said.

  Harri's chest constricted in pain. These boys broke her heart. She wanted to gather them up and take them home. She wanted to feed them and wash them and help them get clean.

  That wasn’t her job, though.

  Dan was still missing.

  They could try to steer the boys towards the Cochran Youth Shelter even though she doubted they’d go. The drugs had such a hold on them.

  “You boys know about the Cochran Youth Shelter on 11th? They have a lot of services.” She faded off when Gus put up a hand to stop her talking.

  “You can't help us, lady. We told you what you want. Just give us some money so we can have a fix
for the night. That’s as good as we’re gonna get,” he said.

  Jake nodded.

  He opened his wallet and gave each boy twenty bucks.

  “Be careful, guys,” Jake warned. “Don't get into any unfamiliar cars for the next couple weeks. Looks like there's someone who likes killing boys your age.”

  The three boys rolled their eyes and Manny saluted Jake.

  “I’m serious,” Jake warned.

  All the boys nodded, but Harri knew they would do whatever was necessary to keep from getting sick. At this point in their addiction, it was all about keeping the sickness away. The ecstasy of those first few times was long gone.

  “Thank you for speaking with us,” she said.

  They left the boys to their beers and desperation and walked back across the street.

  Jake was already dialing the police.

  “I need to speak to Detective Robinson,” he said. He listened and Harri could hear Detective Robinson's voice on the other line.

  “Detective Robinson, I’ve been speaking to kids downtown searching for Dan Ledeyen.”

  He stopped to listen.

  “I understand that. We’ve found something, though.”

  He listened again.

  “That’s right. Dan Ledeyen still hasn’t been found.”

  Harri gestured to ask Jake what was being said but he waved her off.

  “We've come across the name of a man who has been seen at Milbourne, Atticus's high school and we’ve been told he comes down here to pick up boys. Might want to have him checked out. His name is Chris Becker, and he drives a white BMW.”

  The voice on the other end lowered his decibel.

  “You’re welcome.” Jake clicked off.

  “That didn’t sound like it went well,” Harri remarked.

  “Detective Robinson has been interviewing all known pedophiles in the area. Chris Becker is on that list.”

  He checked the time.

  “It's close to one in the morning. We should get some sleep and start this back up again tomorrow. Go see Thomas James,” he said.

  Harri agreed, but she also knew this was prime time for anyone on the streets to be interviewed. Many homeless had places to crash during the day and nighttime was when all the business was done. She didn't want to stop asking for Dan until they got closer to discovering who Blue or Peanut was.

  “We should go talk to those boys about Alan Prentiss,” Harri said.

  “You think you'll be able to get any more information out of them?” Jake asked. He sounded doubtful.

  “They were the first kids willing to speak with us,” she said.

  “You know some of the others knew the boys as well, but didn't want to get involved,” Jake said.

  Harri knew he was right, but there was really no way to push people into talking in her capacity as an out-of-state cop.

  They crossed the street one more time.

  “Manny, you mentioned Alan Prentiss. Do you know him well?” Harri asked as soon as they were within earshot of the huddled trio.

  “I know him as well as anybody else,” Manny said.

  “You know where he hangs out?” Harri asked.

  “He hangs out with us,” Chuck said. “We haven't seen him all day, though.”

  “He was supposed to meet us, but he never showed,” said Manny.

  “He's probably passed out somewhere,” Chuck said.

  “Is that not normal for him?” Jake asked.

  “Nah,” Gus said. “Alan was all broken up when Dan left for rehab. They were thick as thieves going out on their nightly runs together.”

  “Alan's gotten into some bad business since Dan got clean,” Chuck added.

  “So, who’s the one with the breaking-into-cars skills?” Harri asked.

  “That’s all Dan. Alan had to find other ways to get money,” Chuck said.

  “The kind of ways that Blue and Peanut offered?” Jake asked.

  Chuck nodded.

  “He hasn't been seen in twenty-four hours either?” she asked.

  “Nah,” Gus said. “Guess not.”

  “Did Alan have any contact with Dan while he was in rehab?” Jake asked.

  “Alan was pissed at Dan,” Gus explained. “Dan cleaning up messed up Alan’s whole gig.”

  Manny nodded. “He needs his buddy at his side to get that cash,” he said.

  “Thank you,” Harri said.

  Jake gave them more money and walked with Harri back to their car. She was grateful to feel his hand protectively on her lower back as they walked.

  They found the car and proceeded to get in.

  “Dan's disappearance is somehow involved with Atticus,” Harri said as she buckled up her seatbelt.

  “Agreed. What are we looking at here?”

  “Atticus fits into this somehow. He doesn’t sound like a kid who’s fallen into drugs like the others. Could he have been vulnerable in a different way?”

  Jake started up the car. “I don't like the fact that Alan Prentiss has gone missing now, too. The time between abductions has shortened. Our killer’s devolving. Needing his fix faster.”

  Harri nodded. “Atticus went missing a week ago. His body was found four days later. Dan disappeared forty-eight hours ago and now Alan has been missing for what seems to be twenty-four hours. That’s an astonishing level of escalation.”

  “You think they’d let us in to see Thomas James tonight?” Jake asked.

  “No way. We wouldn’t get through the gate. The place opens up at eight.”

  “Six hours of sleep. I’ll take that,” Jake said as he pulled onto the highway.

  The motion of the car made Harri’s eyes droop.

  “I can’t keep my eyes open. Will you be okay if I close them until we get back to the Inn?”

  “I have too much adrenaline in me. Go ahead and rest. I’ll get us there,” Jake said.

  His voice slipped away as Harri surrendered to sleep.

  13

  Day 4 – Sunday, September 30, 2018 - Morning

  After a quick breakfast of bagels and coffee, Jake and Harri drove to the Morning Sunrise Institute and arrived at 7:59 AM, one minute before the Institute opened for guests.

  Dew clung to the grass making it sparkle like diamonds. Birds trilled in the distance and Harri wished she could just breathe in the fresh air and relax. This was not possible, of course, but Harri tried to take even a second to appreciate the beauty of her surroundings.

  This case was getting to her and she needed the momentary reprieve. Glancing at Jake, she wondered if he needed some release himself.

  “You slept well last night?” she asked.

  Jake shook his head.

  “Couldn’t stop thinking about those three boys at the 7-Eleven. How do you come back and restart your life after being like that? I kept thinking of what we could do to make their night better for them. I felt like crap about giving them money for drugs. They’re just so young and we used them.”

  Harri nodded. Her thoughts ran similar to his this morning. They hadn't really offered to give them shelter for the night or drive them to one of the numerous homeless shelters that had sprung up all around Eugene.

  They couldn’t change anything about the way they’d handled it now. Harri vowed to do things differently the next time they were in a similar situation.

  “Let's focus on Thomas James. That's at least something we can control,” Harri said.

  “You're absolutely right,” Jake said. “We save one boy at a time.” His jaw clenched as he said that.

  She squeezed his hand and stepped out of the car. She groaned as every part of her body ached. She joined Jake as they walked over to the front door, their footsteps crunching on the gravel.

  “This place is impressive,” Jake remarked.

  “Wait until you get inside,” she said.

  She pressed the button to announce their presence. The buzzer sounded and the door clicked open.

  “Thank you for letting us in,” Harri said
to the same dark-haired severe-looking woman sitting at the desk that she’d encountered before. “I called several times last night around nine. You don’t answer the phone after hours?”

  “That's correct. Our main line is closed down at six when I’m off duty. Relatives of our residents have access to a private number to check in on their guests if needed.”

  “I was calling to see if I could speak with Thomas James again. I have some more questions for him,” she said.

  “Unfortunately, that’s not possible,” the woman said.

  “Why not?” Harri asked, rather bluntly.

  “Because he's no longer with us,” the woman said.

  Harri's mouth fell open. That was not what she was expecting to hear.

  Jake took over.

  “Are you saying he’s dead?” Jake asked.

  “No. Nothing like that,” the receptionist flustered. “He just up and left.”

  “He can do that?” Harri asked.

  “He was here voluntarily,” the receptionist shrugged. “If a patient here feels like he no longer needs our help to stay sober, then he can leave. He's not a prisoner here.”

  “When did he decide to leave?” Jake asked.

  The receptionist shook her head. “You know I can't give out that kind of private information,” she said.

  “But that's not private is it?” Jake countered.

  “I can’t tell you that,” the receptionist’s voice turned sharp. “You can infer whatever you like, but we do have rules around here about our residents.”

  “Thank you for your help,” Harri said to the receptionist just as sharply as Jake's cell buzzed in his pocket.

  He pulled the phone out and showed Harri the screen. It was Detective Robinson. They crossed the foyer and stepped outside. Only then did Jake answer the phone.

  “Hey Detective Robinson, what can I do for you?”

  He listened while his brow furrowed.

  “You picked him up?” he asked. “Uh-huh, uh-huh.”

  They walked back to the car and this time Harri got behind the wheel as Jake sat into the passenger seat, phone pressed against his ear. She didn’t start the car.