by Robin Mahle
“Good morning.” Nick had also grown uncomfortable as time dragged on. They both looked to him for answers, and yet he had none. “Can I get you a coffee?” His offer was in vain as she’d already made her way to the coffee pot.
“Thanks, I got it.”
He looked through the kitchen window into the front yard, imagining that the two Talbot boys probably often played catch with each other, as boys do. There had been times he envied those of his friends who’d had families and children. This was not one of them. He would not ask if Rachel slept; he knew she hadn’t. He would not ask how she was doing, for it was obvious she was not doing well. Instead, the silence would fall over them, further extinguishing the optimism that had briefly filled this home.
Rachel’s cell phone rang from its cradled position on the kitchen desk. She made her way over without haste. “Hello?”
Nick cast his eyes in her direction; waiting, listening.
She raised her head, a luster in her eyes flickered, and began to nod. “Thank you, detective. We’ll be down as soon as possible.” She ended the call and returned Nick’s glance. The slightest hint of promise sounded in her voice. “That was Detective Mason. She said forensics came back on the phone and she wants us to come down as soon as we can.”
“Okay. That’s good. That’s very good.” Nick rose from the table. “Where’s Jake?”
“He’s in the shower. I’ll go tell him.”
“What about Scott?”
“I’d prefer if he stayed here with my mother.”
“Of course.” Nick watched Rachel make her way upstairs. He tempered his enthusiasm because any number of things could have shown up on that phone. The family had already given their prints to the police, so they’d be able to discount them. The detective had also already accessed the phone itself, with the help of the parents, who knew the passcode. Nothing out of the ordinary had been discovered, nor had they discovered anything on Colton’s laptop in his room. They’d all but ruled out an internet predator. What concerned him was that the detective wanted the family to come down, meaning that something fairly significant was discovered. Perhaps they’d taken prints and had a hit. That would be the best-case scenario because at least they would have someone to go after. If they found foreign prints with no hits in the system, then they’d have to begin ruling out Colton’s friends, teachers, classmates. It would drag things out substantially and that was the worst possible outcome.
» » »
Their arrival at the Springfield District Police station was heralded by several local reporters. The story had drawn interest in the community, as they always did.
“Just go straight in; don’t stop to talk to the press.” Nick began to step out from the seat of his SUV. He stood guard while Rachel and Jake emerged, trying his best to block them from view. It was a futile effort.
“Mr. and Mrs. Talbot, do the police have any suspects? When will you be issuing a statement?” one of the reporters asked.
Nick shook his head when Jake turned his attention to the man. Jake seemed to take heed and continued inside, his arm wrapped around Rachel.
Detective Mason stood just inside the entrance. “Sorry about that. Come on back.” She led the way to her office. “I’d like you to consider making a statement in the near future, Mr. and Mrs. Talbot. At the very least, maybe Agent Scarborough can make one on your behalf.”
“I think I’d like to have something to say to them regarding the status of the investigation, detective. What do you have on the phone? That’s why we’re here.” Nick realized his tone was harsh and regretted it immediately. The detective was probably right, but his disdain for the media was no secret.
“Have a seat.” Mason pointed toward a small table in her office. “I’d like to bring in the forensics technician who’s working on this.” She stepped away and made a brief call to summon the officer.
Moments later, the man appeared, tablet in hand. “Good morning, Mr. and Mrs. Talbot. I’m Officer Trombly.” He shook their hands and looked to Nick. “You must be Agent Scarborough? I’ve heard a lot about you.”
Nick returned the handshake and sat back down. “I’m a family friend, just here for support.” He felt the need to acknowledge his place once again.
The officer returned his attention to Jake and Rachel. “I know Detective Mason informed you that we ran your son’s phone for prints as well as any other organic material,” he continued. “After excluding the family’s prints and DNA that you submitted, we were able to find something of interest.” He typed on his tablet for a moment and then placed it on the table for the parents to see. He then pointed to the screen. “While we didn’t find any other prints, we did find a trace of saliva on the screen.”
“Saliva?” Jake appeared confused. “What? Did someone lick his phone or something?”
“No,” the detective began. “It appears to be a drop of spittle, maybe from proximity to whoever was holding it.”
“You mean, someone who was talking or yelling or something?” Rachel asked. “Like the person spits when he talks?”
“Something like that, yes,” the officer replied.
“Did you get any hits?” Nick was anxious for answers.
“Yes. We got a match to a man who was released from prison last year.” She turned to Officer Trombly. “Please pull up his photo.”
The officer slid his finger along the tablet. “This is Lyle Stroud. Thirty-two years old, released from Augusta Correctional in Augusta County, Virginia after serving six years for aggravated indecent assault against a minor.”
Rachel clutched Jake’s shoulder. “Oh my God. This is who took our son?” She looked to Detective Mason. “Why was this man released? For God’s sake. How could someone like that be let out?”
“I understand how you must feel, Rachel, but Stroud served his time. He had no prior convictions and received just over the minimum sentence, which was a second-degree felony.”
“Then he should be registered,” Nick added. “We should know where he last resided.”
“As soon as we got the hit, I reached out to the Department of Justice. They said he was living in Winchester, about 70-odd miles from here. They’ve already informed Fredrick County police there and have sent someone to check on him.”
“Well, he’s clearly not going to be there, is he?” Jake directed his growing anger at the detective. “He took my son, so it seems pretty unlikely he would go back home.”
Nick picked up on the rising tensions and needed to throw his friend a lifeline. “This is how they start looking for him, Jake. Someone had to have seen him leave or miss work, or something along those lines. It’s the best place for them to start.”
“The important thing is that we have a name.” Mason looked toward Rachel. “We’ll track him down and we’ll find your son.”
» » »
When Kate arrived at her desk, she was greeted by stacks of paper—files from the Ackerman investigation, along with fifty or so emails and a few voicemails. So, a pretty typical day so far.
“Morning,” she said to Agent Vasquez.
“Good morning. Hey, have you heard from Scarborough today?”
“No, but he’s still in Springfield. I’m sure he’ll touch base later.” Kate looked over her shoulder. “Have you seen Jameson around?”
“He’s here. I saw him earlier.”
“I’ll go see if he’s heard from Scarborough yet.” Kate headed down the hallway toward Dwight’s office. She peeked inside. “Good morning.”
Dwight cast his eyes upward from his desk. “Good morning. Come in.”
“Have you heard from Nick? I talked to him the other night, but nothing since then.” Her arms folded with concern as she walked in.
“He called me a short while ago, actually. They have a suspect now, but that’s about all they have.”
“Really? Who?”
“Some ex-con who was living in Winchester, or near there. Got out about a year ago and had kept a low profi
le, until this.”
“I assume they have no idea where he is?”
“They got County PD checking out his home. I know Nick’s going crazy over this. He wants to take the lead, but he can’t and you know how he gets.”
“Must be hard for him, especially since it’s his friend’s kid. Any word on when he’s coming back?”
“Soon. There’s really not much for him to do except offer a shoulder. His hands are tied. He’s got Fairfax County and now Frederick County PD involved, but nothing that would make this a federal case.”
“Well, you and I both know that’s not going to stop him.”
“I’m sure you’re right. And you and I will be right beside him.” Dwight smiled.
“I should be ready to hand off the Ackerman files by tomorrow. Anything else coming on board?”
“I have to head out to consult with Baltimore PD later today. But apart from that, finishing up the Ackerman files to hand off to the federal prosecutor is priority.”
“Okay. I’ll get on it. Let me know when you hear from him again.”
“Just give him a call. He’ll answer.”
“He’s under a lot of pressure right now—I don’t want to bother him. And, I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but he hasn’t been exactly chummy with me lately. He’ll make the odd call to keep me updated, but that’s about it. Very cut and dry.”
“I think he’s just trying to give you some space. Your probationary period will be up in less than six months. I think he wants to be sure Campbell sees that you no longer need to be under his wing. Especially considering how you were assigned here. He won’t risk your position, not when you’re this close to permanent status.”
“Yeah, okay.” Kate felt something else was there, whether Dwight would admit it or not. Nick had pulled away from her in recent months. Perhaps it had been because she no longer felt alone and stopped running to him for everything. She’d regained much of her independence and her former self. That was what he’d said he wanted for her all along, but she’d begun to think otherwise.
Kate returned to her desk and got to the task at hand, but it didn’t stop her from thinking about Nick and what she could do to help. The parents must have been beside themselves. Her thoughts drifted just for a moment to the Davies’ and what it had meant to them when Kate and Nick had returned Ashley’s necklace. Because Kate didn’t have children, and was fairly certain she never would, she couldn’t possibly put herself in their shoes and neither could Nick. But it didn’t mean neither had compassion or empathy for them.
In a short time, the files on her desk had halved and email replies had been sent. Kate was nothing if not efficient. It was a quality Campbell would surely consider in her final assessment. The sound of her cell phone on the desk diverted her attention from Ackerman, a man who had murdered and mutilated six women over the course of a year. She was glad not to have been the field agent assigned to that case. As the Supervisory Special Agent, Nick assigned Vasquez and Dwight. Kate hadn’t taken it well at first but realized that Nick’s often preferential treatment could jeopardize her career and so the assignment went to Vasquez while Kate assisted with the forensics and research on the case.
She thought his ears must’ve been burning when she noticed the caller ID. “Nick. How are you? I was just asking Dwight about you.”
“Listen, Kate, I was wondering if you could do me a favor?”
“Sure. What’s going on?”
“Can you do some digging around for me on a Lyle Stroud? I’m emailing you now with the details.”
“What do you want to know?”
“Everything. I have a suspicion that DOJ lost track of him and so I want to know where he’s been for the past year. I want a background check, employment history, any details you can find on his conviction. I want to know how this guy thinks and what he might be after.”
“Sure. Local PD’s working on this too, right?”
“Yes.”
“So, if I start reaching out to these guys, what are they going to say?”
“Figure out a way to work around it. I know you can.” The line was silent for a moment. “Kate, there could be a federal case here for us. I just need all my ducks in a row before I bring it up for consideration.”
“I’ll get started on it right away. Do you know when you’re coming back?”
“Tonight. I know I need to get back to the office, and I told Jake I’d do what I could from there. In the meantime, the detective here, Mason, she’s got a good handle on things. I just think we can do more.”
“Understood. I’ll see you later, then.”
“Thanks, Kate. And, just keep this quiet for now.” Nick ended the call and turned to Jake.
“I’ll get what I can. I’ve just put one of my agents on it.”
The two began to walk out into the back yard while Rachel and her mother talked in the kitchen.
“Can you believe this shit, man?” Jake lit up yet again. “Some ex-con, in jail for sexual assault of a minor. Fucking figures.” He puffed hard, nearly burning half the cigarette. “They aren’t going to find him. He took my boy and now he’s gone.” He turned to Nick. “How the hell are we gonna get through this? Rachel’s at her wit’s end. I know she hasn’t slept. I haven’t slept. Scott sits in his room, playing video games or some shit. He thinks this is all his fault.”
“I’ll figure something out, Jake, I swear to you. And I’m not trying to dismiss the work Mason and her team are doing, but I can do more and I will.” Nick thrust his hands in his pockets. “I’m sorry I have to leave, but I’m not far and if you need me, just call.”
“I understand. You got a job to do, I get that. I’m just grateful you’ve been here, helping us get through this. I know we don’t get a chance to see each other much anymore. Shit, you’re a big-time federal agent and I’m some grunt computer engineer.” Jake peered over his shoulder toward the kitchen window and regarded his wife. “But I wouldn’t trade it for the world. I love my family, Nick. I love my kids. You just don’t know what it’s like.” Jake trailed off, embarrassed by his remarks.
“You’re right. I don’t know what it’s like to have a wife and kids to care for; to love. I envy you for that, I really do.” It seemed only now to truly occur to Nick that he had desired a family of his own. For years, it just seemed impossible, given his chosen career. But as he looked into the eyes of his friend and the awful pain behind them, he realized what was at stake when you wore your heart on your sleeve. Nick had seen much suffering in his years as a federal agent, too much suffering. But this was different; worse somehow.
“I promise you, Jake, I’ll do everything in my power to help you find Colton. And we’ll catch the son of bitch who took him.”
THREE
No sooner had Nick returned to his office than ASAC Campbell appeared in his doorway, looking ready to jump down his throat for the time he’d been taken away from his usual duties. “You’re back?”
Nick turned away from his computer. “Yes, sir.”
“Good. How’s the investigation going? They have anything yet?” Campbell’s tone softened when he noticed Nick’s haggard appearance.
“They have a suspect, an ex-con, but no leads as to his location yet.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. I realize you want to jump in on this, and I don’t have a problem with you offering guidance to the local authorities, but please remember that this isn’t our territory. I know you wouldn’t want to jeopardize their case, so be mindful to stay at arm’s length.”
“I understand and I know we’ve got a lot on our plates anyway. I won’t let this deter me from my work here.” The confirmation of his dedication was really just for Campbell’s benefit. He wouldn’t let anything interfere with his job, but he also knew that he was more than capable of handling both.
“Glad to have you back.” Campbell turned on his heel. “I’ll let you get to it.”
Nick watched his boss walk away and felt that their relationship was o
n the mend. The trust they’d shared for so many years was returning and it was a good feeling. He would heed the warning and take care not to cross the jurisdictional line, at least, not enough that anyone would notice. But if they asked for help, that would be a different story. Jake was still his friend and Nick had access and resources to more than the Fairfax County police ever would. In fact, this brought to mind Kate. He raised the receiver of his desk phone and dialed Kate’s extension. “Morning. You turn up anything on what we discussed yesterday?”
“Some; and if you’ve got a minute, we can go over it. I’ll be right there.”
“Great. Thanks.” Nick had become hesitant to reach out to her as often as he used to. It was his attempt to cut the cord, as it were. Which was difficult because he’d grown accustomed to having her there whenever he needed her. And it had taken him a while to realize he was doing her a disservice.
Moments later, Kate arrived. “How you holding up?” She found her seat.
“A little tired, but that’s nothing compared to what the Talbots are going through.”
“I’m sure.” She opened the folder in her hands. “To that end, I was able to retrieve some additional information that I’m not sure if the local police have received or not.” She pulled out the background check. “Employment records show Lyle Stroud was mostly a seasonal worker, unable to really hold down anything permanent.”
“It’s pretty tough to get a good job with his type of background.”
“Agreed. Anyway, his last place of employment was at a dairy farm from January through April of this year.” She looked at Nick. “I guess that’s a busy time for dairy farmers.”
“So where’s he been for the past month? According to Detective Mason, he never missed an appointment with his parole officer until a few weeks ago. What was he doing between the end of April and now, three weeks later?”
“Planning? Anyone check out the employer? See if there were any disciplinary problems with him?” Kate asked.
