Chapter Thirty

Pete sent the Zukas kid home and told Shannon to stay put. Damn, he felt bad for the boy. He’d seen him fall to pieces right before his eyes when he had to tell him about his father. Heartbreaking. Pete had lost his older brother to the Vietnam war. Freddy had been enlisted for two years when the shitty conflict began. Made it through three tours before getting blown up a week before he was set to come home.

Shaking the memory free, Pete stepped into the parking lot and saw the newbie, Matt Martin, getting ready to take off.

“Martin,” Pete said.

“Yeah?”

“I need you to run out to see someone with me.”

“Yeah, sure,” he said. “I’ll follow you?”

“Yep.”

“Officer Nelson,” Matt said.

“What’d I tell you, Martin? Nelson or Pete is fine. What is it?”

“Is this anything to do with…with the killer?”

“I don’t think so, Martin, but you’ve got to be prepared for anything.”

The kid swallowed hard.

Pete felt bad for him, almost.

He remembered the case of the heebee jeebees this Gabriel fella had left him with last night. Nightmares and everything after he finally convinced himself the guy wasn’t coming through his window.

Five minutes later, they arrived at the cottage the Zukas kid described. A black Grand Prix sat in the driveway, only now it had a U-Haul trailer attached to it. The kid hadn’t mentioned that. Pete didn’t doubt that it hadn’t been there the other day.

He pulled in behind the trailer and watched as Martin pulled his cruiser up on the shoulder before the rental place.

They stepped to the door and knocked.

It was just before eleven in the morning. To Pete’s surprise, the man, Gabriel Riley, answered the door.

The sunglasses were gone. It looked as if the man’s pupils had swallowed the rest of his eyes. Two onyx orbs bore into him.

“Hello, Officer,” Gabriel said. “Why, look at you, all dressed up. Ah, and the nick on your neck looks much better this morning, if you don’t mind me saying.”

Pete’s hand found the Band-Aid. “Can we come in, Mr. Riley, is it?”

“Why yes, of course, but you must excuse the place. Our vacation is coming to its end here in your lovely little town.” He moved aside and ushered them in.

The place looked nearly empty save for the stock furniture the renters probably supplied. A blue sofa, wooden coffee table, little stand with a small Zenith television, a Formica table in the clean kitchen across the way.

“Are you the only one home?” Pete asked.

“No. My sister and mother are in their chambers.”

Chambers?

“Is there a problem, officers?” Gabriel asked.

“We received a couple reports about a gentleman that fits your description,” Peter said. “A couple of harassment complaints. Had your name and address even.”

The smile on the pale man’s face with the midnight eyes faltered slightly.

“I assure you, officers, I have harmed no one.”

“I didn’t say anything about harm,” Pete said, pulling the little notebook from his front pocket. “When did your family arrive in town?”

“I’m not sure I need to answer your questions.”

“I’m quite certain you do, Mr. Riley. We take harassment charges very seriously in this town.”

“I see,” he said. “Well, then, we arrived here June 3rd.”

“So, you’ve been here just over a month then?”

“Yes. I suppose so.”

“Do you know a Rocky Zukas, Mr. Riley?”

“No, I’m afraid that name doesn’t ring a bell.”

“Is your sister a November Riley?”

“Yes.”

“Were you aware at any time over these last few weeks of her relationship with a local boy named Rocky Zukas?”

Gabriel took a deep breath. Pete noticed the man’s nostrils flaring. His eyes squinting.

“I do not meddle in my sister’s affairs.”

“Did you know she was seeing someone here in town?”

“What she does is not my business, so long as she doesn’t get herself into trouble.”

“And did you think this boy, Rocky Zukas, was trouble? Did you threaten him on the beach after catching him with your sister?”

“I…I may have told the boy she was with to find someone else to aim his hormones at.”

“Did you threaten to kill Mr. Zukas if you caught him with your sister again?”

Gabriel seemed to unravel ever so slightly. He was rubbing his forefinger and getting visibly agitated.

“I told him what I had to, to protect my younger sister. If I used that sort of language then forgive me, but it worked. For goodness’ sake, officer, it was just to scare the young man off. You know what these boys have in mind nowadays with their heavy metal music and their drugs.”

“Did you ever go to the boy’s home?”

“What?”

“The boy’s sister called to report a man fitting your description last week standing outside their home.”

“When did it become a crime for someone to wave to someone else?”

“I never said anything about you waving to her.”

“What is this all about?” Gabriel asked, his voice rising.

“May we take a quick look around the premises?” Pete asked.

“Fine. Do as you wish, but may I please ask you not to bother my family? My mother has been very ill this summer, I’m afraid she’s been laid up for most of our vacation.”

“Sure. May we see your room?”

“Of course,” he said, stepping past them and leading them down the hall.

He opened the door to a very basic, barebones bedroom. A simple full-sized bed, a dresser, and nightstand with a lamp upon it. The lamp was lit since a very heavy black shade covered the lone window.

“Afraid of the sun?” Pete asked, motioning toward the drawn shades.

“I’m a bit of a night owl. I’m usually just waking up at this hour, but with the preparations to head home, I’m up early.”

“Hmm,” Pete said, walking in and opening the closet. Bare. “Wow, you either packed very lightly or that U-Haul outside is already filled.”

“Yes, we are hoping to head home within the next couple days,” Gabriel said.

“Does this property have a basement?” Pete asked.

“Why, yes it does,” Gabriel said, his lips curling upward at the edges.

The butterflies in Pete’s stomach began to take flight. Everything about this guy was telling him there was something more to him. He didn’t like it. The disappearances began precisely in line with his arrival. He’d threatened a local boy, and inadvertently admitted to harassing the kid’s sister. Though none of that was enough to charge him with anything.

As he and Martin followed the man to the door in the dim hallway, Pete’s hand moved to the pistol at his side.

“I’ll have to warn you to watch your steps, officers. The stairs are a bit creaky and weak in spots. There’s but one dim bulb at the bottom.”

Pete looked back to Martin and nodded at the gun on the boy’s hip. Martin gently undid the button over the flap to his sidearm. He looked nervous but otherwise showed no signs of weakness.

Good, Pete thought. Being scared kept you on your toes.

They began their descent behind Gabriel.

The scent of earth told Pete it was a dirt-floor basement. Probably not more than the size of the living room above it, maybe the living room and kitchen.

As they reached the bottom, Pete grabbed for his flashlight. If Gabriel was in front of him, he couldn’t see him. He didn’t even hear the man over his own blood thrashing in his ear.

He was about to flick his flashlight on when the dim bulb at the centre of the small cellar bloomed to life, revealing nothing but a few mostly empty shelves featuring some paint cans and a small toolbox. There were two wooden pallets leaned up against the far wall.

“Satisfied?” Gabriel asked.

“Yes, thank you,” Pete said. Relief flooded him; the adrenaline rush subsided, leaving him shaky but able to breathe again.

“I’ll stay down here with the light until you gentlemen reach the top step.”

They turned and made their way back up and to the front door.

“Should we talk to the sister?” Martin asked.

“Let’s just head back,” Pete said.

Gabriel was right behind them. Both officers jumped.

“Sorry, did I frighten you, officers?” That devilish smirk crossed his odd face again.

“One more question,” Pete said. “Where were you on the night of July 4th between the hours of, say, nine and two?”

“I believe I watched your town’s wonderful fireworks display from the beach before retreating home.”

“Really? You just went home? I thought you said you were a night owl?”

“Not that night,” he said, the smile gone, his dark eyes intense.

“And your mother or your sister could verify your whereabouts during those hours?”

“They surely would.”

“Mr. Riley,” Pete said, “I may need to check with them on that. I won’t disturb them at this moment, but you can count on my coming back later, unless they’d be willing to come down to the station this afternoon.”

“Of course. If you truly think you need to speak with them, I’ll be sure to let them know.”

“Thanks much,” Pete said, heading toward the porch steps.

“Say, you wouldn’t want to show me the inside of that trailer, would you?”

“I’m sorry, Officer,” Gabriel said, a scowl on his face from where he stood in the doorway, his voice a low growl. “But is there something you want to charge me with?”

“No, but I would ask that you and your family stick around for the next forty-eight hours or so. At least until I can check on a few things,” Pete said, raising his notepad. “Now, you have yourself a nice afternoon, Mr. Riley.”

Gabriel went back inside, slamming the door.

Pete eyed the trailer as they walked by.

“Sir, is there something you need to tell me?” Martin asked.

“Let’s get back to the station. I think we need to see what’s inside this trailer.”