The phone on my desk rang—Lutz was calling.
“What’s up, Boss?”
“Abrams just called me. Patrol has eyes on the truck belonging to Kevin Tibbs.”
“That’s awesome. So where is Kevin?”
“They don’t know. The truck is parked, and it’s empty. Abrams has given them permission to sit on it and watch for Kevin until our officers can relieve them.”
I had my pen ready. “Where is the truck parked?”
Lutz chuckled. “No way, McCord. You’re a homicide detective, and the fastest way to get Kevin released back to the streets without learning anything from him would be if you picked him up. He’s a truant and could possibly have pot in his vehicle, and neither are reasons for a homicide detective to haul him in. Let the system do it the right way. I’ll have a couple of officers head out, take over for Patrol, and bring him in for questioning when he gets back to his truck. You can talk to him after he’s in an interrogation room and with his mother present. That’s when you’ll discuss his choice of friends, especially Manny, since he’s linked to a recent murder investigation. You can’t say he murdered anyone since we don’t have evidence to support that yet, but you can hint around about Kevin avoiding juvy in exchange for telling you where Manny lives.”
“Yeah, yeah, don’t worry. I’ll play by the rules.”
I looked over at Frank. “Patrol has eyes on Kevin’s truck. Lutz is sending officers out to watch it, and when Kevin returns, they’ll bring him in.”
“Good. Maybe we’ll have those killers in custody before morning.”
“That’s my hope too. Say, did you have time to call Gina and talk to her about the agencies that can help her find a job or further her education?”
“Yep, and she’s hopeful something will work out. I also told her about the money Leslie had in her bank account. I’m going to help her set up something so she can use that money for paying bills and school costs—not for squandering.”
“Good job, pal. She’s lucky to have someone like you on her side. Did she say if she’s contacted her parents about Leslie’s death?”
Frank shook his head. “She said she didn’t because if they caught wind that Leslie had money in the bank, they’d try to get it and waste it on drugs.”
I sighed. “Some people should never be parents.”