ROY
As Amber and Roy left the florist shop, Duke called out.
“Hey, guys, the fire dispatch said it’ll take them a few minutes to get me the strip mall owner’s information.” She joined them on the sidewalk. “Did the flower shop have any info?”
He shook his head and repeated what the florist had told them.
“I don’t see any point in sticking around. We got what we came for—the address for.” Duke looked at the two actors. “We’ll get you back to the station.”
“Before we leave, Lavonne, why don’t you and I walk around the back? Just in case we can get inside…” Roy focused his gaze on hers, hoping she’d understand there was more than a potentially unlocked door on his mind.
She nodded, then glanced at the other detective and Amber. “We’ll be right back.” As soon as they were out of earshot, she spoke. “Okay. What’s up?”
“I could be totally wrong, but what you said about the kidnapping being targeted toward me or Amber got me to thinking.”
“And?”
“Right after Amber and I separated, I had a few…dates with a woman I’d met during the Justin Lowe case. She’s a casting director.”
They rounded the side of the strip mall and Duke stopped, placing her hands on her hips. “And you’re just telling me this now?”
“It’s the first opportunity I’ve had.”
“What’s this woman’s name, and why would she kidnap your son?”
“I’m not saying she’s kidnapped Gage, but it is pretty strange that our first solid lead involves a casting director. Here name is Robyn McGee, and there’s absolutely no reason for her to snatch Gage. I haven’t seen her in over a year.”
They resumed walking along the back wall of the businesses.
“If you were separated, what’s the big deal about Amber knowing you were dating?”
He shrugged. “I don’t know. It was just weeks after Amber walked out. It might hurt her.”
The detective scoffed. “You guys need a good therapist. Do you know where this McGee woman lives?”
Roy felt his face warm. “In Bel Air.”
“Do you have the address?”
“I could find the house.”
“Does McGee know where you live and that you have a son?”
He nodded. “Yeah, she does.”
They reached the rear door of the empty store in the strip mall.
Roy tried the door, and as they both expected, it was locked.
“Are you going to tell your wife about your relationship with McGee, or are you going to make me break that news?”
They turned back toward the front building.
“I’m telling you privately, so you can take a look at Robyn. If it turns out she’s not involved, Amber never needs to know about her.”
“And if she is involved?”
“I’ll never forgive myself.” He shook his head. “Amber never will either.”
Returning to Devonshire Station, Roy and Amber once again followed the detective sedan into the parking lot.
“I’m going to hit the head,” Amber said.
“Okay, meet me and Duke in the squad room.”
She nodded as she headed down the hallway toward the restroom.
Duke joined Roy as her partner led O’Neil and Kendell back inside the station.
“I’m going to make up a six-pack, including Robyn McGee, and see if the actors can ID her.”
“Well, do me a favor,” Roy said. “I’ll keep Amber busy while you do the photo line-up. If they don’t recognize Robyn, Amber doesn’t have to know.”
Duke sighed and shook her head as she walked toward the detective squad room.
When Amber came out of the bathroom, Roy motioned to her. “Duke asked us to get her some decent coffee. Apparently, the machine in the detective squad room is broken, and she won’t drink patrol coffee.”
“Tell her to get her own coffee. We need to find Gage.”
“Come on. It will only take a few minutes, and I wouldn’t mind a good cup myself.”
“Fine. But let’s make it snappy.”
Twenty minutes later, when they returned, Duke pulled him aside.
“I’ve got bad news. The owner of the strip mall hasn’t rented out his building to a casting director—or anyone else, for that matter— since the cigar store.”
“Then how did Lori Heath get inside?”
“Turns out, the owner lent the space to his good friend Robyn McGee to run some auditions.”
“Oh, shit.”
“She told him it was a last-minute casting call, and she had nowhere else to hold the amount of people she was expecting.”
“And I suppose the actors identified Robyn in the six-pack?”
Duke nodded and looked across the squad room where Amber was giving Duke’s partner a cup of dark roast. I’ll run a rap sheet and DMV record to get McGee’s address. You need to tell your wife. Do you want to use the captain’s office? I can have the janitor let you in.”
Amber sauntered up to them. “Did the fire department call back yet?”
“We were just discussing it. I’ve got some things to check out.” Duke smiled. “Roy, why don’t you tell Amber what we’ve learned.” Duke headed toward her desk and logged into her computer.
Amber’s face had paled. “What is it? Why is she acting weird, and why do you look like you want to puke?”
“Let’s go out to the car.”
“Why? What’s wrong. Is it Gage? Is he—”
“No. I don’t have any news about Gage. But something has come up in the investigation and I need to tell you about it.”
Amber’s cheeks flushed, her breathing increased, and her lips formed a thin line. “Well, stop jerking me around and tell me.”
He glanced around the squad room. In addition to Duke, there were some gang detectives sitting at their desks, and the night watch detective talking to a pair of patrol officers about an arrest they’d made. “Let’s go outside where we have some privacy.”
“Fine.” Amber turned on her heel and marched to the station’s rear exit, slamming her hands on the bar of the door release.
Once outside, she turned to him. “What the hell is going on?” Her face contorted with anger…and fear.
He took a deep breath. “Duke talked to the owner of the strip mall. He loaned that location to a friend of his who really is a casting director.”
“Let me guess. Lori Heath?”
“No, a woman named Robyn McGee.” He cleared his throat. “I know her. After you and I split up, I dated her for a couple of weeks.”