Kevin set his phone down. He sat forward and lowered his voice. “I liked it. Doing it, I mean. It’s the one thing…”
Oh God
. Someone shut him up.
“The one thing you tried?”
“Yeah, but just the one time and it didn’t last long. I-I had to stop.”
“Why?”
Kevin shrugged. Out the window beside him, the stoplight at the intersection changed from red to green. He couldn’t tear his gaze away from that lone bright green bulb. He never wanted to talk about that night. Not with anyone. Why now? “It’s a long story.”
“I’m not going anywhere.”
Kevin opened his mouth to say more, but a voice cut him off.
“Mr. Simon?” A lanky young man stood next to the booth. The same man that had been in the picture at Seth’s apartment. Midtwenties, a long, faded scar along his right cheek. He was a little too thin for his frame, but he had a quiet strength about him.
“Toby?” Walter asked as he got up. The young man nodded, and the two shook hands. Walter gestured to the other side of the booth. “This is Kevin Price, the reporter I mentioned on the phone.”
Kevin made room in the booth beside him, and Toby sat.
The waitress came by with a glass of water. Toby ordered a cup of coffee and a piece of chocolate cake with ice cream. “Hope you don’t mind. I have an addiction to sugar. They have the best cake here, but I don’t get a chance to get it very often.”
Kevin liked him already. Without thinking he said, “I have an addiction to Twinkies.” Well, that just made him sound even younger than he probably already seemed to Walter.
Maybe it didn’t matter. Walter smirked at him from across the booth.
“Twinkies
are
good.” Toby picked up his water and took a drink, keeping a firm grip on the glass between sips. A nervous gesture. Did he know something? Maybe not. Some people got nervous talking to cops or reporters, and they were double-teaming him here.
Kevin gave a smile. “Thanks for meeting with us.” He was good at this part. Even if Walter flustered the hell out of him, he could slip back into his normal routine with a source, make Toby feel comfortable. Usually it was Kevin’s innocent charm that did people in. No one had a problem trusting him. Maybe it was the wide-eyed expression his mom had said made him look like a cute cartoon deer.
A freaking deer.
Who wanted to look like a deer, cartoon or otherwise?
He couldn’t complain too much, though. Not if it helped him with his job.
Toby gave Kevin a nod, then asked Walter, “Have you found out anything about Seth since we talked?”
“No.” Walter watched the young man closely, most likely reading him the way Kevin did with anyone he interviewed. You could tell a lot about someone from his body language, his facial expressions, when he made eye contact, and when he didn’t.
“You think something happened to him?” Toby asked.
Walter leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table, engaging with Toby. “I don’t know. We’d like to find him, see that he’s okay.”
“You work for that club?”
“I’m helping out the owner.”
“I told him he shouldn’t hang out there. I had a bad feeling about it. And I was right. Even before this.”
“Why’s that?”
“A while ago he met this guy who offered to go up to a room with him, said he could score them some crystal. Seth told the guy no on the meth, but they slept together anyway. Then the guy blew him off the next time he saw him. When Seth told me that, I knew that place wasn’t for him. He can be pretty naive. It was obvious the guy was a dealer trying to get him hooked on the meth, but Seth’s not there for drugs or casual sex. He’s not a one-night-stand kind of guy.”
Walter nodded. “You didn’t think he’d find what he wanted at the Haven?”
“Does anyone?” Toby stared across the booth out the diner’s window at the flow of people and cars. Or maybe he saw something else. Maybe another time in his life. Like Kevin had minutes earlier.
Toby continued. “I mean, don’t get me wrong. Seth likes getting fucked, but he’s always crushing on every guy who sleeps with him.”
Walter glanced Kevin’s way, then was quiet as he watched Toby for a minute. Finally Walter said, “He’s not the only one at the Haven who’s there looking for more than sex.”
“I guess I shouldn’t judge. I’ve never been there.”
“Did he tell you anything about the guy who blew him off?”
“His name was…Cory, I think.”
Walter looked to Kevin again. “Shouldn’t be too many members with that first name.” He asked Toby, “Any idea what this Cory guy looks like?”
“Not really. I know he was younger than Seth, short and skinny like him. Not his usual type at all.”
“That helps. So Seth’s not into drugs?”
“No. Never. Only guy I knew on the street who wasn’t.”
Kevin wanted to ask about that last part, but he held back and let Walter keep the connection going with Toby.
“Where does Seth work?” Walter asked.
“At a doctor’s office. Just started a few months ago. He answers the phone and is being trained in their billing department. He’s good with numbers.”
“Does he make decent money?”
“I think so. One of those one-nighters must’ve felt bad about Seth’s crush. The guy offered to help him get a better job, hooked him up with the office gig.” Toby considered Walter. “You’re trying to figure out how he can afford the club membership. I asked him that too when he first joined. He said he couldn’t afford not to. Since it was a members-only place, I guess he figured he’d be safe there.”
Walter exchanged a look with Kevin that seemed to say even he thought the fact that Seth was a member of the club was what made him a target. Walter pulled back from the table and swiftly crossed his arms over his chest. He gestured to the young man with a tilt of his head.
Kevin took the cue and asked, “When did you last speak to Seth?”
“Wednesday. He said he had a date for Thursday night.”
“Do you know who with?”
“Nah. I know he planned to meet him at the club.”
“He didn’t tell you anything about the man?”
“No.”
The waitress arrived with the cake. After she left, Toby slowly ate a bite, then another, looking less excited about the dessert than when he’d ordered it.
Walter spoke again. “Does Seth have any family?”
Toby shook his head, sadness pouring off him in waves. He set his fork down, kept his gaze locked on the cake while he spoke. “He’s from a small town in Iowa. I don’t remember the name. One of those cutesy-sounding places where you can’t believe actual, real people live there. His parents kicked him out when he was in high school. He’d been living on the streets for a while when I met him. One day hanging with him and I knew he was the smartest guy I’d ever met. He knew which restaurant Dumpsters to hit and when. Had it all timed out. The food was still hot when we fished it out. He ended up getting his GED at the Third Street Mission. Talked me into taking the class with him.”
“Did you get yours?” Walter asked.
Toby sat taller, the tension finally leaving his face. “I did.” The proud expression faded fast. “I didn’t end up with an office job like Seth, but I do okay. I…” He went back to staring out the window. “I work in sanitation for the city.”
“You should be proud of yourself.” Walter’s voice had softened. He paused until Toby looked his way. “I’ve seen a lot of people living on the streets. Not many make it out. Not in a way where they can take care of themselves.”
Toby ducked his head and smiled as he straightened and restraightened the silverware beside his plate.
Walter spoke again. “You should file a missing person’s report.”
“With the police?”
“Yes.” Walter handed over a business card. “Call this number, and that detective will tell you what you need to do.”
“I don’t think they’ll do much to look for him. Not a former street kid.”
“Well, I will. And if I find out anything happened to him, it’ll be easier to get the police involved if he’s already been reported missing.”
Toby gave him a long stare. “Why would you do all this?”
“Because someone needs to.”
Toby played with his silverware again as if reluctant to end their conversation. Maybe he imagined the next time he heard from Walter, it’d be bad news.
“Oh shit.” Toby dropped his fork. It collided with the other silverware. The resulting clank and his outburst had the other patrons in the diner looking their way. “He’s got a dog. Charlie. If he’s been gone for a few days…” Toby slid out of the booth and took a step away from the table.
“Wait.” Walter signaled for him to stop. “I took Charlie from Seth’s apartment.”
“To where?”
Walter hesitated. He darted a glance at Kevin. “Home with me.”
Kevin couldn’t resist. He mouthed the words
dog whisperer
. Walter’s mouth turned up at one corner.
Toby returned to the booth. “Why would you do that?”
“I couldn’t let him starve to death. You wouldn’t want to take him off my hands, would you?”
“I can’t. Seth and I tried rooming together for a while, but…” He brushed the backs of his fingers over the scar on his cheek. “A neighbor’s dog bit me when I was a little kid. Seth tried to tell me that doesn’t make all dogs bad, but I could never get comfortable around Charlie. I ended up having to move.” Whether aware he did it or not, he touched the scar again. “Stupid, huh?”
“Not at all,” Walter said. “Sounds to me like you had a good reason to feel that way.”
“Yeah, I guess. No way was Seth getting rid of Charlie, though. He loves that dog. He even has a picture of him on his key chain.”
Walter offered another business card. “This is my number. If you hear from Seth, tell him to give me a call. And tell him Charlie’s with me and that he’s okay.”
“You’re really going to keep looking for him?”
“I am.” The determination on Walter’s face confirmed what Kevin had been guessing since they’d first talked about the missing men. This was personal for Walter. Maybe because of the shooting. The
Daily Voice
’s photo of the fifteen-year-old hostage who’d died that day had looked a lot like a younger version of Seth Fisher.
Toby stood. “If you find him, can you call me?”
“Definitely,” Walter said.
Toby removed his wallet, tucked the business cards inside, and slid out some cash.
Walter held up a hand. “I’ve got it.”
“Thanks.” Toby hesitated beside the table. “Not just for the cake. Thanks for giving a shit about Seth. Most people wouldn’t.”
Walter gave a nod.
Kevin watched Toby out the diner’s window as he crossed the street and walked off. “Could this be related to Seth’s past? Someone from his previous life on the streets?”
“Maybe,” Walter said.
“But—”
“Hang on.” Walter pulled out his phone and dialed. “Gibson, I’m sending someone to see you about that latest missing person I mentioned.” He listened to whatever Gibson was saying, then said, “Thanks. I’ll give you a call when I know more.” He hung up.
They were quiet for a minute.
Kevin hated the idea of pushing too hard, but no matter how many cop friends Walter had, he needed to face the truth. “Toby was right about one thing. Seth has no family, only a couple of friends. The police won’t do much unless they have something to go on that suggests Seth didn’t take off on his own, something other than the fact that he left his dog behind.”
“Maybe.” Walter sat back and sighed. “Are you free the rest of tonight?”
“Yeah. I don’t have to file anything else at the paper until Thursday.”
“Good. We’ll go see if we can track down this Cory with the drugs, and then later tonight, we hit the club.” He stood, deposited two bills on the table, and started for the door. “You coming?”
Kevin caught up to him before the exit. “Yeah, I’m planning on coming tonight.” He’d spoken in as teasing a tone as he could manage, feeling less confident than he sounded. He said the next words more seriously. “But not at the Haven.”
Walter stopped with his hand on the door. “Okay. I can work with that.”
Chapter Twelve
Kevin eyed the crowd. There were more men in attendance than before. The music seemed louder, the men more animated as they danced and drank and flirted in droves.
He and Walter had been at the club for three hours now, trying to find anyone who’d seen the missing men in the week before each man’s disappearance, talking to several of the employees and the members on Vargas’s list of the most recent who’d joined, as well as the most likely to want to keep their membership quiet and the most likely to have enough power to coerce a cover-up. Everyone had been reluctant to talk to them.
They weren’t expecting an outright confession from anyone, but Kevin knew Walter had enough experience to be able to pick up on who might be holding something back. Walter had repeated his questions in various ways with each person, so there had been a good chance they also would’ve been able to spot when someone had been lying or unable to keep the minor details of his story straight. They just had to keep at it. Even the smallest detail from an unknowing witness—or a knowing accomplice—could lead them in a new direction.
But apparently canvassing the club, hauling out photos and a stream of questions like they were a couple of cops, wasn’t the best way to approach this. They hadn’t found anyone who’d recognized Seth, and only one guy who’d remembered sleeping with one of the other missing men. Which proved Kevin’s point about the club.
Earlier, after their conversation at the diner with Toby, they had tried to track down the guy with the drugs who’d slept with Seth. Vargas had given them the name and address for the only Cory who was an active member: Cory Nelson. They’d gone to his address and learned he hadn’t lived there for over a year. There’d been no forwarding address, no way to get in touch with him. They’d have to wait for him to use his ID at the club.
When it became clear they were getting nowhere questioning the club’s members, Walter had gone to check with Vargas to see if there were any new developments and to request the video feeds for the dates the men had gone missing. While Kevin waited, he’d chosen a seat at the bar and examined the crowd.