That smile, the relaxed way he rubbed the dog’s head, how he crouched to pet him…it was the most at ease Kevin had looked all night.
Walter stepped closer to the kid. “What’s your name?”
“Ryder.” He stayed on his knees as Charlie came back to him. He tugged the dog to his side, his arm wrapped around Charlie’s neck. “I know, it’s a stupid name for a big guy like me.”
“No, it’s not stupid.”
Ryder shrugged and kept on smothering Charlie with affection. “He’s been whining and barking all day. He’s not used to being alone so much. Are you, Charlie?”
Walter could relate. Especially when the one person who meant the most was ripped away from you. Even
with
warning, the first few days, weeks—hell, the first couple of years—were the hardest.
“The building manager came by to talk to us,” Ryder said, “before my grandma left for work tonight. Asked if we’d seen Seth. Guess he’s gonna call for someone to come get Charlie tomorrow. People have been complaining about the noise, and he said he won’t put up with renters leaving their pets to starve in this heat. I told him if he’d let me in the apartment, I’d feed Charlie, but he said the dog was going unless he heard from Seth. The asshole’s just been looking for a reason to harass Seth ever since he saw him bring a guy home once.” Ryder paused, petted Charlie more. “You don’t think they’ll take Charlie away, do you? It’s only been two days.”
Yeah, Walter did. If they could prove the owner had left him in this heat with no water, they’d call it neglect and poor old Charlie would be sent to the county shelter. He’d have a couple of days at best for new owners to take pity on him. Otherwise he’d get a needle or a dart in his ass. Most likely Charlie’s days were numbered unless Walter found his owner.
“They might,” he told Ryder. “Could you keep him for a few days?”
Ryder shook his head. “I wish. My grandma’s allergic. I’m not even supposed to pet him much unless I change my clothes and wash up right away.”
“Well, I don’t think he should stay here alone in this heat with no one to take him out.” The dog had to have already left a puddle somewhere. “When Seth gets home, you show him the card I gave you and tell him I took Charlie with me.”
Kevin looked up from where he’d been clicking on his phone. Maybe he’d read Ryder’s unease and figured it was a good idea to give Walter space to talk to the kid.
Ryder’s eyes widened as he stood, the surprised expression matching Kevin’s. He glanced down to Charlie, then back at Walter.
“I’ll drop him off at a kennel,” Walter offered. “He’ll be safe and cared for there until Seth gets home.”
“I guess that’s a good idea.” Ryder hesitated for another moment. “Don’t take him anywhere without his leash. It’s hanging on a nail in the kitchen. If something happened to Charlie, Seth would be real upset. Like
tears
and everything.”
“I’ll be careful with him.”
“You’re going to keep looking for Seth, then?”
“I am. I need to finish checking out this place first. See if I can figure out where to look next. Is that okay with you?”
“Sure.” Ryder petted Charlie, his large hand stroking the dog with a gentle touch. “If you find out something happened to him or he’s in trouble, will you let me know?”
“You got it.” Walter asked Ryder for his number and keyed it into his phone. “I’ll give you a call as soon as I know something.” Walter wanted to promise Ryder his friend would be okay, but he knew better. Seth Fisher’s days might be as numbered as Charlie’s had been a moment ago. Or perhaps Seth had already gotten the equivalent of a dart in his ass.
One way or the other, Walter was finding out. He was also going to uncover what Kevin hadn’t shared yet—not only about the missing club members, but also about himself.
Kevin was clicking on his phone again. He still had the towel with the ice tucked under his arm.
Ryder walked to the door, and Walter followed. He paused on his way by Kevin and said, “That ice is for your hand, not your armpit.”
Kevin squinted at him, a look of defiance. He grabbed the towel with the ice and slapped it on his hand. The attempt at holding back the hiss that followed was adorable.
“Don’t forget to call me,” Ryder said from the open door.
“I won’t.”
“Hey, kid,” Kevin called out.
Ryder stopped and turned.
“Just so you know, Ryder isn’t a stupid name. It means ‘warrior who rides.’ ‘A knight.’ It means you’re a tough guy. You can handle anything life throws at you.”
Ryder stared at Kevin for a minute longer, then asked, “Is that for real?”
“Yeah.” Kevin held up his phone. “I looked it up.”
A hint of a smile played at the corners of Ryder’s lips. He gave Kevin a nod and left, shutting the door behind him.
Kevin caught Walter watching him. “What?”
“That was smooth. Getting him to like you. To trust you.”
“I didn’t do it just for that.”
“I know.” And Walter did.
What he’d already learned about Kevin Price, he liked. What he hadn’t learned yet was what concerned him. Was that because he might like the rest? He didn’t want to examine that too closely.
Instead he said, “We need to have that talk now.”
Chapter Eight
Walter broke the lingering stare between them, afraid if he didn’t get a little distance, things would turn physical. “I want to know everything you know.”
“Okay.” Kevin slipped his phone into the pocket of his pants but didn’t say more. He went to stand before the bookshelf, his every movement now stiff and tense. He pulled his shirtsleeve down over his noninjured hand and picked up a picture frame, using his shirt to keep his prints off the frame. Smart.
“Is this him?” His voice held a note of surprise.
Walter went to stand behind him. “Yeah. The one on the right.”
Kevin slowly set the frame back on the shelf, never taking his eyes off the young man’s image. “Cute kid.”
“Kid?” Walter scoffed and moved in even closer, looking over Kevin’s shoulder at the photo. “You should talk.”
Kevin spun around, almost smacking him in the chin like he had at the club. “I’m not a kid. I’m thirty.”
Right
. “Thirty?”
“I am.”
Walter just stared at him.
“In four months.”
He kept staring.
“I’m not lying. I’m twenty-nine. I look young for my age. Always have.”
“Fair enough.” Walter took a step away to give Kevin the space he seemed to need right then. “There is something about you that doesn’t seem so young. Like you’ve been through a lot in life.”
Kevin tensed again for a brief moment, then shrugged off Walter’s comment. “I’m wise beyond my years.”
“Oh. Is that it?”
Kevin nodded and strode around the room as he asked, “Why didn’t you call the police about Seth?” The leather pants and blue dress shirt he wore were a sexy combination. The shirt tucked in allowed for a perfect view of that delicious ass in the painted-on leather.
Damn
. Walter needed to get his head in the game and off what he could do with that ass. He removed the photo of Seth and his friend from the shelf and shoved it, frame and all, into his back pocket. Even the older picture would be better to show around than a photocopied driver’s license.
He didn’t respond to Kevin’s question. He wouldn’t give away anything more until he got answers to his. “You always this stealthy when you go undercover?”
Kevin whirled to face him. “What?”
“I know a few things about you. Besides the fact that you have a talent for tripping over your feet…” He paused for effect. A helpful tactic to force out a reaction.
Kevin held his gaze.
“You’re not exactly who you told Vargas you are. For starters…” Walter stepped closer. “You’re a reporter.”
That got a reaction. Kevin’s eyes widened, and then he went back to the glare—only with a more pissed-off look added to it. “I’m…”
Walter took another step forward. “A reporter.”
Kevin sighed. “Yes. I work at…” He trailed off again.
“The
Daily Voice
.”
“And you’re a cop. My guess is you’re here for your own reasons that have nothing to do with finding Seth Fisher and everything to do with keeping the Haven and your friend Vargas from getting into trouble.”
They continued to glare at each other, neither backing down. Walter finally said, “Retired cop. And for a reporter who’s the youngest to win the National Excellence in Journalism Award, you sure have your facts wrong.”
“So you can use Google. Is that supposed to impress me?”
“Yeah, because Googling the name Kevin Dennison in New York brings up a lot of results for a guy who used to dance in the ballet. I’m pretty sure the New York City Ballet doesn’t take guys with two left feet.”
“So I made up a last name. Big deal. Who gives their real name at a sex club?”
“Everyone at the Haven. It’s a requirement for membership. Damn, you’re infuriating.” And adorable, but Walter kept that to himself. “You didn’t just give a false name. You gave a fake ID.”
“Why did you ask me to meet you here? To tell me I’m kicked out of the club because I lied to get in?”
“No. But speaking of that, how did you get Vargas’s friend to vouch for you?”
“My editor knows a guy in the NYPD. Got him to put pressure on the club owner, told him if he helped out with an investigation, then his club wouldn’t be brought into it.”
“He bought that?”
“You should know. People will believe anything when the cops say it. So why did you ask me here?”
“To find out what you know and to show you if something is happening to men at the club, then the Haven and Vargas have nothing to do with it.”
“So you’re willing to talk to me? On the record?”
“No. But I’ll make you a deal.” Walter shortened the distance between them, fairly certain he didn’t need to be that close to have this discussion but unable to keep away. “I’m going to continue to look into this until I find Seth and the others or until I have something to take to the police. If you agree to hold off on reporting anything until we know the whole truth, and if you tell me everything you already know, I’ll give you full access to the club so long as you are with me, and I’ll share whatever I find out.”
“You’ll share everything?”
“You have my word.”
Kevin looked ready to argue the logic of trusting a member of the club and a friend of Vargas. Instead he said, “Okay. But I want exclusive interviews with you and Vargas once we find out what’s going on.”
“As long as you report the facts, you got it.”
“You don’t have to check with Vargas?”
“I will, but he’s not afraid of the truth.”
“Neither am I.”
Walter nodded. “That makes three of us. One caveat to this deal, though. If we uncover evidence something illegal has happened, we hand it all over to the police and your access is done.”
“That’s fair, but I still get the interviews.”
“Okay.” Walter gestured for him to sit on the couch. “Start talking. Everything you know.”
“I don’t know much yet.” Kevin shook off the offer to sit and roamed the perimeter of the room again. He shoved his hand into the front pocket of the leather pants. He had to tug several times to get the phone out. He checked the display. “I’m still new to this.” He’d probably meant the story, but that didn’t mean Walter could pass up the opportunity.
“Even if you’re new, you sure know what you’re doing.”
Kevin’s pacing picked up speed. He clicked the buttons on his phone, ignoring Walter’s comment. “What do you think happened to them?”
“I’m not sure yet.” Walter stopped in the center of the room and tracked Kevin’s movements.
“How did you know Seth was missing?” Kevin asked. “If you didn’t know there were already others?”
“A room at the club had been used, but no one reserved it. There were no signs of serious violence, but certain details had me convinced someone might’ve gotten hurt or been taken against his will. Seth was the only one who went upstairs alone, and he didn’t scan his ID on his way out.”
“That was last night?”
“Yeah. Vargas hasn’t been able to get in touch with him since.” Walter paused. “If someone took him, there’s a chance we won’t find him alive.”
“I know. But we need to know for sure.”
“Yeah. We will. Tell me about the ones before Seth.”
“What do you mean?” Kevin was now clicking with both thumbs, never letting up on the pacing.
Walter gave up watching him in favor of standing still. “Who are they? How did you find out about them?”
“I got a call from a woman who said her son was missing.” More tapping.
“Stop.”
Kevin stilled. “What?”
“Just stop with the phone and the walking around.”
“Right. Sorry, bad habit. Just scanning through the latest news feed.” He stood by the window, the profile of his face backlit by the streetlights outside. He didn’t face Walter as he said more. “His mom filed a report with the police, but she had a feeling they weren’t really trying to find him. I checked the missing person’s report. His place of employment wasn’t listed. She wasn’t sure where he worked, said it was a bar. I kept looking into it and found out he worked at the club. Also discovered the names of several other men in the city who had gone missing too, all in their twenties.” Kevin faced the window and the darkness outside, his entire body held in a rigid stance, his work persona sliding into place. He continued. “It seemed like a pattern, so I kept digging. Through family and friends, I traced two more men to the club, but none of the missing person’s reports mentioned the Haven.”
“You think the police are purposely ignoring a connection?”
“Yes.”
“I need the names of the other missing men.”
Kevin nodded. Then asked, “Who are you giving them to?”
“Vargas and a friend on the force. Someone I can trust.”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea. Not until we know more.”
“Look at me.”
Kevin did, and the mask faded. Much better.
If Walter was going to spend time with Kevin, he wanted the real deal. Klutzy, fidgety Kevin Price and all.
“The sooner we put this on someone’s radar, the better. We can trust my friend.”