The Toybox

by Charly Cox

  Alyssa couldn’t care less where the girl lived; she had far more urgent concerns. ‘What’s your girlfriend’s name, Marcus?’

  ‘Elizabeth Mortley. Now, what’s—’

  ‘Babe, what’s going on? Who’s here?’ A young girl with straw-colored hair cascading down her back appeared in the doorway behind Marcus. When she saw Alyssa and Cord, their badges once again held up for identification, her mouth dropped open. ‘Oh. Um, is something wrong?’ Her gaze shot up towards her boyfriend, but all he did was shrug.

  ‘Miss Mortley?’ Alyssa asked.

  ‘Yes. I’m Elizabeth.’

  ‘Elizabeth, do you know who else might be here besides you and Marcus?’

  ‘Sure. I just passed Griffin Parker a second ago. He was heading back to his room. Should I go get him for you? Is he in trouble?’

  Alyssa exchanged a look with Cord. Griffin Parker was the first witness to claim Calvin McDougal had gotten quite angry after being rebuffed by Rachel. ‘You know what, Elizabeth? I think my partner and I would just like to get him ourselves. Do you mind showing us to his room?’ She didn’t wait for her to agree before stepping into the frat house, rotating her neck left and right as she checked the area around her. Beside her, Cord did the same.

  Aside from discarded soda and beer cans, tipped-over trash buckets, and the general disarray of a place that was used to hosting parties, nothing looked any different than it had on Monday when they’d conducted interviews regarding Rachel’s disappearance. Not that she’d really expected a giant neon arrow with a ‘Rachel, Jersey, Katelyn This Way,’ but still…

  ‘Um, if you follow me, Griffin’s this way.’

  Elizabeth led the way upstairs to the third room on the right where the booming bass from a stereo rattled the door and instantly grated on Alyssa’s nerves.

  ‘Do you need me for anything else? Because I need to get ready for work, if that’s okay.’

  Alyssa pulled her phone out and tapped on Rachel’s image. ‘Before you go, have you seen this girl?’

  Elizabeth tipped her head to the side as she studied the picture. Finally, she shook her head. ‘No, I don’t think so.’ She lifted her eyes to Alyssa and then to Cord. ‘Should I have seen her?’

  Instead of answering, Alyssa thumbed over to images of Jersey and Katelyn. ‘What about these two?’

  This time she pointed a manicured finger toward Jersey’s picture. ‘I’ve seen the “Missing” flyers posted all around campus and the restaurants in the area, but I haven’t seen the other one. I’m sorry.’ Worry had inched into her voice, and she darted a nervous glance at Griffin’s door.

  Not that she expected a different response, but Alyssa decided to show her Meghan’s picture, too. ‘One more.’ She flipped her phone around and received the same answer. ‘Thanks, Elizabeth. That’s all for now.’ She waited until the girl disappeared back downstairs before nodding to Cord. After he moved into position, she rapped her knuckles on the bedroom door.

  Almost immediately, the music cut off, and a second later, the door was jerked open. If Griffin Parker’s face paled any further, he would’ve been invisible. He didn’t even wait for Alyssa to tell him why they were there. He simply bounced into an explanation. ‘I swear to God I didn’t know it was Rachel’s phone, and I haven’t had it! I told that guy who called, the one who said he was her brother, that Calvin found it, and I just happened to answer it when I heard it ring in case it was the owner calling.’

  By the time he was finished, sweat had popped out onto his forehead, and one trembling hand reached up to wipe the moisture away. ‘I swear,’ he said again, with more emphasis.

  ‘When did Calvin find it?’

  Griffin’s eyes dilated until they were nothing more than black orbs with a little white around them. ‘I’m not sure. I assume he found it last night because that’s when he showed me. It was a nice phone, so he was planning on charging it and factory-resetting it.’

  It didn’t escape Alyssa’s notice that Parker sure had no qualms about throwing his fraternity brother under the bus. ‘Where was the phone when he found it?’

  Parker lifted shaky hands to his hair, tunneling his fingers through. ‘His room? I don’t— I don’t really know. He just said he found it under one of the beds, but he didn’t say which one.’

  ‘Where is Calvin’s room?’ Cord asked.

  Rachel had last been seen with Anna and Chance in one of the last bedrooms down the hall. If it turned out that that was Calvin’s…

  But Griffin’s hand shot out, pointing downstairs. ‘He’s in one of the downstairs rooms. The east wing, closest to the bathroom.’

  ‘Where is Calvin right now?’

  ‘He went camping for Memorial Day weekend with some of the brothers. He won’t be back until Tuesday.’

  ‘Where did they go?’

  Griffin’s left hand pulled at the lobe of his ear. ‘I don’t know.’

  ‘A group of your frat brothers went camping for several days, and you don’t know where they were headed?’ Alyssa didn’t bother to keep the skepticism out of her voice.

  ‘No. Camping’s not my deal, and the guys know it, so it was never a thing I thought to ask about, and they didn’t bother sharing.’

  Something in his tone made Alyssa believe him. ‘Where’s the phone now?’

  This time, instead of losing color, all the blood rushed back into Griffin’s face. He closed his eyes. ‘It’s in here.’ He opened his door wider and pointed to a small computer desk. Next to a stack of books and car magazines was a red, glitter-encased phone.

  ‘We’re going to need to take that with us,’ Alyssa said.

  ‘Yes, ma’am. Let me get it.’

  ‘Actually, I’ll get it.’ Cord pushed past Griffin. After making sure the phone on the desk was Rachel’s, he donned a pair of gloves and dropped the phone into a plastic evidence bag.

  Alyssa asked Griffin to lead them to Calvin’s room, which he did, but when she asked him to open the door so she could take a look, he hesitated. ‘Look, I’m not trying to be difficult or anything, but are you allowed to go through his room without a search warrant?’

  ‘We’re not going to go through his room, Griffin. We’re not even going to go into his room unless there’s something we see that would tell us where three missing girls might be. All I want to do is peek inside. Now, if it’ll make you feel better, I can certainly send Detective Roberts out to get a search warrant, and maybe even add in the need to search the rest of the frat house. Should I have him do that?’ She was only kind of bluffing, but she was banking on the fact that Griffin Parker wasn’t going to want a bunch of cops poking through the place, especially as she was positive there was more than merely evidence of underage drinking going on. She’d bet half her retirement that there were illegal drugs littered throughout the frat house, as well.

  ‘No, ma’am.’ He twisted the knob and shoved inward, causing the door to bang against the dresser that was behind it.

  The room was surprisingly neat. Books were arranged alphabetically on a bookshelf, model cars lined a mantel above the computer desk, and pens and pencils were arranged by color in neat little cups. On the walls were various posters of half-nude girls and sports stars. Above the bed was a giant neon marijuana leaf, currently unplugged, the cord draped over the headboard.

  Her eyes swept the room, and then she turned to Cord who shook his head, telling her he saw nothing that would warrant a further search. In other words, all they had was Rachel’s phone, but they were no closer to locating her or the others.

  It was more than they’d had, she reminded herself a few minutes later as she and Cord climbed back into her Tahoe and headed back to the precinct.

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Thursday, May 23

  As soon as Alyssa and Cord passed the front desk, Hal rolled out of the conference room and waved them over. ‘You’ll never believe who I discovered lives in the same vicinity as Jersey Andrews and Katelyn Phillipson.’

 
; Still frustrated that they hadn’t been able to speak to Beau Cambridge, Alyssa did something she rarely did; she lashed out at one of her favorite people. ‘Three girls’ lives are hanging in the balance, Hal; we don’t really have time for guessing games, so why don’t you just tell me?’

  If he was taken aback by her attitude, he didn’t show it. ‘I was searching through the records for registered sex offenders like you asked, as well as checking property records to see if any sex offenders – past or current – popped up, and I came across the name Abraham Flandreau who lives on San Diego. Mr. Flandreau happens to be Mr. Jessup’s stepfather, Meghan Jessup’s step-grandfather. And not only that, but Meghan apparently spends every spring break with him. That would’ve been mid-March.’

  A surge of adrenaline raced through Alyssa’s veins. If Hal’s information was accurate, then it was completely conceivable that Beau Cambridge had seen both Meghan and Katelyn at various times while visiting Jersey. Her gaze swung to Cord. His back was ramrod straight.

  But then something else Hal said sank in. ‘Wait, he’s a sex offender, and the Jessups allow their daughter to spend spring break with him?’ Horror didn’t even come close to the neighborhood of how she felt about that. They didn’t seem like the type who would even allow their daughter to be around someone like that, much less encourage lengthy stay-over visits.

  Hal corrected the misunderstanding. ‘No, no. I should’ve been clearer. His name came up in the property search, not on the sex offender registry. The deed is registered to Abraham Dreschel Flandreau and Martha Jessup Flandreau – now deceased. A quick cross-check showed that Martha was married to Mr. Jessup’s father until his death in eighty-five. She chose to hyphenate the name when she remarried.’

  Alyssa was ready to head back out the door to bring Beau in for questioning when Ruby once again appeared in the doorway. ‘Detective.’

  ‘What?’ she growled. To Ruby’s credit, she didn’t even bother to wince at Alyssa’s tone. ‘Sorry. What?’

  The other woman waved off the apology as if it were nothing more than a mosquito buzzing around her head. ‘You have another visitor demanding to speak to you and you alone.’ She stepped further into the room, peeking over her shoulder as she did. ‘You might want to hurry because it looks like she might bolt any second.’

  Alyssa glanced over to Cord but addressed her question to Hal. ‘We need to bring Beau in now. Where are Tony and Joe?’ If nothing else, one of them could accompany her partner to the Cambridge residence.

  ‘The owner of That Tattoo Place called right after you left, said he might have something on his security footage regarding the mystery car Naomi Kenney saw just before Meghan’s body was found. They’re checking it out.’

  A buzzing filled Alyssa’s mind. They might finally be getting somewhere. ‘Let me know when they get back, especially if they have something.’ Then she turned and followed Ruby to the front. Even though there were half a dozen people inside the small space waiting to speak to someone, she knew instantly who had requested to see her specifically.

  A young woman, anywhere from eighteen to twenty, sat on the very edge of one of the cold, uncomfortable chairs intended for visitors. Her legs were bouncing so hard, the seat was actually inching away from the wall, emitting a horrible squealing sound that had numerous stares and glares shooting her way, all of which she ignored as she gnawed furiously at the fingernails of one hand as the other picked steadily at the frayed edges of the hole in the knee of her pants. Her eyes darted nervously toward the outer door as if she expected someone to walk through it and bust her there.

  The second she spotted Alyssa, the woman dropped her hand from her mouth and wiped it on her jeans, leaping up to meet her part-way, checking behind her several times as she did.

  Partly to calm her and partly to distract her, Alyssa reached out a hand and introduced herself, trying not to be squeamish that the same hand which had been gnawing at her fingers would be the same hand the woman shook with. ‘I’m Detective Wyatt.’ She was careful to speak gently yet firmly so the girl would know she was safe. ‘How can I—?’

  ‘Is there somewhere we can speak in private?’ the woman interrupted, speaking to Alyssa even as she stared over her shoulder. Her voice trembled as if she might burst into tears at the slightest provocation. ‘I can’t… I need…’ Finally, she turned around and faced her, eyes wide enough to show white all around the irises.

  ‘Come with me.’ Alyssa led the woman to one of the smaller interview rooms, ushering her in and closing the door behind her, leaning against it in a silent effort to show the still unnamed woman she was safe. ‘Now, how can I help you?’

  Instead of answering, the woman’s gaze swung between the door and the three chairs in the room before she finally settled on grabbing one of the chairs and pushing it back into the farthest corner. That way, if someone opened the door, they wouldn’t spot her immediately.

  It was a full minute before she visibly relaxed even a modicum, though her legs still bounced rapidly. Alyssa waited, though she felt impatience building. She had a trio of missing girls she needed to find before they met the same fate as Meghan Jessup.

  ‘I’m sorry. I know I must seem like a case to you.’ Red burned up her neck and into her cheeks. ‘I don’t even know where to start. And maybe I don’t…’

  ‘Why don’t you begin by telling me your name?’ Alyssa pushed off the door and dragged a chair over, angling it so that she was sitting close while still giving enough distance that the woman wasn’t boxed in.

  The fingers went back to her teeth, and after a few seconds of gnawing at the quick, she dropped her hand back to her lap. ‘Lorna Price,’ she said, her neck twisted to the side as she kept her gaze trained on the door.

  ‘Lorna. Can I get you anything to drink? Coffee, tea, water?’ Expecting a simple yes or no, Alyssa was more than a little surprised when the woman leapt to her feet, forcing the chair she’d vacated to slam against the block wall.

  ‘No!’ Blinking rapidly, she lowered her voice. ‘I’m sorry. No, thank you. I’d rather you not leave me in here alone,’ she admitted.

  ‘Okay, no beverage.’

  ‘Listen, I’m afraid I may totally be wasting your time. I mean, what if I’m wrong or something?’

  ‘Why don’t you just start and let me be the judge of that? How does that sound?’ Alyssa turned her body just enough to make sure the red light on the digital camera mounted in the corner was on and recording the entire encounter. As soon as she saw that it was on, she informed the frightened woman in front of her. ‘Ms. Price, I need to let you know this conversation is being recorded.’

  Lorna’s eyes widened, and her fingers returned to picking at the edges of the holes in her jeans. ‘What if what I tell you ends up being wrong information? Can you use that recording to send me to jail?’

  If Alyssa wasn’t intrigued before, she definitely was now. At the same time, however, she needed to bring Beau Cambridge in, and she didn’t need this woman whiling away precious minutes. She forced herself to speak calmly. ‘Not if you’re disclosing information in a non-malicious manner.’ At the woman’s blank stare, she explained. ‘If you’re not purposely misleading the authorities with the information you’re providing, then no, it won’t be used to send you to jail.’

  Instead of making her feel better, Alyssa’s reassurance seemed to have the opposite effect, as Lorna’s brows furrowed in confusion, and this time, Alyssa felt her patience begin to slide. ‘If what you’re about to tell me is told in good faith because of something you or someone close to you has witnessed, or if what you’re about to tell me involves something that has happened to you directly, then, no, you won’t be charged with making a false report. However, if your purpose is to mislead me for some reason, then yes.’

  Lorna nodded. ‘Okay.’ Then she laughed, a sound made from nerves and not amusement. ‘I’m sorry for all this.’ She waved her hand around the room. ‘But I’ve never done this before, and if I can be
honest, it’s nothing like it’s portrayed on television or in the movies.’

  ‘It rarely is,’ Alyssa agreed. ‘Though it would be nice if we could always solve crimes in the allotted hour of time.’ Carefully, she adjusted her body so that she blocked the little red dot that showed the recording was active. ‘Okay, Lorna, why don’t we begin with something easy? Where do you work?’

  The question may have been simple, but Lorna’s body went taut. ‘I work at Hotel Camino behind that old shopping center they’re remodeling near the freeway. You know the one?’

  ‘I know it.’ It was an old, seedy hotel situated next to several newer ones going up in the area in the city’s efforts to refurbish and revitalize certain neighborhoods. Currently, it was a popular hangout for drug users, peddlers, and prostitutes, especially as it had a ‘pay by the hour’ option.

  Before Lorna continued, she once again glanced at the door as if she was afraid there was someone on the outside of it, just waiting for her to disclose her reason for being there. And when she lowered her voice to a whisper, chewing at the tip of her finger, muffling her words even more, Alyssa had to lean in to hear. ‘That girl on the news? The one who went missing after school?’

  Outwardly, Alyssa maintained her composure, kept her posture relaxed so she wouldn’t startle Lorna. On the inside, however, all her senses went on hyper alert, causing pinballs to ricochet throughout her nerve endings. ‘Do you mean Katelyn Phillipson?’

  Lorna nodded, biting harder at her fingertip.

  ‘Do you know something that could help us locate her?’

  ‘Not exactly,’ Lorna admitted. ‘But I have seen her. Actually, I’ve seen two of them, I think. That Jane Doe that was on the news the other night? She kind of looked familiar, too.’

  The words buzzed in Alyssa’s head. Apparently, Lorna hadn’t seen the news reports that “Jane Doe” had been identified as Meghan Jessup. ‘Where have you seen them?’