The Advocate's Homicides

by Teresa Burrell

  "What is this regarding?"

  "It's regarding a man named Sammy Everton."

  Sabre knew how much Oscar hated to talk about the man who had molested him. "Why now? Has Everton hurt someone else?"

  All of a sudden, both officers dashed forward, almost knocking Sabre down. She turned just in time to see Oscar fling himself head first through the open window. The taller cop ran toward the window. The other spun around to run out the door, but it took him a few seconds to get around Jesse, who had been standing there. Oscar ran across the road and behind a building. The tall cop dashed back from the window and out the door to join the other one. But Oscar was nowhere in sight.

  Chapter 37

  JP sat down in the chair across from Sabre's desk. "You have a job for me?" he asked.

  "Yes." She sighed. "I have a twelve-year-old dependency client, Oscar Hazleton, who I expect will soon be in the delinquency system. I visited him a couple of hours ago at Mary Ellen Wilson Group Home where he's been living for about a year. A couple of cops came to the group home to question him about Sammy Everton, the man who molested him. Oscar is really afraid of cops, so he bolted. They're looking for him now."

  "He got away from them?"

  "He dived right out the window, rolled onto his feet, and took off running before they could get out the door."

  When JP chuckled, Sabre gave him a stern look.

  "I know it's not funny, but the visual in my head was."

  Sabre smiled. "It actually was almost comical for a moment. All I could see was the bottom of the kid's feet as he flew through the window; the two cops trying to figure out which way to go; and the dance between Jesse and the one cop as Jesse tried to get out of his way. Jesse was unintentionally blocking the door. At least I think it was unintentional."

  "Where is Oscar now?"

  "They haven't found him yet."

  "Or you just haven't been notified, if they have."

  "I'm sure Jesse, the director at the group home, would've called me. I've already invoked Oscar's right to counsel, so they shouldn't be questioning him without me present."

  "Do you want me to go look for him?"

  "Not yet. They probably don't want your help right now. I hope they find him soon, though, because it's not safe for him out there by himself. Oscar knows those hills pretty well because the staff from the group home takes the boys on a lot of hikes around there. But that means the staff knows the area even better. Before I left, the department had enlisted the help of Jesse, Callum, and two other staff members, as well as a few other deputy sheriffs." She handed JP a file. "This is Oscar's dependency file. Jot down the information you need and copy his photo and that of his perpetrator, Sammy Everton. I want you to find out everything you can about Everton, including any new arrests. The cops wanted to question Oscar about Everton, so something has come up."

  "Do you want me to try to interview Everton?"

  "If you can find him, although I doubt he'll talk to you."

  "I take it he's not in custody."

  "No, he disappeared before he was ever charged with anything, so either this is about an old crime or Everton has resurfaced."

  "Okay, boss, I'll get right on it." He stood.

  Sabre didn't like JP to call her ‘boss,’ but she gave him a fake smile. "And be forewarned: you're not going to like what you read in that file, so keep your cool." Nothing made JP angrier than a child molester. He often suggested his own “red-neck justice,” as he called it.

  "If you have to warn me, I don't make any guarantees," JP said. "Can I use David's office to look through the file?"

  "Yes, he's not here."

  JP returned about twenty minutes later, his eyes narrowed with contempt. "You're right. I don't like it one bit." He handed the file back to Sabre. "I think I have everything I need to find that polecat."

  "Good. Please call me in a couple of hours and let me know what you've found out. If they haven't found Oscar by then, I may want you to join the search."

  JP walked around the desk, reached for her hand, and gently pulled her up. She leaned against his body and he kissed her passionately.

  "Whew. I'm not complaining, but what was that for?"

  "Just for bein' you, darlin'." He placed his hat back on his head and walked out.

  Chapter 38

  JP started his investigation from his home office by running Everton through the criminal database. His beagle, Louie, stood next to him with his head draped across JP's knee. JP reached down and patted his head between clicks on his computer. According to the social worker's report, Everton had lived most of his life in the San Diego area. About five years ago he moved to Las Vegas, where he lived for about two years before returning. JP checked to see if there was anything in the local database first. Everton had no convictions in California except for a "drunk in public," two years previously. Next, he checked in Nevada but found nothing.

  JP spent the next hour attempting to find a more recent address than the one he had when Everton lived with Oscar's mother and the children. He had lived there for approximately eight months, but left when the children were removed due to the alleged molest on the case. It didn't appear that anyone at the Department of Social Services had tried very hard to find him. Nor would they.— Their job was to protect the children, not prosecute the perpetrator. JP wondered how much effort the police had made. He made a note to contact the mother's attorney to see if he could question her client regarding Everton's whereabouts, hangouts, and friends.

  The next call was to JP's good friend, Ernie Madrigal, with whom he had been on the force for many years. Ernie was still working for the sheriff's department and was a good source of information for JP when possible.

  "What's up?" Ernie asked.

  "I'm trying to find a guy named Sammy, or Samuel, Everton. The last known address I have was about a year ago."

  "What kind of case?"

  "Dependency. Sexual abuse."

  "Prior record?"

  "Just a PC 647(f) about two years ago. Nothing else. According to the reports from DSS, he has lived in two other homes with women who had young boys. At least one of them suspected molest and kicked him out, but again, he was never charged with anything."

  "Let me see what I can find," Ernie said.

  "One more thing you ought to know. A couple of hours ago, two deputies from East County came to question our client, Oscar Hazleton, about Everton. I don't know what they were seeking because the kid bolted. They're searching for him right now."

  "Why would the kid run?"

  "Sabre says he's really afraid of cops because of some things that happened to him and to his family when he was younger. He also got in a fight yesterday with a boy at the group home, and he may've been afraid that he was in trouble for that. But he didn't run until Everton's name was mentioned, so it might be that he just didn't want to talk about him. Who knows what goes through these kids' minds?"

  "I'll let you know as soon as I find out something."

  Louie fetched a toy and brought it to JP to play with him. JP tugged at the toy for a few minutes. When he dropped the toy, Louie picked it up and laid it on his lap. JP stood up. "Sorry, Louie, but I have to go see a man at work."

  JP got in his car and drove to Smart & Easy Self-Storage on Jamacha Road where Everton had worked security. He pulled into the small parking lot outside the gated facility and up to an office door. Once he stepped inside, JP saw windows along the back wall that provided a good view of the entire facility. JP glanced around and estimated it to consist of eight hundred exterior units. A man in his late sixties, as best JP could tell, spoke to him from behind the counter. "May I help you?"

  "Is the owner here?"

  "I'm the owner."

  JP extended his hand. "I'm JP Torn."

  He reciprocated. "George Ingle."

  "I understand you have twenty-four-hour security. Is that right?"

  "That's right. Are you looking to store something valuable? Because we haven't
had a single break-in or theft since I bought the place, and that'll be ten years next month."

  JP decided to tell him the truth. Sometimes, it just worked best. "No, I'm not looking for storage. I'm a private investigator on an abuse case in juvenile court. I can't give you any details on the case because that's all confidential, but I'd like to get a little information from you if you don't mind."

  "I can't imagine how I can help," Ingle said, "but if it will help the kids, ask away."

  "I'm looking for Sammy Everton. Does he still work here?"

  "No, he doesn't. Left about ten months ago."

  "Did he say where he was going or ask for a referral to another job?"

  "Nope, he came to work one day. Everything seemed fine. He never said a word about quitting. He just never showed up again."

  JP wondered if that was his usual pattern and this time he just moved on. "Did he miss much work?"

  "Nope, never. Always here. Never late." He paused. "Some days he came in with a pretty good hangover, especially if he had the morning shift. I had to send him home once and write him up because he smelled like a distillery. I don't think he'd been drinking that morning. I think he was still looped from the night before. It never happened again. He was pretty determined to keep his job."

  "Did he get along with his co-workers?"

  "He seemed to. He wasn't the most social guy around. Didn't talk much. Kinda kept to himself, but no one complained about him or anything, if that's what you mean."

  JP gave him a business card. "Thanks, George. Please call if you hear anything about him from the other workers or if you remember anything else you think I might want to know."

  "Sure will." JP turned to leave when George said, "If you find him, you might want to let him know I still have a check here for him. It's only for three days’ work, but unless he won the lottery or suddenly came into a trust fund, I expect he could use the money."

  Before he started back toward San Diego, JP called Sabre. "Have they found Oscar yet?"

  "No, they told me they were still combing the area. That's about all I could find out. They don't seem to want to tell me anything else."

  "Do you want me to go there and see what I can find out? I'm still in East County so I'm not far away."

  "Would you? I'm starting to get worried. I was sure they would've found him by now, and it'll be dark soon."

  "Do you want me to help with the search?"

  "I’d like you to just go and find out what they're doing and what this is all about. If you can, talk to Jesse and see what they told him."

  "Okay."

  “And JP, don't stay out there too long. I don't want you to go missing too."

  "No worries. By the way, I just found out that Everton left his job without his last paycheck. No one does that unless they can't get back to it…or they're running away."

  Chapter 39

  Within fifteen minutes JP had reached the group home. There were two police officers outside the office. The male cop was on the phone. JP introduced himself to the female and said, "I'd like to help."

  "How do you know about this?"

  "I work for the minor's attorney and she was here when Oscar ran away. Don't get me wrong, I think it's great that they're out there looking for a lost boy, but I can't help but wonder if there's something else. Is the boy in trouble?"

  "Fortunately, two officers happened to be here when he ran away or we wouldn't know he was missing."

  "It appears that they were the reason he ran away," JP said. "He's very afraid of the police. It might be better if I were to find him."

  The officer's eyes narrowed as she looked at JP. "We're not taking volunteers at this time because it's a police matter."

  "Is he going to be arrested when he's found?"

  "He's a person of interest at the moment."

  JP removed his "retired deputy sheriff's card" from his wallet. "I was with the sheriff's department for twelve years, and now my job is to protect this child who is a dependent of the court. I'm requesting to be part of the active search. I know you already have laymen from the group home out there who are a lot less qualified than I am. And, unless he's under arrest, he's a minor who needs protection. Are you really going to turn away help to find him?"

  "Let me check." She made a phone call. "You can go, but if you find him, you need to bring him in."

  "Is he under arrest?"

  "No, but he's wanted for questioning."

  JP was relentless, and she remained evasive.

  "As a suspect?"

  "He's a person of interest," she repeated.

  "Fair enough. Any suggestion on which way to go?"

  "We have a helicopter in the air that was in place shortly after the search started, so we're pretty sure he didn't go south. The chopper would've spotted him because there's so much open ground in that direction. We also would've seen him if he went west unless he got into a vehicle somewhere before the highway; otherwise, he wouldn't have had time to get to the highway on foot. If he got a short distance from the group home to the north or to the east, there are a lot of trees that would make it difficult to see him from the air. So, I'm guessing he went north or east; take your pick."

  "And there have been no reports of any sightings of him?"

  "Not one. The kid knows the area. Apparently, he's been hiking those woods for quite a while, so I'm sure he knows the hiding places. The K-9 unit was delayed for some reason, but they're now on their way."

  JP called Sabre with an update as he headed northeast in search of Jesse, watching for signs of Oscar along the way.

  ***

  Sabre's cell phone rang.

  "It's on the news," Sabre said without saying hello.

  "What is?" JP asked.

  "About Oscar being missing."

  "I don't understand. Kids run away from group homes every day. Why is this one newsworthy?"

  "I found it strange too. Maybe some reporter picked up something on the radio and went with it, or someone called them from the group home. The cops are playing it down. They said they went to question Oscar and he got scared and ran. Now they just want to find him before it gets dark."

  "Or there's more to this than they're telling. The cop was real evasive when I asked why they wanted to talk to Oscar. She just kept saying he was 'a person of interest.' We both know that usually means a lot more. And a helicopter and dogs are a lot of resources to put into a 'person of interest.'"

  "I hope you find him. Keep me posted."

  Sabre stayed at her office working and waiting to hear back from JP or Jesse. She turned on the television in David's office to watch the six o’clock news to see if any information had been released to the media. The headliner was a seven-car crash on I-15 near Lake Hodges. Traffic was at a complete standstill. There was at least one casualty, and three others were in critical condition. That was followed by news of a fire at a facility that housed Alzheimer patients. In the chaos, three patients had wandered off and a K-9 unit had been called to help find the patients. Sabre wondered if that's why it took so long to get the dogs on Oscar's search. She had no idea how many active dogs they had altogether.

  The next bit of news was a follow-up to the story a couple of days ago about the two bodies that had been recently found in El Cajon. The news reporter said, "According to the San Diego County Sheriff, the bodies have been identified, but the names have not yet been released. Nor would they comment on any possible suspects or motives for the murders." When it went to the commercial break, Sabre shut off the television and returned to her office.

  She pulled the file for Oscar and contacted the social worker on the case. When she reached voicemail, she left a message and then drafted an email to let her know that Oscar was missing. Then she called the father's attorney, Regina Collicott, and left a message. Richard Arroyo, the mother's attorney, picked up when Sabre called him.

  "I see you're still working too," Sabre said.

  "Yes, I have a big trial tomorrow. What's
your excuse?"

  "I have a missing kid. I called because you represent the mother."

  "My client didn't run off with him, did she?"

  "No, nothing like that. It's the Hazleton case. Oscar ran away from the group home."

  "How long has he been gone?" Richard asked.

  "About three hours, but the cops are searching for him." Sabre related the story about Oscar jumping out of the window. Richard also found the image of the kid diving out of the window head first pretty funny. "I'm not sure if he has done something and that's why he ran, or if it's his general fear of cops."

  "His mother has that same fear, so I'm sure she has instilled it in him as well. Actually, I think hers is more a hatred than a fear."

  "For so many of these kids, the only contact they have with law enforcement is negative. It's no wonder."

  "And it starts so early." He sighed. "I'll inform my client—or at least try to. She's on the streets most of the time, and she doesn't have a phone. Let me know if there is anything else I can do."

  Chapter 40

  JP walked up a slight incline, avoiding the boulders and bushes. When he reached the top, he saw a deputy coming toward him. As the man got closer, JP realized he recognized him. He and Vincent DuBois were on the force together many years ago.

  "Well, I'll be. What are you doing here, McCloud?"

  JP smiled. "No one has called me that since I left the force. How the heck are you, DuBois?" Someone had given JP that nickname early on in his law enforcement career. There was a series on television in the seventies starring Dennis Weaver as Sam McCloud, who was transplanted to New York City from Taos, New Mexico, and he had arrived there with full western dress. The first time JP was seen with his cowboy hat and boots, the name was pinned on him and it stuck.

  "I'm six months away from retirement. Life is good. I hear you're in the PI business. Is that what brings you out here?"

  "Yes, I'm working for the attorney who represents the runaway. Has anyone seen him?"

  "Not yet." He looked up at the sky. "We don't have much daylight left. I'm heading in. They'll keep the K-9 unit out here for a while, if it ever gets here, but most of us on foot are packing it in."