"I understand the program director of the group home, Jesse Alder, is out here looking. Have you seen him?"
"I saw him earlier with another big guy with long hair and a full beard. I didn't get his name."
"That's Callum. Do you know where they are?"
"They headed into those woods over there. Callum said he had an idea where Oscar might’ve gone, but as far as I know, he hasn't returned. I'm taking these tired feet home." DuBois slapped JP on the shoulder. "It's nice to see you again, McCloud."
"You too."
It took about ten minutes for JP to reach the edge of the woods. The trees were sparse for about thirty feet and then they began to fill in. He knew there was little point in getting into the thicket of trees. He wouldn't likely be able to see Jesse even if he were in there. JP was considering turning back. He knew the dog had arrived because he could hear him in the distance. That was their best shot at finding Oscar anyway.
JP glanced around once more and spotted Jesse, Callum, and Oscar coming through the trees. Well, I'll be. He waited for them to approach.
"Hello, Jesse. Callum," JP said. He knew them from other visits to the group home when he had investigated cases in the past for Sabre and other juvenile court attorneys. "Is he okay?"
"He was just scared. We had a long talk. I think he's going to be fine."
"Hello, Oscar. I'm JP. I work for your attorney, Sabre Brown. We were all pretty worried about you."
Oscar shrugged his shoulders. "I'm okay."
As they walked toward the group home, JP turned to Jesse. "Can I talk to you a minute?"
"Sure. Callum, go on ahead. We'll be right behind you." When Callum and Oscar were about twenty feet ahead, Jesse asked, "What do you need?"
"You talked to the cops who came to the group home before Oscar bolted, right?"
"Yes."
"Did they tell you what this is all about?"
"They just said they had to ask Oscar some questions about Sammy Everton, the man who molested him. They said that’s all they could tell me. I told them he was really afraid of cops and that I should go in and pave the way, but they wanted to do it their way. That didn't go so well."
"Did Oscar have any idea what they wanted?"
"No. He thought at first he was in trouble for the fight he had yesterday. And then he heard them mention Everton's name and he freaked. He's in therapy, but I'm not sure he has really dealt with that horrible incident."
A dog started barking. They could see it now in the distance heading their way. "We better catch up before the dog gets here," Jesse said.
They reached Callum and Oscar just before they started down the hill. By then they were less than thirty yards from the dog. JP said, “Why don't you slow down a little bit? I'll go ahead to let them know what's going on.”
He reached the K-9 officer and explained that Oscar was coming in with the group home staff. "The kid is real gun shy. You might want to back the dog off and wait until Oscar gets to the facility so he doesn't get spooked again."
"And who are you?" the K-9 officer asked.
"I apologize. I'm JP Torn. I work for Oscar's attorney. Who's the detective in charge?"
"Greg Nelson is handling this case."
"Nelson? He's homicide." JP winced. "That polecat, Everton, didn't kill a kid, did he?"
"I can't discuss the case with you."
"Is Nelson here?"
"Yes, he just got here. Apparently you know him."
"We worked together when I was on the force. We'll take the kid to him."
"I'll check with him." He radioed Nelson. "I'm here with a guy named JP Torn. He says you know him."
"I do," Nelson said.
"He says the kid is really afraid of cops, and he wants to get him back to the group home so he doesn't run again. Can he meet you there?"
"That's a good plan. Take the dog to the car, and I'll get the rest of the force away from here."
"Are you sure, sir?"
"Yes, I'm sure," Nelson said sternly.
The K-9 officer walked away and JP returned to Oscar, Jesse, and Callum.
"Everything okay?" Jesse asked.
"We're good now."
***
When they reached the group home, there were only two extra cars in front of the office. Detective Nelson greeted them as they walked in the door. Oscar pulled back, but Jesse put his hand on his shoulder. "It's all going to work out. Remember what I told you. It'll be a little scary at first, but it'll get easier."
"Hello, Greg," JP said.
"Hello, Torn. Is this Oscar?"
"Yes." He turned toward Oscar. "This is Detective Nelson. He's really not a bad guy."
"I'll need to question him," Nelson said.
"Can you tell me what this is about?" JP asked.
"Not at this time."
"Sabre needs to be with Oscar when you question him. He has that right. I can call her and she'll come right over here."
"Considering what has already gone down, I think it would be better if we take him in for questioning."
"Is he under arrest?"
"No. I just need to ask him some questions. Tell Sabre to meet me at the station."
Chapter 41
JP called Sabre and told her about Nelson.
"So someone was killed?"
"Apparently, or Nelson wouldn't be on the case. He wouldn't tell me anything, which makes me wonder what they want to question Oscar about."
"I'm on my way. Can you meet me there?"
"Of course. I'm leaving for the station now. I should arrive about fifteen minutes before you do. I'll wait in the car. Text or call me when you get there."
When JP arrived, he opened his tablet, and using his mobile hotspot, did another search on Everton to see if there was anything new or if he had missed something. He came up empty. His cell phone rang and he picked it up without looking at it, thinking it was Sabre.
"Are you here, kid?"
"No, Torn, I'm not," a deep voice said. JP pulled the phone back and looked at the caller ID. It was his friend, Deputy Sheriff Ernie Madrigal.
"Sorry. You got something for me?"
"I thought you might want to know that Everton is dead. One of those bodies they found the other day in El Cajon was the guy you're looking for. Is that a coincidence or do you know something I don't?"
"Neither, but it explains a lot. Greg Nelson just took one of Sabre's minors in for questioning. Since Everton's dead, I'm not sure if Nelson thinks Oscar can help with the investigation or if he's a suspect."
"You know everything I know, not that I could tell you anything more right now anyway."
JP hung up just as Sabre pulled into the parking spot next to him. JP told her the news.
"He probably just wants to find out anything he can about Everton," Sabre said. "Perhaps he suspects someone close to Oscar."
"Like who? His mother? From what I read in the file, she doesn't stay sober long enough to pull off something like that."
"You're right, and I doubt that his father cares enough to do it. He hasn't seen the kid in years. He didn't even participate in the case when it came into the dependency court."
"You know what that means?"
"Yeah, it's Tray Copley all over again. Let's go find out." They went inside and spoke to the clerk.
"Please tell Detective Nelson I need to speak to my client, Oscar Hazleton, alone."
The clerk returned about five minutes later and led her to an interview room where Oscar and a female cop were waiting for her.
"I got this," Sabre said.
The cop nodded and left.
"Are you okay, Oscar?" Sabre asked.
Oscar stood near a chair. "I guess."
"Do you want to tell me what's going on here?"
"I don't know. They haven't told me anything."
"Did they ask you any questions?"
"No." Oscar held on to the back of his chair and swayed back and forth.
"Why don't you sit down for a few
minutes? This won't take long." He sat down facing Sabre. "Did they tell you anything about Sam—about Everton?"
"No." Oscar wiggled uncomfortably.
"Did you know that Everton is dead?"
Sabre watched for a reaction, not sure what to expect from Oscar. She thought he might feel relief; she certainly didn't expect concern. He seemed to flinch a little, as he always did at the sound of Everton's name, but nothing more. He didn't respond.
"Oscar," Sabre said, "Everton has been murdered."
"Good. He's a creep."
"Do you know anything about his death?"
"How would I?"
"I'm asking these questions because I'm pretty certain you're going to get them from the detective. I want to know before we talk to him."
"I can't tell him anything because I don't know anything."
"Okay, then we'll talk to him, but if you get too uncomfortable let me know and I'll stop the questioning. And Oscar, I know how difficult it is for you to sit still for any length of time, but when the detective is talking to you, please do the best you can."
Oscar shrugged.
***
The questioning took place in Nelson's office. The detective sat behind his desk and Oscar sat in a chair between Sabre and JP. Nelson tried to make Oscar comfortable, but Sabre still wasn't sure where he was going with the questioning. She knew Greg well enough to know that he had a soft spot for kids.
"Oscar, you know who Sammy Everton is, right?" Detective Nelson asked.
He wrinkled his face. "Yes."
"Did he live in your home for a while?"
Oscar squirmed. "Yes."
"Greg, do you need to go into all this?" Sabre said.
Nelson took a deep breath. "I know he did some criminal things while he lived in your home. I'm not going to ask you any questions about that. Okay?"
"Okay."
"When was the last time you saw Everton?"
Oscar shuddered. "About a year ago."
"Where was that?"
"At our house when the social worker took us there."
"Did you ever see him anywhere after he moved out?"
He wiggled his shoulders in obvious discomfort. "No." His response had a tint of anger.
"Did you ever talk to him or hear from him?"
"No, I told you."
"I'm sorry, Oscar. I know this is hard, but I want you to think carefully. Other than your attorney, your therapist, and your social worker, have you ever told anyone else about what Everton did?"
"No." His response had the same angry tone.
"Okay, I think we're done here for now." He picked up his desk phone. "Can you send Jesse Alder in to take Oscar back to the group home?"
"I'll walk him out," Sabre said.
"Never mind. His attorney is bringing him out," Nelson said into the receiver and hung up the phone.
When Sabre and Oscar left, JP remained seated.
"What's going on, Greg?"
"With Everton?"
"Yes. He's dead, right?" He couldn't tell Nelson that he already knew that.
"Why do you ask?"
"Because you're a homicide detective and all your questions are about Everton. You don't have to be Sherlock Holmes to figure that one out."
"Right." Nelson gave JP a skeptical look. "Yes, he's dead. His body was found a couple of days ago in El Cajon."
"Not far from Coyote Ridge, right?"
"Yes."
"They found two bodies. Who's the other one?"
"I can't say."
"Are they connected?" JP asked.
"Only that they were both pedophiles."
"And you know that because?"
"We looked at their records."
"But Everton had no criminal record. His only charges were in dependency court."
"He was accused in two dependency cases."
"And the other guy? Did he have a record?"
"No, only dependency as well."
"And something prompted you to look into their dependency cases."
"JP," Greg said, "let it go. I can't disclose anything right now."
JP took a guess. "They had the word GOOF written on their foreheads, didn't they?"
Greg sighed. "You didn't hear that from me."
***
As JP and Sabre left the sheriff's station, JP shared the information he had received from Nelson about the bodies that were found a few days previously.
"So they must know who both the dead guys are. Did he tell you anything else?"
"No, and he asked us to keep it quiet. Of course, we already knew about Everton, which explains why they questioned Oscar. And since he was one of Everton’s molest victims, they suspect Oscar—or someone close to him."
"I'm sure there are even more victims. These guys don't just molest once or twice. We know Oscar wasn't his first because they have that previous dependency case, and he has likely hurt someone else since then. Hopefully, they're looking at the other dependency case. They can't possibly think Oscar killed him. He's been in a group home practically since his case started." She threw up her hands. "Of course they can. It's déjà vu all over again."
"Do you want me to keep working on it?" JP asked.
"I think you better. See what else you can find out about Everton's background. See if you can find any connection to Glen Irving. And as soon as we find out the name of the other victim, let's do the same for him."
Chapter 42
JP's investigation of Sammy Everton led him to Sammy's family home in Rancho Santa Fe. As JP drove into the area, he passed home after home built in Spanish or Mediterranean style, none of which was situated on less than two acres. The lack of sidewalks and streetlights gave a very country feel to the town with its quiet, clean streets. JP knew this town was once dubbed the richest town in America with an average residential income of a hundred thousand a year. That average included children and adults who didn't work. As far as he knew, the town still held a high income ranking along with a low crime rate, and it had an ideal location just thirty miles north of San Diego. In spite of all of Rancho Santa Fe's perfection, it also held the title as the site of the worst mass suicide ever to take place in the United States. In 1997, thirty-nine members of the Heaven's Gate cult killed themselves in order to catch a ride on a spaceship that was supposedly trailing the Hale-Bopp Comet.
JP passed the two-block downtown area and a plethora of eucalyptus trees before he reached the house where Everton was raised. He was surprised that Sammy's parents had agreed to talk to him, considering their recent loss and the circumstances surrounding the case.
JP pulled into the long driveway and parked on a slab adjacent to the four-car garage. As he walked across the driveway, he surmised that the garage probably cost more than his home. A stylish woman in her early sixties introduced herself as Mrs. Everton and greeted him pleasantly at the door. She escorted him into the living room, where they joined Mr. Everton.
"Thanks for seeing me," JP said. "I know these are difficult times. I'd like to offer you my condolences."
"Thank you. It is a difficult time," Mr. Everton said, standing to shake JP's hand. "Please have a seat." He pointed to a chair. "How can we help you?"
"As I told you on the phone, I'm the private investigator for the child who was convicted several years ago of murdering a man who was buried near your son. We're not convinced that our client murdered anyone. I'm trying to determine what the connection is, if any, between the two victims." He intentionally left out the part that Sabre represented the molest victim of their son. There was no reason to denigrate their dead son unless he had to. "I was hoping that something in Sammy's life might help us find the real killer of the first victim, and possibly Sammy as well."
"Was the child molested?" Mr. Everton asked.
"Yes, he was." JP was surprised by his bluntness. "I take it you were aware of Sammy's issues?" He suddenly wished he would’ve used another word.
"Yes."
"We also represent anot
her young boy who was a victim of Sammy's."
Mr. Everton dropped his head and shook it. "I'm so sorry."
"Sammy had no criminal record that I could find for sexual misconduct. Did I miss something?"
"Probably not. We saved him the first two times he was accused. We hired good lawyers and believed him when he told us he was innocent—until he tried to molest his little sister. Even then, we spent thousands of dollars on therapy and drug programs, which he didn't take seriously."
"Were charges filed when he attempted to molest your daughter?"
Mrs. Everton just shook her head, not making any comments.
"No," Mr. Everton said, "but Sammy was twenty-one and still living at home. He didn't have a job and he had dropped out of school. We finally told him he had to move out. We gave him a nice little stipend and set him up in an apartment. He only came home when he needed money. When we refused to provide him with more cash, he started stealing things from the house. We had the locks changed and he eventually gave up. We told him if he ever got drug free and started to live a decent life, we would gladly welcome him back. That was nearly twenty years ago. We haven't seen him in over fifteen years. This is a sad day for us, but we actually lost our son many years ago."
"Did you know where he was living or anyone who might know anything about the last year of his life?"
"No. As I said, we haven't seen or heard from him in over fifteen years." Mr. Everton frowned. "I'm sorry about your client. In hindsight we should have let Sammy get out of his own messes, and we probably should've turned him in when our daughter was molested. But we didn't want to put her through any more pain. You make choices and you do the best you can raising your kids. I know we made some mistakes. That's why we agreed to talk to you and to work with the police. We're sorry Sammy is dead, but at least he can't hurt anyone else."
***
JP discovered Sammy's job prior to working security at the storage place was at a small plumbing store in El Cajon. The owner fired him because supplies were missing and Sammy was the only one who could've taken them. He knew nothing about Sammy's friends or social life.
The Advocate's Homicides Page 17