Unseen

by Jana DeLeon

  Ray extended his hand. “If you’re here about Parks, there’s still no sign of him. And you best believe I’ve been watching. Been standing here so long, my knees are about shot.”

  Jackson nodded. “I’ve been on enough stakeouts to know that your knees aren’t the only thing shot. Point out the unit and take a break. We’ll stay here and watch for you.”

  “Thank God. If I’d known all this was coming, I wouldn’t have had all that coffee this morning. Or that eggnog last night. It’s the unit right on the corner.” He pointed to a unit about fifty feet away, then hurried through a door behind him.

  They stood and waited, watching the parking lot for any sign of movement, but only a handful of cars were parked outside and no one exited their rooms. Several minutes later, Ray hurried back and gave them a nod.

  “I really appreciate the break,” Ray said. “I’ve got a buddy I call in for emergencies, but I hated to bother anyone on Christmas Day.”

  “I’m surprised Detective Maxwell didn’t leave someone here,” Shaye said.

  “He said he was sending a unit over as soon as they did shift change,” Ray said.

  Jackson nodded. “The guys doing the building search expired this morning, so to speak. He’s waiting for the next patrol shift to come on duty and then he’s going to snag as many as the brass will approve him for.”

  “Looks like the two of you expired this morning as well,” Ray said. “You been at it all night?”

  “Sleep’s not a priority,” Shaye said.

  Ray nodded. “Detective Maxwell told me about Carla. I sure was sorry to hear it, and it makes me sick to death to think that her killer might be someone who stayed here. Probably met her here.”

  “We don’t know for certain,” Shaye said, “but we’d definitely like to find Jason and let him tell us differently. When was the last time you saw him?”

  “Last weekend. He came in and said he needed a room and asked what kind of discount I would give him for a week. Christmas is slow so I gave him the room at half price. To be honest, I felt sorry for the kid. I guess he doesn’t have any family to speak of.”

  “He’s never mentioned any?” Shaye asked.

  “Only a grandmother, but she lives in Florida, I think.”

  “Has he ever talked to you about anything else?” Shaye asked.

  “Not really,” Ray said. “He’s only stayed here a handful of times that I know of and usually registered at night once I was already gone. He was always quiet. Kept to himself.”

  “Ray, would you mind letting us see Jason’s room?” Shaye asked, figuring they had a better chance of getting inside before the patrol unit showed up. “I know the cops already looked it over, but maybe we’ll spot something they missed.”

  Ray gave her a sympathetic look. “I guess we all feel like there’s something we’re not doing, right? I don’t mind at all. Detective Maxwell had a warrant and Detective Lamotte is here now so it’s all on the up-and-up, as far as I know.”

  Ray pulled a master key out of the drawer and they followed him to the unit. He opened the door and stood back so they could enter. Shaye stepped inside and glanced around. The room was the same layout as Carla’s, with a bed, nightstands, dresser, chair, and television in the front room and a door on the back wall leading into the bathroom. A duffel bag sat on the chair and Jackson went over to check it out.

  “Just some clothes,” Jackson said.

  “He’s got his uniform shirts and a couple pairs of jeans hanging in the closet,” Shaye said. “A pair of shoes.”

  She went into the bathroom and saw a toothbrush, toothpaste, and a razor sitting on the counter. The drawers to the vanity were empty, and nothing was stashed on the bottom of the sink, in the toilet tank, behind the mirror, or behind the picture on the wall. She stepped back into the bedroom as Jackson moved the dresser back against the wall.

  “It’s clean,” Jackson said. “If he had anything to hide, he took it with him.”

  “It’s not a lot of stuff,” Shaye said. “But that makes sense if he really doesn’t have a place to live. Keeping things simple makes it easier to move around.”

  “Which brings up another question,” Jackson said. “How does he get around? There was no car registered in his name. And our killer has to have a way to transport the bodies.”

  “He had an older model Toyota,” Ray said. “A Corolla maybe.”

  “What color?” Shaye asked.

  “White,” Ray replied.

  Shaye looked over at Jackson and knew he was thinking the same thing. Casey had seen Carla getting into a white Toyota.

  “Probably never registered it in his name,” Ray said. “I sold an old truck a couple years ago to a guy who didn’t change things over. Kept getting parking tickets and had to go downtown with the bill of sale to prove it wasn’t me.”

  “Where would he go?” Shaye asked out loud. “He took Madison somewhere. He stages things…makes a production. If he only wanted to kill her, he could have shot her in the building like he did the guard.”

  Ray ran a hand through his hair. “I wish I knew something. Anything. The cops checked with everyone staying here early this morning but no one had seen him. I even called a couple of the regulars that come through here a couple times a month—salesmen—but they couldn’t recall ever meeting him.”

  “What about Walter and Casey?” Shaye asked. “Did the cops talk to them as well?”

  Ray nodded. “Walter called me early and told me the police had been at his house. He’s kinda like me, freaking out a little. He’d checked Jason in once before, but he’d never had a conversation with him beyond renting the room.”

  “And Casey?” Shaye asked.

  “He stays in a room here. I was with the cops when they talked to him. He told them he’d rented Jason a room a couple times for the weekend, but Jason had never talked about anything personal. The guy kept to himself.”

  “If I was killing people,” Jackson said, “I’d keep to myself too.”

  “Well, there’s nothing to see here,” Shaye said, unable to keep the disappointment out of her voice.

  “What about the building where he works?” Ray asked.

  Jackson shook his head, clearly frustrated. “The cops have scoured every inch of it. They rousted the property manager out of bed and got the keys to access everything. If the units were occupied, they asked to search and everyone agreed. The units that weren’t occupied, they entered and searched. There’s not a single closet or crawl space that hasn’t been looked at. He’s not there.”

  “Maybe he’s hiding in one of the other buildings he worked in,” Shaye said. “I know they searched them, but they couldn’t get access to everything with it being Christmas. He could have made copies of keys before he left.”

  Jackson nodded. “It would be a big risk, though, trying to get Madison inside an occupied building.”

  “There has to be something we’re missing,” Shaye said.

  “I’m sure, but it doesn’t mean it’s there for us to find,” Jackson said. “Parks was maintenance, but we only know the jobs he held that are on the books. No telling how many side jobs he picked up for cash. He could have keys to half the city for all we know. And if some aren’t occupied…”

  “What about where he dumped Carla’s body?” Shaye asked. “Were there any cabins around?”

  “A couple of old fishing cabins, but Maxwell covered everything in a ten-mile radius. I’m sure there’s some stuff out there so buried it doesn’t show on an aerial shot, but I don’t think he’d dump the body so close to a hiding place.”

  Shaye blew out a breath, frustrated and completely out of ideas. Every minute that passed, she grew more desperate to find Madison. Who knew how many they had left, or if they even had any left at all?

  “What now?” she asked.

  “I wish I knew.”

  27

  The girl who peered out at Hustle couldn’t have been more than thirteen. Her hair was tied back in a slopp
y ponytail, and the circles under her eyes told him she hadn’t slept much lately.

  “Is it true?” Sprint asked. “He killed someone?”

  “Yeah. And he’s going to do it again unless Shaye stops him.”

  “Is it the lady I delivered that package to?”

  “No. He killed someone before that, but he’s kidnapped the lady that got the package.”

  Tears welled up in Sprint’s eyes. “I didn’t know. I swear. I mean, I thought what he asked me to do was weird, but he gave me twenty dollars and said he’d give me another twenty when I brought him back the tape recorder.”

  Hustle frowned. “What tape recorder?”

  “He wanted me to record my conversation with the security guard when I dropped off the package. I thought he didn’t trust me to do it or something, but then he grabbed me and pulled out a knife when I tried to give him the recorder.”

  “How did you get away?”

  “I Maced him and then I ran.” She shook her head, her expression a mix of fear and disbelief. “He said he wanted the present to be a surprise. That’s why he didn’t do it himself. And now he’s going to kill that woman. And I helped him.”

  Her voice took on a higher pitch, and her words became rushed. Hustle could tell she was starting to panic.

  “Calm down,” he said. “No one is blaming you, but we need you to help save the woman.”

  “How?”

  “No one knows what he looks like but you. If you can describe him, I can draw him.”

  “And you think that will help?” she asked, her voice hopeful.

  “I’m certain it will. A friend of mine drove me here. He’s an adult but he’s cool. I used to be on the streets, but I live with him now. My sketch pad and pencils are in his truck. I can do the drawing here, but after that I wish you’d come with us. You’re not safe on the streets. Not until they catch this guy.”

  “I don’t know…”

  “I promise you’ll be safe. My friend owns a hotel. He won’t find you there. You can have your own room. They’ve got dead bolts and everything.”

  She bit her lip. “Can Raven come with me?”

  “Sure. But I need you to come now.”

  Sprint looked back and motioned, and a second later she and the black-haired girl Hustle had talked to earlier stepped into the hall and closed the door behind them.

  “Saul?” Hustle said. “You can come out now.”

  Saul stepped out into the hallway. The girls stiffened a bit but Hustle hurried to explain. “He came in with me because we didn’t know who we’d find inside.”

  The girls nodded but watched Saul with a wary eye as they walked through the building. In the lobby, Hustle stopped and looked around. “There’s enough light in here for me to draw. I’d like to do that first so I can send it to Shaye. Then we’ll get out of here, okay?”

  “Okay,” Sprint said.

  “I’ll go get your stuff,” Saul said. “You stay with them.”

  Hustle nodded. Given Saul’s bad knees, it would have been faster for him to get the pad and pencils himself, but he knew the girls would have been scared to be there alone with him.

  “You said your name is Hustle?” Raven asked.

  “Yeah.”

  “You knew Jinx, right?”

  Hustle smiled. “Still do. I saw her day before yesterday.”

  “Really? How’s she doing?”

  “She’s doing great. Her aunt is really nice.”

  Raven gave him a small smile. “That’s good. I liked Jinx. She helped me out of some trouble once when no one else would. I heard she’d gone to live with family, but you never know how that’s going to be.”

  “That’s true enough,” he said. “But Jinx got lucky. So did I. Saul is a great guy.”

  “I’m glad,” Raven said. “I wish everyone could get a good deal like you two.”

  “Don’t give up. Shaye’s mother is working on a plan to help kids like us. I don’t know a lot, but the stuff I’ve heard is really great.”

  “That would be cool,” Raven said, but her tone was wistful rather than hopeful.

  Hustle didn’t blame her. It wasn’t that long ago that he was exactly where Sprint and Raven were—disillusioned by life and in a killer’s crosshairs. Sometimes he woke up in a cold sweat, his dreams taking him back to his time on the streets. Those days, it felt as if he’d only been gone for five minutes. All the panic and fear were right back where they used to be. It took hours before they faded away.

  Saul walked back into the lobby, carrying the pad and pencils, and handed them to Hustle. He motioned to a huge spiral stairwell and he, Sprint, and Raven sat. Saul stood a bit apart from them where he could see the hallway where they’d entered the building.

  “Okay,” Hustle said. “Describe him to me.”

  Sprint nodded and closed her eyes, then she began to talk.

  Hustle sketched as she spoke, pausing periodically to clarify something. He stopped occasionally and asked her to look at something, then tweaked it as she made suggestions. Finally, he lifted the pad and she nodded.

  “That’s him,” Sprint said. “It’s scary how close your drawing is. You’re really, really good.”

  “Let me see,” Raven said, and Hustle showed her the drawing.

  “Have you ever seen him?” Hustle asked.

  Raven shook her head. “No. But if I do I’ll know to run.”

  “She makes a good point,” Saul said. “When we get back to the hotel, we’ll make up a bunch of copies and bring them back here. The other kids can hand them out. They all need to know to avoid him and call the cops if they spot him.”

  Raven and Sprint both nodded.

  “That would be good,” Raven said.

  Hustle pulled out his phone and took a picture of the drawing. “Let me send this to Shaye. Then we can head to the hotel.”

  Shaye answered on the first ring.

  “I found the girl,” Hustle said.

  “You what?” Shaye asked, her voice filled with confusion and disbelief.

  “The girl that saw him. I found her. Saul brought me, so no yelling. I drew him. I’m going to send you a text.”

  “What about the girl? Is she all right?”

  “Yeah, she’s all right, but he tried to kill her.” Hustle quickly recounted Sprint’s story about the recorder and the attack.

  “I’m glad she got away,” Shaye said. “But she’s not safe until he’s caught.”

  “I know. I convinced her to stay at the hotel. Her and a friend. Saul’s going to give them their own room.”

  “Great. That’s great. Tell Saul I said thank you, and I can’t even tell you how much I appreciate you finding her, even though I wish you were still in your sweats and watching television.”

  “Yeah, well, maybe I’ll do that tomorrow. I’m sending the drawing now.”

  He accessed the picture and sent a text to Shaye. When it showed Delivered, he shoved the phone back in his pocket.

  “Let’s get out of here.”

  Shaye lowered her phone and looked at Jackson, barely able to contain her excitement. “Hustle found the girl. He’s going to text me a drawing.”

  “Of the killer?” Ray asked.

  “Yeah,” Shaye said. “The killer used her to deliver a package to Madison. I looked for her yesterday but never turned up anything.”

  “How’d he find her when you couldn’t?” Ray asked.

  Shaye nodded. “He used to live on the streets, and he’s a hell of an artist, so if this girl described him well, I have no doubt we’ll have a good picture.”

  “Good enough to recognize Parks, anyway,” Jackson said. “What about the girl?”

  “Saul’s bringing her and a friend to the hotel and stashing them in a room.”

  “Good,” Jackson said. “She’s not safe on the streets.”

  Shaye’s phone signaled the incoming text and she accessed it, expecting to see Jason Parks’s face, then she gasped.

  She pressed the pic
ture to expand the size and turned the phone.

  “We were wrong. It’s not Jason. It’s Casey Dugas.”

  28

  Shaye clutched her cell phone with one hand and grabbed Ray’s arm with the other. “Casey’s room!”

  Ray nodded. “This way.”

  Jackson called Detective Maxwell as they hurried down the sidewalk and filled him in.

  “He’s going to issue a BOLO and do a background check on Dugas. I’m sure he wasn’t keeping Madison in his room, but there might be another place he has a connection to that comes up in a search.”

  Ray opened the door and Jackson rushed in, gun drawn. Shaye followed behind but the room was empty. “He’s gone,” she said. “Probably left right after the police questioned him.”

  Jackson nodded. “Too close to home. Let’s search the place. Maybe we can figure out where he’s gone.”

  “You don’t have a warrant,” Shaye said.

  “It’s my motel,” Ray said. “I thought I heard screams coming from in here.”

  Shaye nodded and headed into the bathroom. She drew up short and sucked in a breath. “I found Jason Parks!”

  She rushed over to the body in the bathtub and checked for a pulse, but the slit on the neck and the amount of blood were dead giveaways that Jason wasn’t going to be providing any information.

  Jackson came up beside her. “Were they in it together?”

  “I don’t think so,” Shaye said, pieces starting to fall into place. “I think Casey set Jason up to take the fall. It was Casey who told me he saw Carla getting in a white Toyota, but I think that was a lie. Jason was the perfect fall guy. He had access to the apartment, and Casey pinned him as knowing Carla. If Jason had disappeared, we would have kept on believing he was our guy.”

  Jackson nodded. “The bathtub’s lined with plastic. He probably got Parks in his unit and drugged him, planning on killing him and dumping the body later.”

  “Then the police came and he had to leave before the noose tightened,” Shaye said. “But why would Jason come in here? I saw them arguing on the street yesterday. Casey said it was because he wouldn’t give Jason a discount on the room.” She slapped her forehead. “I should have caught that when Ray said he gave Jason the room at half off.”