by Maria Pease
“What are we doing?”
“I have an idea. I need you to trust me, okay?”
“Sure.”
The house was a ruddy red and the property was large, at least an acre or two, made up mostly of dirt, tumbleweeds and various desert plants. A big barn matching the color of the house sat on the back part of the property with broken down cars and trucks spread about. I could see the rooftop of a white house in the distance and wondered if it was where Michael Carson had driven Chanel.
I knocked on the door and listened. No answer. I pressed the doorbell and waited for a response. After another minute, I moved down the steps and motioned for Alana to follow me. Walking slowly, I scanned the area, but there was no movement. I opened the barn door and inside, I found more vehicles, all looking like they needed major repairs. In the back-left corner, wooden steps led to a loft. My eyes darted up to the windows that looked to the sides and the back of the property. I moved toward the steps.
“Where are you going?” Alana whispered.
“I’ve got to get up there.”
She turned and looked behind us before proceeding.
I approached the ladder, put a foot on the bottom rung and added some pressure, checking for any that may come loose. It seemed to be secure, so I moved up, taking in the view from above. Once at the top, I pushed on the floor of the loft and crawled up to look out the side window. I saw a white farmhouse and a red and white barn with a limo parked beside it.
“This is perfect!”
“Perfect for what?” said a deep voice from the doorway.
Chapter 36
My heart leaped into my throat when I saw the rifle pointing at me. I instinctively shot my arms up. The man standing at the door looked large. He was both tall and thick, with salt and pepper hair and strong features. I put him in his mid-sixties and by the looks of him, he’d spent a great deal of his life in the sun.
“I … I’d like to come down and talk with you.”
“Well, then come on down. I won’t shoot you.” He lowered his weapon.
I moved backward down the steps, trying not to slip.
“You okay?” I asked Alana.
“Uh, huh.”
“Can you please tell me what the hell you two are doing in my barn?” he asked.
“My name is Sam Parker. I’m a private investigator and this is my intern, Alana. We’re investigating the people next door but couldn’t go on the property due to the large no trespassing signs.”
“So instead you trespass onto my property? You know I can have you both arrested.”
“I know. I apologize, Mister?”
“The name is Clint Durber.” He held out a large hand.
As his hand enveloped mine, I looked up at him. He’d looked big from the loft, but standing in front of me, he was a giant. I just hoped he was a gentle giant.
“Mr. Durber, we’re looking for a missing kid. May I ask you a few questions?”
“About the next door neighbors?”
“Yes. If you can tell me anything at all, I’d appreciate it.”
“Honestly, I don’t know them or anything about them – they just recently moved into the place – but I can tell you a lot of people have been coming and going.”
“Any idea why?”
“I don’t know. I figured maybe they’re selling drugs. I was going to call the cops, but after thinking about it, I decided that I just don’t want to get involved.”
“Why not?”
“I’m not a young man anymore. I’ve lived here for a long time and I like it here. I just don’t want any trouble.”
“If we could find out what was really going on without getting you involved, would that be something you might help me with?” I asked.
Alana was still staring at the gun at Mr. Durber’s side.
“Well, I don’t know … How would you do that?”
I looked up to the loft. “If I could set up surveillance, I might be able to see what they’re up to.”
“Surveillance? What exactly does that entail?” he asked.
“For starters, I’d like to spend some time up there. I have a clear view of the house and the barn.”
He shook his head. “I’m going to have to see some ID.”
I took out a card and my PI license and handed it to him. He glanced at it and then at me. His expression told me he was weighing his options and I hoped he’d agree. From the loft, I had a clear view of the side and back yard of the house and the barn that sat behind the house. I was curious about what they were up to and knew having access to that loft could help provide some intel.
“Well, what do you think?” I asked.
“You’re just going to sit up there and watch?”
“That’s it.”
“How long do you plan on hanging around?”
“Honestly, I’m not sure. You won’t even know we’re here.”
He took in a breath and glanced up at the loft. “Okay. Just keep me out of it.”
“I will. Thank you.”
“I’ll leave you to it.” He walked out of the barn.
We headed to the car to grab our surveillance bag and climbed up to the loft. I took the camera out of the bag and watched out one window while Alana watched out the adjacent window. The limo was parked, but we didn’t see any movement in the area. After a half hour, I could see Alana was fidgeting.
Another half hour went by and I was about to tell Alana to take a break when a U-Haul truck moved down the dirt road toward the barn. It parked and two men jumped out. I looked through the camera and zoomed in on them, snapping a few photos.
“Holy shit! It’s Wally Mason and Archie Magnall. I can’t believe Archie is out of the hospital already.”
She moved in next to me and looked out the window. I handed her the binoculars, so she could get a look.
“He still doesn’t look so good. What are they doing there?”
“That’s what we want to find out.”
I snapped photos as they raised the back door of the truck and took out a large metal fence. They took it into the barn then came back for more. As they unloaded it, Michael Carson came out of the house with Chanel. Michael helped as Chanel watched, taking time to inspect the panels as they removed piece after piece. Once finished, they chatted for a few minutes then Chanel strode to the limo with Michael on her heels. He opened the door for her, but before she climbed in, she caressed his face and kissed him on the lips.
He turned, and I caught sight of him wiping his face before moving into the driver’s seat. He slowly made his way down the dirt driveway.
“What the hell?” I said.
“What’s going on?”
“Chanel kissed Michael.” I was still taken aback by the kiss and even more so by his reaction to it.
“Why would she kiss him?”
“I have no idea, but they’re on the move. Let’s go.”
I tossed the camera and binoculars in the bag and moved down the ladder with Alana on my heels. We ran to the Jeep and jumped in. As we neared the end of the driveway, the limo was just pulling onto the road. I couldn’t shake the odd exchange between them. After all, she was a grown woman and he was just a teenager.
We backtracked out of the area and merged onto the southbound freeway. I expected them to return to Chanel’s house, but the limo stayed on Temecula Parkway, passing the neighborhood. As we waited at the light, the limo’s left blinker flickered, and they pulled into the parking lot. We followed, keeping at a safe distance.
Michael emerged and glanced around cautiously as he headed into the day spa.
“What is he doing?” Alana asked.
“I have no idea.”
After he’d disappeared, the maroon SUV pulled up beside the limo and Archie got out. He limped to the limo’s driver’s side, got in, and pulled away. I was tempted to follow, but my gut told me to stay put, so I turned my attention back to the SUV. Wally stepped out and leaned against the door. After a few minutes, he took his cell
out and paced back and forth as he talked, still eyeing the spa entrance. His call finished, he got back in the SUV and read the paper, looking up periodically.
I grabbed the binoculars from the bag and watched him. When his attention shifted again, I refocused on the spa and saw Michael walking toward the SUV with a girl. I zoomed in. “Holy shit!”
“Who’s that?”
“It’s Melody!”
“The girl that was taken from the hospital?”
“Yeah. She looks okay.” I said.
We hadn’t known who’d taken her and I now wondered if Chanel had been behind it.
Wally got out to greet them. He motioned for Michael to get in and then reached out to embrace Melody, who cowered. He grabbed her arm and pulled her into him, placing her arms around his waist.
Chills ran up my spine.
Wally moved to kiss her, but when she turned away, he shoved her inside and slammed the door. He appeared angry but seemed to compose himself before getting behind the wheel.
They pulled away so I gave the binoculars to Alana and followed, keeping a car’s distance between us so Wally wouldn’t get a look at me.
The SUV made its way to Rancho California Road and pulled into the Temecula Town Center parking lot. Michael got out and headed into the massage parlor. A half hour later, he came back out again with a girl.
I picked up the binoculars to get a closer look. I didn’t recognize her, but I kept my eyes on them as they approached the vehicle. Wally got out and helped her inside as Michael moved around to the passenger side. They took off and we followed.
The traffic light was blinking yellow, which meant the busy intersection would be a free-for-all until a cop came to direct traffic. All at once, the SUV had disappeared. Horns honked and the sound of crunching metal filled the air. The accident consisted of three cars, all attempting to get through the intersection.
We were left behind to wait. Within minutes, sirens sounded. I searched for a way to get around the chaos. My cell buzzed and I reached in my bag to retrieve it. “This is Sam.”
“We have a situation. Get in here now,” Frank said in a low voice.
“I can’t. There’s a traffic accident.”
“This is an emergency, Sam. Get your ass in here now!”
As the cars inched forward, I made my way into the gas station on the corner and took the long way back to the office, wondering what in the world could be so important. I glanced over as we passed the Rodeway Inn.
“What the hell?” I said, pulling over. “Wally’s with more teenage girls. They must have been in the SUV.”
“Where are they coming from?”
“I don’t know.” I opened my door. “I’m going to take a look. Stay here.”
I walked along the sidewalk, watching them when Michael joined them.
I examined each of the girls and realized that besides Melody, I didn’t recognize any of them from the original group. This new group was all girls, five in all plus Michael. I watched as he let the girls into one room and entered the one next door as Wally made his way to the back of the parking lot and disappeared behind a van.
I jumped back into the Jeep and headed down to the office, eager to tell Frank about what I’d just witnessed. I took the steps two-by-two and bolted through the door.
“Frank!”
“Sam! This is Stacy Carson,” he said, clenching his jaw.
The mention of her name made me stop in my tracks. Trying to gain my composure, I held out my hand. “It’s nice to meet you. Wow, you’ve come a long way.”
Alana had come in behind me and Frank introduced her to Stacy.
I couldn’t believe she was standing in front of me. I needed to talk to Frank, and I had to do it privately. “Frank, can I speak to you? In the conference room?”
He looked at me, reached into his pocket, took out a fifty-dollar bill and handed it to Alana. “Could you please take Ms. Carson over to the Swing Inn Cafe' for some coffee and a bite to eat? She’s had a long trip. Sam and I will head over in a few minutes to join you.”
“Um, sure.” She led the way to the door.
Once the door closed, Frank gently put his finger on my lips signaling me to keep quiet. We moved to the window and watched as they descended the stairs and headed out to the sidewalk.
“Holy shit! I didn’t know she was coming.”
“Frank. We have an even bigger problem. I just saw Wally at the Rodeway Inn with a new group of teen girls … and Michael was with them.”
“Oh, shit. Are you kidding me?”
“Frank, whatever this is, it’s bigger than we thought.”
Chapter 37
Once we pulled ourselves together, Frank and I headed over to the Swing Inn Café and found Alana and Stacy Carson sitting by the window. I was a little anxious because I hadn’t warned Alana to keep quiet about Michael. I looked at her, trying to get a read on how it was going. Then, a thought came to mind. If she’d said anything, Stacy wouldn’t still be sitting there.
We ordered lunch and Frank took the lead, offering Stacy just enough information to keep her hopeful and nothing more. He encouraged her to tell us more about Michael’s state of mind and why he would’ve run away from home.
The story was a familiar one. He felt awkward and misunderstood and didn’t have any friends besides Nicole Ravago. It seemed they’d first met in counseling and found they shared many of the same feelings and experiences, none of them positive. Stacy said she’d brought a few of Michael’s things that might help us to find him. She’d considered sending them but decided she wanted to see the place where her son had come.
Frank paid the check and we walked back to the office.
Stacy retrieved a box, a laptop and several flash drives from her car. She said she was staying at the Hampton Inn & Suites on Jefferson and would appreciate it if we stayed in touch.
We agreed, and she was off. The fact that her son was just down the street wasn’t lost on any of us and once inside the office, we all breathed a sigh of relief.
“Oh, my gosh. I almost slipped and mentioned we’d just seen Michael,” Alana blurted out.
“I didn’t have a chance to warn you. You’re sure you didn’t say anything?”
“I’m sure. I asked her to tell me about her son and just listened.”
“Good call,” Frank said. “When in doubt, keep your mouth shut.”
I picked up the box and reluctantly moved to the conference room. Before I set it down, I poked my head out.
“Frank, has the cleaning crew been in here recently?”
“Get over it, Sam!”
“Is that a yes?”
I set the box down and shuffled through it, trying to see if anything jumped out at me. I took out his high school yearbook and found a metal lockbox beneath it. I attempted to open it, but it was locked. I sat it next to the yearbook.
Frank brought in the laptop and glanced into the box.
“I’ll go through all this later. I’m going to try to get a face-to-face with Michael.”
“No, Sam. If Wally sees you, it could be very dangerous.”
“He’s right down the street! Frank, his mom is here. Now is the perfect time.”
“No.”
“Frank…”
He rubbed his forehead, frustrated. “Okay. Go.”
I turned on my heels before he could change his mind and, as I moved to the door, Alana popped up and followed. We headed down the street, looking for signs of Wally or Archie. When we got to the Inn, we moved around to the pool area, out of sight. I scanned the parking lot for any recognizable vehicles and found it clear.
“They went into those rooms,” I said.
“What are we going to do?”
“I need you to stay here and keep watch. I’m going to go talk with Michael.”
“Okay. What should I do if I see anything?”
“Can you whistle?” I asked.
“Yeah.”
“Okay. Do that.”
&nb
sp; I moved up the stairs and listened outside the door. I could hear the high-pitched voices of the girls but couldn’t make out what they were saying. I moved to the next room, which was quiet. I knocked and stepped away from the peephole.
“Who’s there?” he said.
“Open the door.”
“Hold on,” he shouted.
The door opened slightly and when he caught sight of me, he tried to shut it, but this time I was ready.
I stepped inside. I saw a black bag on the bed that held zip ties, guns, a taser, several bottles of mace and what looked like a hunting knife.
“Michael, what’s going on?”
“You need to get out of here. Wally’s been looking for you.”
I was taken aback. Then I realized I’d escaped his clutches and he probably wasn’t the type to just forget about it. I didn’t care. All I wanted was to get Michael out.
“Look, you need to come with me. Your mom came to find you and we need to make sure that no one gets hurt.”
“I can’t.”
“Yes, you can. We can go right now!”
“They will kill her. They will kill my whole family.”
“Michael, what the hell is going on? Who are all these kids and why is Wally interested in them?”
“Look, you have to get out of here.”
“I’m not leaving without you.”
“They’re not playing games. They won’t hesitate to kill you or anyone else who gets in their way.”
“Who?”
“I don’t even know. There’s a hierarchy, and all I know is that I’m at the bottom.”
“What do you mean you’re at the bottom?”
“Look, you have to go. Wally is going to be here soon. Please!”
“Do you want to be involved in this?” I asked.
“I don’t have a choice.”
“Yes, you do.”
“Not if I want my mom to live, I don’t.” He nervously checked the window.
“I can get you out of this.” I heard a faint whistling outside.
“You have to go. Now!”