Repent, page 11
“Anyway, this visit is a waste of time so hurry it up,” Jack said, tapping impatiently on the dash. “Dunbar couldn’t find his way out of a wet paper bag. It’s more important to get to the store so we can call your psychic.”
“I’ll take as long as I need,” Nikki said, reaching in and removing the key. It was unlikely Jack would take off with her car but considering his impatience, it was better to be safe than sorry. Though he was probably quite capable of hotwiring her Subaru in seconds. From the looks of his hands, he’d been burned before. But she wasn’t going to make it easy.
If Jack was bothered by her lack of trust, he didn’t show it. He eyed the house, his fingers still tapping an edgy dance. “If Dunbar gets too creepy, give me a holler. I’d be more than happy to help.”
“Thanks, but I can handle a school principal.”
Jack gave a glimmer of a smile. “No doubt. But that man’s wee brain quits working when he has a hard-on. Thinks he’s God’s gift. And when a woman who looks like you lands on his doorstep, he’s going to think he died and went to heaven. Or that you’re trying to pick him up.”
Nikki rolled her eyes, scooped up her pack and slammed the driver’s door. Jack was still talking but she didn’t want to hear any more about Dunbar. Wanted to form her own opinion. Clearly Jack resented authority and was very biased.
A smiling man whipped open the front door before she was even halfway up the flagstone walk.
If this was David Dunbar, he wasn’t a bad looking guy. Actually quite handsome in a preppy sort of way. She hadn’t known what to expect from the way Jack spoke. The man had sun-streaked hair and was rather nattily dressed for a Saturday afternoon at home: crisp beige chinos and a white polo shirt. He probably spent a lot of money on his haircuts. Not her type but someone who shouldn’t be distasteful to interview.
“Lost?” he asked with a charming grin. “Or do you have car trouble?”
“Neither,” Nikki said, pulling out her ID. “I’m a private investigator. If you’re David Dunbar I just want to ask some questions about Billy Tanner.”
He barely glanced at her ID before swinging the door welcoming wide and ushering her in. “Come inside. You might as well sit down and be comfortable. And please call me Dave.”
She stepped through the doorway. It was just as attractive inside, a modern open-air concept boasting vaulted ceilings and exposed beams. His kitchen gleamed with high-end appliances and the sitting area was tastefully furnished, full of black and chrome tables and crafted leather furniture with reverse seams.
“Would you like some coffee?” he asked, his smile turning a little smug as he caught her appraising gaze. “Perhaps a glass of wine? I had a new cooling room installed and would love to put it to use.”
“No thank you. I just have some quick questions.”
“Please, have a seat.” Dunbar gestured at a leather sectional with a reclining footrest. “Although I’m not sure how much I can help. I gather Billy is in some sort of trouble?”
She gave a little murmur, reluctant to reveal too many details. Although she figured she wouldn’t have to say much. Clearly Dunbar liked to talk, probably a result of his occupation. Or maybe he was lonely on the weekends. Either way, he was the flirty type who wouldn’t be silent for long. She bypassed the sofa, choosing to keep her distance and sit in a nearby chair, accepting that she’d been affected by Jack’s opinion.
“Billy’s missing,” she said. “That’s all we know.”
“Actually Billy’s grandmother called me on Monday,” Dunbar said. “Worried that he hadn’t come home. I pulled his file and had a look. There’s not much in it, certainly not like his older brother. Now that one was a handful. Terrible influence on other students, bad to the core. Not surprising he ended up in juvie. I imagine he’s still there?”
“I’m here to talk about Billy,” Nikki said, annoyed by the man’s smug satisfaction, even more alarming for someone who was supposed to care about youth education.
“Of course.” Dunbar gave an agreeable nod. “Like I said, Billy’s file is unremarkable. Not much to him. He hasn’t been in school all week. But he’s the type that will drop out and that’s certainly something I predicted.”
“Did he seem worried, withdrawn? Did his teachers notice anything?”
“Not a thing. He was always quiet. Barely noticeable.”
“What about his friends? Do they know anything?”
“No, and we’d have heard if they did. It’s a small school and I’m aware of everything that happens. I’m at the school until five, supervising all the afterschool programs. My days are extremely long.”
“Indeed,” Nikki said, wondering what he’d think of Justin’s hours.
“Yes,” Dunbar went on. “I believe in an open door policy. Students appreciate it. I like to be a role model. Many of them drop by after school just to chat.”
“Did Billy do that?”
“What?”
“Stop by and chat?”
Dunbar gave a dismissive shake of his head. “Like I said, he’s not the type. He always jumped on the school bus as soon as the bell rang. Wasn’t involved with any extracurricular events. That type of family lacks motivation.”
Nikki felt herself bristle. “Billy might enjoy some of the activities if he didn’t have a bus to catch. Do you provide transportation for the students who stay after hours?”
“No, we don’t have a budget for that. But parents are happy to pick up their kids. It’s never an issue.”
“Unless a parent, or grandmother, doesn’t have a car,” Nikki said. She shifted, pressing further back against the soft leather, needing a moment to control the bite in her voice. But this was a vicious circle.
Her mother had faced similar challenges, trying to drive Nikki and her sister to activities, all the while struggling to earn a paycheck. And the less that kids participated, the less they stayed involved. She’d been lucky they lived in the city and could often find a public bus. But Jack and Billy lived in the country, so isolated they even lacked internet. And someone as prideful as Mrs. Tanner would never want her grandsons to accept rides from strangers, well-intentioned or not.
Dunbar flashed a brilliant white smile, so perfect Nikki suspected he’d practiced it in a mirror. “Naturally if a student’s parents are busy, I’m happy to let them wait in the clubhouse.”
“How kind.”
Dunbar preened, oblivious to her sarcasm. “Yes. I love my job and the students seem to appreciate my involvement. Although it is refreshing to spend time with an adult. Are you sure you don’t want any wine?”
His voice thickened, his gaze dropping so that he seemed to be speaking to her chest. “I have the entire afternoon free,” he said.
She straightened, realizing that when she leaned back, her shirt had tightened over her breasts. And Dunbar had taken it as an invitation. He wasn’t only a douche bag but an idiot and a lecher. She couldn’t imagine parents wanting their daughters to be alone with this man.
“I’m leaving now.” She rose and flipped a business card onto the table. “If you hear anything about Billy, please call.”
“Of course. But I’m sure there’s no need to worry. And if you’re out this way some other weekend, drop by. I’d be happy to see you.” He spoke as if he were extending her a remarkable invitation.
“Thank you, but my boyfriend and I are usually busy at the shooting range.”
Disappointment flashed across Dunbar’s face but he rallied quickly. “Well, if you like sports, our volleyball and soccer teams are both headed to the finals. And our science fair is next month.”
Nikki was already heading toward the door, but she paused. Then turned around. “I was talking to someone earlier about their science project. Does Katarina Shebib go to your school?”
“Yes.”
His answer was surprisingly brief for a man so eager to impress, and Nikki lingered by the door, watching his expression. “It sounded like she’s working on an interesting project,” Nikki said. “Pigs cleaning up yards. No mess, no fuss and little expense.”
“Yes, indeed. I helped her quite a bit with that.” Dunbar puffed out his chest, loquacious once again. “In fact, I was the one who gave her the idea. I also suggested she enter it in the 4-H contest. She’s the type of student who could take top prize.”
“Is she also the type of student who stayed after school?”
“Yes, of course.”
“The type who visited you after hours?”
“Yes.” Dunbar’s voice was clipped now.
“Does she have a boyfriend? Another student at the school?”
“She did, but they’re no longer dating.” He crossed his arms but that movement couldn’t hide the flush climbing his neck. “And that’s not really your business.”
“We’ll see,” Nikki said, stepping outside.
She hurried to her car, practically huffing as she sucked in mouthfuls of clean air.
Jack leaned over and pushed open the driver’s door. “Yeah,” he said. “Dunbar has that effect.”
He straightened, jabbing his hand in a one-finger salute at the man watching from the doorway.
Nikki slid behind the steering wheel, noting her open dash and the binoculars lying on Jack’s lap.
“I was just keeping an eye out,” Jack explained, replacing the binoculars and clicking the dashboard shut. “Great glasses by the way. But I couldn’t find your gun. I was hoping Dunbar would annoy you enough that you’d shoot him. You do have a gun, right?”
“It’s rude to snoop in someone else’s car.” She spoke with a total lack of heat though, rather moved that Jack had been prepared to come to her rescue. “How well do you know that man?”
“Not well. He likes girls not boys.”
“I can picture him befriending insecure girls.”
“Yeah, they’re easy pickings. Especially ones who’ve been dumped by their boyfriends. That’s the way he rolled when I was in school.”
“Do you know a girl called Katarina Shebib? Father owns a Doberman kennel?”
“Vaguely. But she’s closer to Billy’s age. I know they often talked about dogs and she’s big into 4-H. Billy mentioned she was one of Dunbar’s science groupies.”
Nikki drove around the circular driveway, her thoughts whirling. In her message to Justin, she’d alluded that the judge might have been sexually involved with Katarina. But Dunbar seemed a more likely candidate. At least it meant that Tyson Shebib had less motive to kill the judge. For that, she was relieved.
“Did you know Katarina is pregnant?” she asked.
Jack grunted. “Not surprised. Dunbar is too special to use a rubber.”
She eased the car to a stop at the end of the driveway and turned her full attention on Jack. “So Dunbar could be the father?”
“Absolutely. But why the interest?”
“Just making conversation,” she said.
Jack gave her a cynical look, as if guessing there was more to it. But he didn’t speak anymore about Dunbar, just jabbed his thumb to the left, directing her along a twisty gravel road heading west.
“Lena’s store is on a hill,” he said. “About a mile away. Cell phones work there. Let’s hope your psychic knows what she’s doing. I’ve never heard one talk to a dog before.”
“Don’t get your hopes up. Sonja might not even agree to it.”
“Let’s hope she does,” Jack said, his voice accusing. “Because it looks like you’re fresh out of leads.”
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Five minutes later, Nikki pulled into the parking lot of a low wooden building with a broken Coke sign flashing in the window. Two gas pumps sat close to the door and a faded white awning protected a row of assorted fruits and vegetables. Lena’s General Store, a sign proclaimed.
“We always park to the right,” Jack said, gesturing out his side window. “Good reception there and Lena won’t see us.”
“She doesn’t let you park here?’ Nikki asked, swerving to the side of the gravel lot, out of sight of the watchful proprietor.
“Not if we don’t buy anything. Guess she thinks we’ll steal all her fruit. It’s organically grown,” he added, rolling his eyes.
“I’ll go in afterwards and buy some coffee. Show her Billy’s picture. Find out if she saw him last Saturday.”
“Waste of time. The store is too far from the bus stop. Billy wouldn’t have walked back here.”
“Judging by the map, it’s only a half mile from the bus stop,” she said. “And I want to cross it off. That’s what investigative work is all about.”
“Boring shit.”
“Most of it is,” she said. “Is this store open past eight?”
“Yes, until ten on Saturday nights. But like I said, there’s no reason for Billy to come here. He doesn’t smoke or drink. And Lena’s coffee sucks.”
Nikki didn’t argue. Jack’s negative bouts were draining. Hopefully she hadn’t been like that when she was looking for her sister, but guilt could drag anyone down. Although Jack didn’t have anything to be guilty about.
She scooped up her phone and checked the service. Two bars were displayed. Not much but enough to reach Sonja. There was also a message from Justin. She’d call him first, before he wasted time digging into Katarina Shebib.
“Please step out of the car for a minute,” she said.
“No way. I’m staying right here.” Jack’s eyes glinted with dark humor. “Sparky is underage. A family member needs to be present during questioning.”
“I’m not calling the physic yet. This is another matter. A different case.”
“All right.” Jack blew out a grievous sigh. “But you shouldn’t be working another case on Gran’s dime. Not cool.”
Grumbling, he stepped from the car and propped a hip on the front bumper. Out of the car but definitely not out of earshot.
She glanced in the rearview mirror. “What do you think, Sparky?” she asked, talking to him the way she would to Gunner. “How about we move that stubborn guy off the car? You okay with that?”
The dog’s eyes opened a crack. His tail thumped. He didn’t appear worried about Jack, only happy his nap wasn’t coming to an end. It was hard to picture Sparky rousing enough energy to chase a rabbit. Probably Jack and Billy pretended the dog was a good hunter so that their grandmother allowed him to stay.
She slipped the gear into reverse and eased backwards. Jack stumbled, then lost his balance and slid to the side of the car. He straightened, shaking his head in mock incredulity. Then he brushed the dust off his jeans, gave his patented shrug and sauntered further away.
Nikki grinned. Was still smiling when Justin answered her call.
“Any luck finding your boy?” Justin asked. “How did the family check out?”
“Fine. Everything appears normal. I’m following up with a couple loose ends but it seems more and more likely Billy didn’t choose to leave. The police need to get rolling on this.”
“Send me a copy of your report,” he said. “I’ll make a call.”
“Thanks,” she said gratefully, knowing Justin would make sure that authorities turned their extensive resources on finding Billy. “I have to get permission from my client before I release the information but I don’t expect a problem. She’s been pleading for more police involvement the entire week.”
Nikki didn’t mean to sound accusatory but perhaps her voice had sharpened a bit. Clearly Justin took her comment as criticism.
“Often,” he said, “it makes a difference how you talk to the police.”
Nikki grimaced, not sure if he was referring to her or Mrs. Tanner. “Sgt. Smith called me today. He seems more concerned. Ready to believe Mrs. Tanner is rightfully worried.”
“It’s good you stirred things up,” Justin said. “And thanks for the tip with the judge. We’re taking a deeper look at Tyson Shebib because of your visit.”
“About that,” she said, “I don’t believe Katarina’s pregnancy is related to your missing judge. Not anymore. Not after talking to Billy’s brother and her principal.”
“Sounds like a story there.” She felt rather than heard Justin’s smile. “Who’s putting the disgust in your voice?” he added. “The brother or the principal?”
“The principal. He’s a total creep.”
“Where are you?” Justin’s voice sharpened. “Remember, you don’t have Gunner.”
“No problem. It’s peaceful out here. Nothing but crickets. And I do have backup. Billy’s brother is riding with me, along with their dog.” Her gaze swept over Jack who stood twenty feet away. He hadn’t found anything to lean against but he’d definitely perfected the street corner slouch.
“Perfect,” Justin said dryly. “The punk teen. At least you have a dog to keep the creeps away. What kind? Pit bull?”
“Beagle.”
His quick chuckle warmed her. That was another great thing about Justin. He kept her relaxed and smiling. And she always felt as if she had backup, having him at the end of her phone. She could run cases by him, knowing his analytic mind would give a different insight. Considering she had access to Sonja’s thinking too, she had the far left side covered as well.
“I gotta go, Nik,” Justin said. “I hope you can dig up something that will find the kid. Glad his family checked out and isn’t involved.”
The line went dead. Nikki palmed the phone for another moment, absorbing his words, her troubled gaze on Jack. She was quite confident he had nothing to do with his brother’s disappearance. But he was holding something back. The more time she spent with him, the better she was at reading his tells.
She gestured, giving him permission to return to the car. He sauntered back, too cool to rush but his eagerness was obvious in the way he yanked open the door.
“Finally,” he muttered. “Now let’s hear what your psychic has to say. But first I better let Sparky out for a piss so he won’t be distracted on the phone.”
