“I've got the name and address of every person who shared a class with him at Cuyahoga Community College." Sean shuffled some papers. “The 7-11 he worked at a few weeks before he robbed it. He’s also a suspect in the murder of the owner.”
“Probably wasn’t staying with him.” The detective laughed with the graveyard humor an officer who had seen a lot tended to have.
“When we started this, you said no children. You sounded pretty certain. He’s got to have girlfriends,” Charlie remembered
"I have fifteen names. Mostly neighborhood girls." Sean took out a list.
Charlie perked up. "Fifteen?"
"Twelve of them are dead. Overdoses mostly, but he was considered a person of interest in the two who were stabbed to death. Mostly because they'd filed several domestic violence reports on him."
"But we let him go free?" Charlie asked.
"Well, it's tough when the women show up to court, deny everything, and pay his bail,” Sean said.
"We're down to three,” Charlie said.
"Two of them reported them missing by their families shortly before he was charged and headed to the pen. The third woman moved to Alabama." Sean’s list was dwindling.
"Let's interview the families who filed the missing person's reports," the Chief said firmly.
“We have the addresses of Luisa Agosto and Esteban Vargas. Vinita Agosto was reported missing by her sister Luisa and Aleysha Vargas by her father,” Sean said. “They both still live in the city limits.”
“Send two officers to meet with both of them,” Reyes ordered.
"Send me, I can do it,” Sean volunteered.
“You already have an assignment,” Reyes said.
“You don't need me to follow Hernandez if he’s dead. They’ll talk more in front of a gringo like me,” Sean said.
The Chief raised her hand warningly. "You are not my only Spanish speaking officer."
"Then why am I still following Dr. Hernandez?”
“Because I told you to.” The Chief did not sound pleased.
"But—"
"Stop," Charlie interceded. "Murphy apologizes. He will continue to follow the doctor."
“I am sorry, Chief,” Sean said before he got himself in more trouble.
"Good, I have my doubts it's El Socio. I'm not disagreeing that it appears to be him, but no one's talking about killing him. The Crips would have hired someone out to write it in the sky, and we'd have a gang war on our hands."
"’We offed El Socio, don't mess with us, motherfuckers,’" the detective guessed.
"But they didn't,” Sean agreed, wishing Reyes’s point wasn’t correct.
"No, they didn't. Which means if he's dead, whoever killed him hated him enough to skin him. That's pretty personal. If he's alive, they might have information. If he's dead, then they're suspects," Chief Reyes said.
"Then we should check on the dead girls’ families," Charlie suggested.
The detective shook his head, “Can we hold off on that? This case is keeping Sargent Layton off her regular duties, and Murphy here is borrowed from the Fourth Precinct’s narcotics. My tech team recruited more of Second Precinct manpower to watch videos of cars driving by Asia Town on those fifty cameras.”
“I understand. We can escalate and cast a wider net when we officially identify the body,” Reyes agreed. “I think we’re done here.”
“But—” Sean started, only to be cut off by Charlie.
