"Can you describe him?" Pete asked.
"Dark hair, average height maybe? Clean-shaven." Claire paused. "I only saw him for a moment because I felt like I was eavesdropping and didn’t want them to see me. I slipped back outside and hurried to the beach."
"Did you see this man again?"
"No. I assumed he left as quietly as he came. When Robert came back to the beach with snacks, he didn’t say anything, so I didn’t ask. I thought maybe it was someone from the rental agency."
Jeremy and Pete exchanged glances. Terry could see they were thinking the same thing he was… this mystery man might be connected to the drug operation.
They thanked Claire, and Pete walked her out of the interview room. Terry didn’t have time to process more before Jose Garcia walked in, flanked by his parents. The teenager looked nervous but held the chair for his mom before sitting between his parents.
"Jose, your parents are staying for the interview since you're a minor," Jeremy explained. "We just want to understand what you saw last night."
Jose nodded, glancing at his mother for reassurance before speaking. "Yes, sir.”
“Tell us why you were at the house last night?”
“I deliver pizzas for Tony's. A huge order came in just before they closed. If it hadn’t been such a large order, Tony probably would have turned them down. But someone ordered ten large pizzas. That was why Tony agreed. And he charged them a huge tip for me before I left so that they couldn’t stiff me. I made the delivery to the house around eleven thirty."
"Did you go inside?" Pete asked.
"The front door was open, and a ton of cars were parked outside. Once I got inside, it was a zoo. The house was bigger and nicer than I’d ever seen, but bottles and cans were everywhere. It was nasty, but with the crush of drunk people around, I wasn’t surprised. I was told to take the pizzas to the kitchen. I placed them on the counter and was about to leave when I heard my name. I turned around and saw a girl I knew from high school last year. She’d gone off to college, and I was surprised to see herthere. She looked really nervous and kind of scared. I didn’t want to leave her there.”
"What did she do?" Jeremy prompted.
"She came over and asked if I could give her a ride home," Jose said. "Said she didn't want to stay anymore, and the person she'd come with wasn't ready to leave."
"Did you know her well?"
Jose shrugged. "Not really. We had a class together, and I always thought she was nice. But she seemed genuinely freaked out, so I said okay. She went to find the guy she'd come with, and that's when the police cars started showing up."
"Did you see her leave with anyone else?" Pete asked.
"No. Once the cops arrived, everything got crazy."
After Jose and his parents left, Terry joined Jeremy and Pete in the break room. The frustration in the room was palpable.
"Still no fingerprints on any of the drug bags," Jeremy said, tossing his notepad onto the table. "Whoever packaged this stuff knew what they were doing."
"Professional operation," Pete agreed. "Those weren't college kids bagging shit in their dorm room."
Terry poured himself a cup of coffee, thinking about Claire's description of the well-dressed older man. "We need to find out more about this guy Claire saw talking to Robert. He shows up, has a private conversation, then disappears, and Robert says nothing? That's not a coincidence."
"Problem is that for now, we can't tie any specific person to the selling or distribution," Jeremy said grimly. "The drugs were there, but we don't have anyone actually caught in the act of dealing."
"Yet," Terry said. "But we're just getting started."
The case was becoming more complex by the hour, and Terry had a feeling they were only seeing the tip of the iceberg. The well-dressed stranger bothered him most of all. Someone thatprofessional had a reason to meet in secret with Robert. And Terry wanted to know why.
23
"Tell me about your family."
Sandra's fork paused at her mouth, the perfectly cooked steak having just been slipped from the tines. They were finally having dinner out at the Sunset Restaurant, nestled into a corner booth overlooking the Chesapeake Bay.
Heat crept up her neck as she realized she'd been caught mid-bite. She chewed slowly, buying herself time while Terry's warm gaze remained fixed on her face.
Terry's low chuckle sent a pleasant shiver through her. "Sorry. Timing's not my strong suit tonight."
