“A boyfriend?An ex?A hookup?”
“What?”he asked.
“Did the woman who was being raped also get—”
“No, she survived.”
“So, it’s a stranger?A break-in?Did the dad hear thebreaking-in part?”
“That’s the rub,” Dutch told her.“They heard the fight, notthe break-in, and there was no evidence of a break-in, outside what Carlyle’sdad did to get in.But the woman contends it was a stranger.She’d never seenhim, had no idea where he came from.She was sleeping and then he was there.There was hope in the beginning, they thought.The woman, their neighbor, shewas cagey.They think she knows more than she’s letting on.And Carlyle, hismom, and his younger sister said there were folks who visited her that theyweren’t real hip on, and the dad flat-out did not like having around.They justdon’t know who they were.”
“And she’s not talking.”
“No.”
“Or she’s lying.”
“Yeah.”
“And this kid ran away from home because his dad died nextdoor and he probably heard the gunshot that killed him.”
Dutch swallowed, feeling that for Carlyle in a big way,before he said, “Yeah.”
“What’s she saying about these folks who came calling?”
“That they’re just friends.Acquaintances, whatever.Theyhave nothing to do with the incident.”
“Do the cops believe that?”
“I don’t know what they believe.I just know months havepassed with no leads, no DNA that wasn’t supposed to be there, nothing this guyleft behind, no other witnesses, but the dad, who can’t share what he saw, andthe case will stay open, but they’re moving on because it’s gone cold and theygot other shit theygottado.”
“And you’re not getting through to the kid,” she surmised.
“Nope,” he confirmed.
“Maybe he just needs some time,” she suggested.
“Yeah.Time to get himself hooked up in shit he shouldn’t behooked up in.”
“Is that happening?”
“Yup.”
“Well, damn,” she whispered.
“And she finds a reason to curse,” he muttered.
When he did, he felt a faint slap, but heard a definite oneagainst the leather at his arm when she whacked him gently, like a man’s womanwould whack him gently as a joke, all as she said an amused, “Shut up.”
Mm-hmm.
They needed to get to Governor’s Park.
Yesterday.
“How do you know he’s turning to the dark side?”she asked.
“Saw him with some dude who deals black market crap.”
