Nate frowned and shook his head. "He was a really great kid. Everybody loved him.”
"Was he in any kind of trouble?”
"Not that I know of.”
"Drugs, gambling, anything like that?”
"No. I don't think so. I'm telling you, Cody was pretty strait-laced. I mean, he'd have a beer or two here and there, like anybody else. He was studying at the community college, majoring in graphic design. He had big plans. I figured the kid was going to go places. So talented.”
"What about a girlfriend?”
“I don't know. I can't really keep up with his love life. He was a good-looking kid. He did well with the ladies. Always had a girlfriend around or two.”
I shared a look with JD.
"You think he may have been having an affair with someone? Maybe a jealous boyfriend or husband decided to take matters into their own hands.”
Nate shook his head. "No. I don't think Cody was the sort.” Nate paused and tried to hold it all together. “My sister is going to hate me. This is all my fault."
"How so?” I asked.
"I asked Cody to fill in for Dustin. Cody should never have been here today.” The tears spilled over, and his chest jerked in rhythmic sobs.
"Who’s Dustin?”
"He's the guy I initially hired for the job.”
"Where is he today?"
Nate exhaled a frustrated breath. "I had to let him go.”
"Why?"
"I should have done my due diligence before I hired him,” he said with a disturbed frown. “But he seemed like a decent guy. I didn't have any reason to suspect he'd be a problem." He shook his head. "Man, you never really know about people."
"What was the issue?”
8
“There was a complaint,“ Nate said. “It's really horrible, and I don't even like to talk about it. It just gives me the ick." Nate shivered. "A parent said that Dustin got aroused when his daughter sat on his lap for the photo."
It was pretty icky, alright.
"Of course, Dustin denied it. That's when I looked into his background." He closed his eyes, then covered them with his palm and exhaled a frustrated breath. "It's my fault for not checking. But time was running out, and I couldn't find anyone to take the job. You would think people need a job in this economy, but nobody wants to work. I feel terrible about it. I thought I was going to get sued. Dustin is on the registry!”
"So he's got a prior?"
"Yes! I had to let him go. I couldn't let him keep working here. Not after something like that. He's not even supposed to be around these kids." Nate shook his head. "It just doesn't makesense to me. He looks like a normal person. He doesn't look like one of those freaks, you know? He's a handsome young man.”
"I need Dustin's last name.”
He told me, then asked, "You think it's possible that an angry parent came up here and shot Cody, thinking he was Dustin?"
"I think it's a strong possibility," I said.
Nate cringed, and sweat slicked his brow.
"I need that guy’s name.”
