Page 74 of The Advocate’s Ultimatum

“He did not wait for someone to tell him something,” Field said. “He asked questions, and when that didn’t get him anywhere, he started watching.”

“And you helped him?”

“It was either that or let him go out on his own. I was afraid of what he might do.”

“How did you help him?” JP asked.

Field took a breath, then answered in the same steady tone. “We set times, after school, evenings, and weekends. We paid attention to Gates’ routine, when he left, when he returned, whether anyone visited. August kept a notebook. He had dates, times, anything that repeated. And we watched for anything that might suggest he had her.”

“To what end?”

“We got nothing.”

“How did August take that?”

“Not well. In fact, one day he decided to follow Gates. He didn’t tell me beforehand or I would’ve put a stop to it.”

“Where did Gates go?”

“August was on his bike, and he lost him pretty quick. He came back frustrated. I told him not to do it again, and he listened after that.”

JP saw Field’s mouth turn up at the edge and something in his eyes darkened.

“What did you see when you followed him?”

“You’re good at your job,” Field said.

“So I’ve been told.”

“He went to a strip bar just off Rosecrans,” Field said. “He stayed a couple of hours, then went back home.”

“Did the police ever get involved?”

“They came by a couple of times because of the anonymous tips they got.”

“I wonder who made those calls?”

“A concerned citizen, no doubt.” Field sighed. “But that might’ve been a bad idea because Gates moved shortly after the second one.”

A quiet settled between them.

Then JP asked, “What happened with August? Did you ever see him after that?”

Field’s expression softened. “He came back after Gates was gone.”

“For what?”

“He was looking for work,” Field said. “August said he needed money to help his mom.”

“Did you give him work?”

“Yard work mostly and general upkeep, nothing complicated. He showed up when he said he would and did what he was told.”

JP glanced around the property. “Was he good at it?”

“Very. He was good with his hands and he paid attention to detail. That’s not common at that age.”

JP tilted his head. “I bet you taught him a few things.”