"Here's where she died," Nick Lawford knelt to examine the worn carpet. Ashe was no longer listening; he stared instead at the photographs on a shelf just inside the door. Smiling back at him was the image of Amy Long, cashier from Jerry's Super Saver Market and Bakery.
"Mr. DeLuca," Ashe's voice was barely a whisper.
"What is it, Ashe?" Marcus and Jason both came to stand next to Ashe.
"I know this person," Ashe pointed to the photograph. "When did she die?"
"Monday night, shortly after she got off work," Agent Lawford replied.
Ashe gulped. "Uh, Mr. DeLuca, I have a confession to make."
Chapter 8
"You sneaked into Cordell to buy snacks." Aedan growled as Ashe hunched miserably on the sofa inside their belowground living room.
"The cashier said she recognized me—from Cordell Feed and Seed," Ashe muttered unhappily. "She knew Mom's name, too. I didn't give her mine—I don't do that," Ashe hurried to say.
"And this happens just before she's killed," Marcus said, pacing behind Aedan. Ashe was forced to admit that he and Sali had gone to Cordell at Ashe's suggestion—he made sure they knew that—to get snacks.
"A man was in the line ahead of us, buying a few things," Ashe said. "He wore a leather jacket, with those sharp studs on the shoulders," Ashe tapped his arm. "One of those could have caused a gouge in the doorframe at the Mayor's house."
"Son, why didn't you tell me this before?" Aedan frowned at Ashe. Ashe knew he was in enough trouble as it was.
"Because Sali and I were talking and I wasn't paying attention. I only thought of it now, while you were asking questions."
"Did he pay with a credit card?" Agent Lawford asked.
"No—he paid cash, just like we did."
"See if the grocery store has a security camera," Nick Lawford told Agent North. "Kid, do you still have your receipt or remember the time you were there?"
"I think I have the receipt. Let me check my pants pockets," Ashe said. Adele, who'd stood quietly in a corner while her son was questioned, followed him silently down the hall toward his bedroom. Searching through his hamper, Ashe pulled out the jeans he'd worn Monday afternoon and stuffed his hand inside both front pockets.
"Here it is," Ashe handed the crumpled receipt to Agent Lawford a few minutes later.
"The time is stamped on it; ask them to pull up the images around that time," Nick Lawford handed the paper to Derik North, who walked toward the stairs and the upper portion of the house.
"Dad, how would anyone connect me to anything?" Ashe thought to ask. "I think that man might have realized that Amy knew just about everybody in town. He may have tried to get information from her."
"That's true," Agent Lawford agreed. "Do you think she knew that you don't attend any of the schools in Cordell?"
"I don't know," Ashe shrugged. "Would that man be asking about me or about the others?"
"Good question," Agent Lawford nodded. "If he asked about the mobile homes from the other two victims, it stands to reason that he'd do the same, or ask about those children," he added. "And this is all speculation on our part. It could be completely unrelated."
"Do we know for certain that all three victims knew one another?" Marcus asked.
"Pretty sure—like Ashe pointed out, Amy knew just about everybody in the area, because of her job."
"Yeah. She said she recognized me from Cordell Feed and Seed," Ashe repeated. "So maybe they were hoping she'd recognize and remember somebody else, or would have heard something. They must really like killing, because she would have told them anything they wanted to know in the checkout line."
"Kid, you scare me sometimes," Marcus muttered.
* * *
Director Bill Jennings watched the entire scene play out before him. He'd asked Agent Lawford to attach a button camera to his shirt and he'd seen everything Nick witnessed and experienced, even while Ashe had everyone turned to mist. Going right through the front door of the latest victim's house had been disorienting but more than impressive. Vince, Bill's assistant, had watched with the Director during the course of the evening, shocked that a thirteen-year-old could accomplish such amazing feats.
"You know to keep your mouth shut," Bill reminded Vince before Vince went back to his duties.
"Of course I do, Director," Vince replied and walked out of Bill's office, closing the door softly behind him.
* * *
"I don't recognize him, but the image is so blurry," Jerry Southard, owner and manager of Jerry's Super Saver muttered as Agent Derik North pointed out the image of the man in the checkout line.
"You should upgrade your system and clean the lenses on your cameras," Derik grumbled. He could see—barely—the images of two teens behind the man in question, but it would have been difficult to use those images to identify Ashe and Salidar.
"And you say the two boys saw the man's leather jacket, decorated with studs?" Jerry asked. Jerry, a bit overweight with thinning brown hair, had owned his business for twenty years, taking the supermarket over when the previous owner had retired and put it up for sale.
"That's what they say. I can sort of see the black jacket, but I can't make out any details," Derik squinted at the screen.
"I'm sorry. If I'd known that this could have led to the arrest of Amy's killer," Jerry sighed regretfully, pointing to the images on the small monitor. Amy was a popular cashier at his store. Everybody knew and liked her and now she was dead.
"We don't know that; he's just a suspect at this point. But if he comes in again," Derik said.
"I'll call right away. I'll have the staff on the lookout as well."
"Tell them not to give themselves away—this is a murder suspect," Derik pointed out.
"Then I'll only tell my assistant manager; he's here if I'm not," Jerry said.
* * *
"Grounded," Aedan said as soon as Marcus and the others left. "You will come straight home every day and study, read or do homework. For two weeks." Ashe hung his head as his father pronounced doom. "Salidar and the others may not visit and you may not call them. And they may not call you." Aedan was so angry his eyes were blood red. Ashe was glad his father was tight-lipped when he spoke—the fangs were likely showing.
"Sorry, dad," Ashe muttered regretfully, lowering his eyes.