Page 51 of Jina

“That’s a good start,” Bell said with reluctant approval.

“Yes, sir. I interviewed his parents yesterday. They weren’t as forthcoming as I would have liked. Obviously, I read the report from the previous detective, since retired, prior to our meeting and tried to ask questions that might capture them in a lie. But they stuck to their same story.”

“And what story is that?”

“Per the detective’s notations, they didn’t report their son missing until three months after the fact, which in and of itself is suspicious. When I pressed them about why they’d waited so long, they informed me that Brad was an adult and could make his own decisions. Which is true, but not normal parent behavior on their part. I’d think most parents would be concerned if their twenty-year-old son dropped off the grid, especially in this day of cell phones. Apparently, they assumed he was either staying with a friend or had moved to Madison to find work. When I asked specifically about why Brad would head to Madison, they admitted he didn’t know anyone living there. I can’t help but wonder why they chose to believe he’d headed to Madison rather than Milwaukee or one of the other suburbs.”

“Is that why you don’t believe them? You think they made up the move to Madison to cover up their role in his disappearance?”

“Possibly,” Cole admitted. “I think Brad’s father is holding back. I sensed a strange vibe from him when it came to discussing his son. The old man owned and ran Peabody’s Pub. Brad dropped out of high school to work for them, but apparently, Henry Crow didn’t think much of his son’s work ethic. Brad allegedly made it clear he thought his being the owners’ son meant he should take over as bar manager, but the old man flat-out said that wouldn’t happen. Brad’s mom reluctantly confirmed they argued over that point the very last time they saw him alive.”

“You think they were in a physical fight?” Lieutenant Bell asked. “Maybe the kid fell and hit his head by accident.”

“Not sure about that, the old man doesn’t come across as being in good shape. I’d have to think the younger Crow would have the advantage in a physical scuffle. But as you know, anything is possible, his dad could have been in better shape twelve years ago. I also went to Peabody’s Pub to speak with Ian Muller, the former bar manager and current bar owner.”

“Wait, the Crows don’t own it anymore?”

“Nope, they sold it about eighteen months ago to Ian and Amy Muller. Ian remembers Brad very well. Claims the kid showed up late for his shifts or didn’t bother coming in at all. He also confirmed that Henry Crow assured him that Brad was no threat to his bar manager job. In fact, everything I heard from Muller echoed what the parents said.” He hesitated, then added, “Muller mentioned there was one time that Brad got in trouble with a bar patron. Seems Brad stared at one of the young daughters with such intensity he made the girl uncomfortable. The girl’s father stormed over to give Brad a piece of his mind and warned him about leaving his daughter alone.”

“Yeah, well, that’s interesting, but I don’t think it’s pertinent to the case. It’s a pretty weak motive,” Bell said. “It’s not like the vic touched the girl or made an obscene gesture. Can’t imagine why some father would bash his head in, then hide the body to cover it up.”

“True, but my thought was that Brad could have followed them home or maybe ran into them again at some other time.” Even as he made the statement, he realized that wasn’t likely. “Either way, Ian Muller doesn’t remember their names. He claims they weren’t locals, so I can’t exactly follow up on the incident.”

“Hmm.” The progress he’d made on the case, minimal as it was, seemed to smooth Bell’s annoyance. “What’s your next step?”

“Um...” He had to think for a moment. “The parents gave me the name of Wade Adams. He was Brad’s friend at the time. I plan to track him down and interview him next.”

“Okay, but what if Wade doesn’t give you anything useful?” His boss was awfully persistent this morning. “What’s next?”

Somehow, he managed to avoid looking at Jina. She was the biggest clue yet, but he had purposefully kept her out of his report. He cleared his throat. “I’m sure Wade knows more of Brad’s friends. Sounds like the parents were busy with the bar and didn’t pay much attention to what their son did in his downtime. I was also thinking I’d find and interview some of Brad’s female classmates. If he paid an inordinate amount of attention to young women, maybe one of them can shed some light on who might want him dead.”

“Hrmph.” Bell grunted, then said, “Fine, but work fast and keep me informed. We’ve managed to keep the name of the dead body found in the new construction zone out of the news, but I don’t think that will last long. Especially now that you’ve interviewed his parents and that Muller guy. Word is going to leak out very soon. That could be a good or a bad thing.”

“I understand.” He understood how this sort of news worked. People would call and claim they saw something suspicious, even if they didn’t. He also knew that Lieutenant Bell’s definition of working fast did not include taking a day off to set up Jina’s sting operation. “I’ll follow up with you later.”

“Not too late. I want results, Roberts.” With that, his boss ended the call.

Jina had obviously heard his part of the conversation. She slowed the rental to pull into the restaurant parking lot. Sliding the gearshift into park, she glanced over at him. “You didn’t mention me.”

“No.” He held her gaze, then shrugged. “I may have to at some point.”

She nodded thoughtfully. “I appreciate you giving me the benefit of doubt.”

He was giving her more than that. He was putting his entire career on the line for her. “I believe you didn’t kill him. I just need to figure out who did.”

Her eyes widened, then her expression softened. “Thanks for your support.”

Support? He’d call it more like going out on a very long, skinny, and about-to-snap tree limb for her. “Yeah, well, don’t forget you promised to help me solve this thing once we identify your shooter.”

“Gladly.” She killed the engine and was about to open her door when she paused, then turned to face him again. “Cole?”

“Yeah?”

She leaned toward him just as Zeke rapped sharply on the window. “Hey, hurry up. I’m hungry.”

“Never mind. We’ll talk later.” She turned away and pushed open her door. He wanted to hang onto the moment, but there was no point in wishing for a private moment with her teammates watching.

She took a moment to grab her bag from the back seat. He decided to grab his, too, in case they needed two computers, then quickly joined her.

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