Page 44 of Cougar Point

Ronnie and I know what a trusty is, but we let him continue.

“When he stayed here at the iron bar motel, he made coffee, cleaned, ran errands, ran the library, that sort of thing. But he didn’t last long. He was an untrustworthy trusty, if you get my meaning. I should have never let him be one in the first place. He didn’t show any next of kin. For all we knew he didn’t have any. I wouldn’t have figured him for one of your relatives.”

WTF? It just gets better and better.

I say, “You say Vinnie ran errands. Did he always come back?”

“He did. But he couldn’t go far. He knew if he fled, he’d be charged with escape and do hard prison time. He wasn’t a bad sort. If you ask me, he just liked to gamble and drink and dabble in drugs. When he ran out of money, he’d do something stupid to get put in here. Three hots and a cot, we call it. Three hotmeals and a roof over his head. We have a few of those men. And women too. That’s progress for you.”

I knew what he was talking about. I’d arrested an older gentleman for setting off an alarm at a business last year. It was winter. Two feet of snow. All he wanted was to get out of the cold to sleep. In most cases the homeless don’t resist arrest and so we have to get creative with the charges—trespass, public intoxication, disorderly—just to get them off the street and let the jail nurse look at them. Vinnie has an addictive personality and his addiction is more powerful than his common sense.

“Lucas told us he wasn’t in jail now.”

“Released two weeks ago. Bonded out.”

Rebecca mutters, “Dad was right.”

Roberts says, “I know your father and I told him about Vinnie a day or so ago. How is he by the way? He sounded stressed over the phone. Is it because Victoria is missing?”

I don’t want to get into it so I say nothing.

Roberts reads the log. “Victoria Marsh paid his bond.” He looks at the sisters. “Is that your mother?”

The look on their faces is one of disbelief. Ronnie says, “That’s our mom.”

Roberts looks uncomfortable. “Sorry for asking. I’ve never met her but Jack always speaks of her fondly.”

So he’s close to Jack too. Jack, Robertson, and Longbow. I want to ask how he knows Jack but it really doesn’t matter. Jack’s very rich.

I ask, “And you never show a family member, emergency contact, anything on his record?”

Roberts shakes his head. “That’s one reason I took him off trusty.”

“I understand. Thank you, Captain. We were hoping to talk to some of the other jail staff. People that know Vinnie. And we’d like to see the visitor log for the dates Vinnie was here.”

Roberts picks up the phone and asks someone to come in. “Lieutenant Sitzman will help you. He has more hands-on day-to-day contact.”

Lieutenant Sitzman comes into the office. Roberts introduces us and says, “James, I want you to give these detectives any help they need. Detective Carpenter will tell you where to start. I’ve got to go to a budget meeting and may not be back for several hours.”

Lieutenant Sitzman gives the captain a strange look. “Uh, okay.”

“You can use my office. There’s Cokes in the mini-fridge.” He says over his shoulder, “I’m leaving you in good hands.”

THIRTY-TWO

The man had come back and pulled her across the floor and leaned her in a corner sitting up. Victoria has scooted on her butt to a wall. It’s so dark she’s disoriented but at least she can breathe. Loud footsteps reach her ears and the door opens, the light comes on, and she hears the rattle of metal on concrete. Something has been set on the floor near her.

Strong hands grip her shoulders and pull her forward as far as her bindings will allow. The shoulder she’d been forced to lie on for days now erupts in pain, but she bites back the moan.

“Good girl. I’m going to cut your hands free. Don’t touch me or the blindfold. If you do, I’ll hurt you. Understand?”

Victoria nods and says, “I understand. Please don’t hurt me again.”

The plastic ties are cut and fall away, and a groan escapes her when she moves her arms in front of her.

“Raise your arms over your head. That’ll get some circulation going.”

She forgets modesty and does as he says. Her injured shoulder pops and she immediately feels relief. Not good, but better. Her arms automatically come down and cover herbreasts, and the man chuckles. The embarrassment makes her face flush and she swallows a sob at her helplessness.

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