Page 18 of The Dollmaker

“I don’t know,” Henry said. “What about the job Terry told Grandma about?” Henry challenged. “Whoever offered him a job might have hurt him.”

“I’ll go to the Quick Mart after I leave here and see if they have Terrance on surveillance tape. Do you know if Jimmy Dillon has a job?”

Edith shook her head, her eyes filling with fresh tears. “Selling drugs, no doubt. He was in prison for dealing.”

“Jimmy wasn’t a great father,” Henry said. “But I know he loved that boy.”

“The people Jimmy hangs out with wouldn’t care a bit about Terry,” Mrs.Jones said. “Jimmy has no sense. Always thinks every situation will work out.”

“Do you know the name of any of Jimmy’s associates?” Sharp asked.

Both shook their heads, but Mrs.Jones was the first to speak. “We try and stay clear of any dealings to do with Jimmy.”

“What about Terrance’s friends? What were they like?”

“All good boys. Ronnie and Garcia were his best friends. All three of ’em would rather play football than eat.” She rattled off their full names.

Sharp noted the names. “Do you know where I can find these kids?”

“In school, no doubt,” Mrs.Jones said. “And after school the football field for practice.” The old woman leaned forward, pinning Sharp with a surprisingly piercing gaze. “You’re going to find out who killed my boy.”

“I’m going to do my best, ma’am.” As much as he wanted to promise justice, cases like this didn’t always end in arrest. He handed Mrs.Jones and Henry cards with his contact information. “If you think of anything else, call me. And I’ll call you if any new information comes up.”

Mrs.Jones clutched his card tightly in her hand. “Thank you, Agent Sharp. I know you’re going to find out.”

Tension banded Sharp’s lower back. “Yes, ma’am.”

“I need to know why,” she said. “Why would someone hurt such a good boy?”

“I want to know that, too,” Sharp said. “I want this killer caught.”

Her eyes narrowed. “Don’t disappoint me.”

“No, ma’am.”

Henry walked him to the door, and he passed another collection of pictures featuring Terrance smiling and holding a football. “Is it smart for Grandma to get her hopes up? I know how it goes. The killer isn’t always found.”

The screen door squeaked as Sharp pushed it open. He imagined this same scene playing out twelve years ago with Roger and his mother.

There wasn’t a hole deep enough for this killer to crawl into. “I’m going to turn this place upside down looking for an answer.”

Henry flexed tense fingers at his side. “That would be real good.”

Sharp shook hands with the man and moved to his car. Once inside, he reached for a cigarette. He fumbled with the rumpled package, cursing when he realized it was empty. Crushing it, he tossed the packet onto the passenger seat and started the engine. He promised to give the damn habit up before it killed him. Soon.

He drove across the small town to the Quick Mart on Route 1. The store appeared to have been a part of a larger chain store at one point and then converted into a local business. A couple of cars filled the small parking lot.

Inside, Sharp moved to the register and showed his badge to a tall gawky kid. “I need to see the manager.”

“Yeah, sure.” The kid rushed around the counter toward the back of the store. Seconds later a heavyset man in his late forties ambled out. He wore a short-sleeved shirt emphasizing arms covered in tattoos.

As the kid returned to the register, Sharp again showed his badge. “I’m Agent Sharp with the Virginia State Police. I’m investigating a murder, and I was hoping you have surveillance footage from Sunday night at about eleven.”

The manager gave Sharp a long, pondering look as he slowly shook his head. “Tell me it ain’t Miss Edith’s grandson. She’s been looking for Terrance since Sunday.”

“We found him. He’s dead.”

The manager jabbed thick fingers through thinning hair. “Shit.”

---