Page 144 of Sticks and Stones
“Corbin, how did you tie the three college students toBull’s Biker Bar?” he asked.
Corbin wasn’t shocked he was asking that, so he put down his fork and took a sip of water. Then, he shared what he knew.
“The neighbor who lived beside Graham Sinclair, the TA, said that his buddy was gay, and that he had mentioned hitting up a gay bar. The minute I heard it, I started thinking it was a good place to go to find abducted men. When I researched all the gay bars in the area,Bull’sis the closest to campus, and that seemed most likely.”
Yeah, but it was also a dangerous place. A place they told Corbin not to go.
The baby detective kept talking.
“Also, the two detectives mentioned to me that they were trying to get into the bar to work the trafficking part of their case—like they’d tried to get intoSynlast year—undercover. It was too much of a coincidence for me that it came up in my search, and their file.”
Yeah, that still didn’t give them a definite on all three victims went there. To take that route because two detectiveshad a suspicion, and because one out of three victimsMIGHThave gone there…
Corbin took a really big risk, and it nearly cost him everything—like his life.
Gene really had a problem with the two Vice detectives that made Corbin think going there was a good plan, even when they, themselves, couldn’t get in there.
Instead of losing his temper, which was simmering, he tried to focus on the case.
“So, you had definite confirmation that he went there?” Gene asked, trying to show Corbin how bad of a choice that was if notALLof the victims went there.
Corbin didn’t hesitate to tell him.
“Honestly, I’m not sure. The neighbor just mentioned the bar, and combined with the two detectives, it gave me another lead to follow. You guys always told me to follow every lead, just in case.”
Holy shit.
They’d told him to follow all of the leads if they were logical. This lead was based off of a Google search and a mention in a Vice file.
That was a big leap to clue.
From where he sat, Ethan was watching Gene, and there was a red flush moving up his neck. It was clear Corbin didn’t know how to read a room.
Because Gene was ready to blow.
When Gene looked over at him, Ethan gave him a look, and it said,‘breathe’.
Clearly, his poker face wasn’t working, and he appeared to be ready to go nuclear all over the damn place.
Corbin kept talking, not seeing how he was close to pushing Gene over the edge.
“The neighbor mentioned that Graham wanted to go to a bar because he heard it was a good time. I just had too many mentions of that bar for it to be a coincidence. You’ve always told me that there’s no such thing.”
His eye was twitching.
Oh, not Corbin’s.
GENE’S.
As for what Corbin was saying about leads, Gene was well aware, but he also told him going there was dangerous, and he didn’t seem to recall that part of the lesson, now did he?
As for whomever told Graham Sinclair, the third victim, that it was fun there...
That was a lie.
If it wasBull’s Biker Barthat he showed up at, it was anything but a good time.
In fact, it was a terrible time where you got your ass handed to you if you weren’t ready for it.
