Page 34 of Crossing Lines

Lucy growled, but he seemed unafraid as he held his hand to her. She sniffed and then sat down. Apparently she didn’t sense any threat from the young man, and that made Sam relax.

“Ricky Webster?” Jo asked.

“Yes, ma’am.” His smile revealed straight white teeth and a spark of unexpected charm despite his scruffy appearance. “Sorry about my grandma. She’s not feeling well these days.” He looked over Sam’s shoulder at his grandmother. “It’s okay, Gram. I’ll talk to them.”

Hazel shot them another suspicious look before shutting the door.

Ricky led them over to the corner of the porch, away from the door and, perhaps, his grandmother listening at it. “Can I help you with something?”

Sam showed his badge. “Sam Mason, WRPD. This is Sergeant Jody Harris.”

Ricky simply nodded. Sam couldn’t read anything in his slightly hooded eyes.

“We have some questions about Kirsten Stillwell.”

Ricky bowed his head and squeezed his eyes shut. When he looked back up, they were shiny with tears. “I can’t believe she’s gone.”

Sam waited a moment, trying to judge if his emotions were real or just a show for him and Jo. “We’re trying to piece together her movements that night and heard she might have been with you.”

He looked away and nodded. “We were supposed to meet up. She never showed.”

“And did that make you mad?”

Ricky frowned. “Mad? No. Sad, maybe. I figured she hooked up with another guy. I mean, it’s not like we had an exclusive thing.”

Sam glanced at Jo. He knew she’d be studying every tic of his jaw and scuffle of his feet to look for tells that he was lying.

“So you never went to the party?” Sam asked.

Ricky sighed. “Nah. I don’t really fit in there.”

“Oh? Why is that?”

Ricky shrugged. “I don’t know. I don’t drink as much as the rest of them, and I’m a little older.”

“So how did you meet Kirsten?” Jo asked.

Ricky’s gaze flicked to her, and he hesitated, as if trying to decide whether to tell the truth. “Online. Dating app.”

“I see.”

Stalkers often found their victims online. Sam contemplated getting a warrant for Ricky’s internet activity, but he didn’t have cause. Maybe they could dig something up. They still needed to talk to Victoria Thompson, see if she could find some holes in Ricky’s story. If what Hazel had said about this mysterious business in Pennsylvania turned out to be anything, he might be able to get a judge to sign.

“According to our records, Kirsten got a ride to the party from a friend but stated she didn’t need a ride home. Was that because you were going to take her home?”

Sam’s question had Ricky swiveling his attention back in Sam’s direction. “Yep.”

“But you didn’t go to the party, so how was she to meet you?”

“We were supposed to meet in the parking lot on that dirt road.”

That made sense. The parking lot was only about a five-minute walk, and the path was well traveled by people going in to party. But would Kirsten walk it in the dark alone? Had the killer grabbed her on her way to meet Ricky? Or had Ricky not wanted to go to the party so there would be no witnesses to tie him to Kirsten?

“How long did you wait for her?” Sam asked.

“About an hour,” Ricky said. “I forgot my cell phone, so I’m not sure exactly of the time.”

That explained why he hadn’t texted or called her.

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