She rose. “Thanks for your time, Steve. We’ll let you get back to work. If you think of anything else, please let me know.” She passed him a business card with her cell number on it.
He fingered it and put it in the inside pocket of his navy jacket before he rose to escort them to the door. “Will do. Sorry I couldn’t be more help.”
“I do have one more question,” Reid said. “Do you know when Dex, one of your deck pushers, is due to come ashore?”
Steve went to his desk and jiggled his mouse. “I can find out. You know his last name?”
“Sorry, I don’t.”
“I might still be able to find him.” He peered at his screen. “There he is, Walter Dexter, nickname Dex. He’s ashore right now.”
“Could I get his address?” Jane asked.
“Sure. He lives right here in Pelican Harbor.”
The printer whirred to life, and a few moments later, Steve handed her a printout.
“Appreciate your help.” She took it and stuffed it in her bag before heading outside.
She squinted when she exited into the bright sunlight and turned to Reid. “What did you think? Keith sounded paranoid.”
“Sometimes paranoia is warranted. He appeared to be afraid, and now he’s dead.”
Heat shimmered off the blacktop of the parking lot, and she paused to think about it. “Maybe we need to talk to Tyler and some of his other friends.”
“I’m not so sure Tyler will remember.”
“But he might. Steve seems to think he’s getting better. How well does Will know Tyler?”
“They’ve hung out some after baseball practice, and he’s often been at the house. We could ask Will if Tyler has said anything about Keith.”
“I don’t want to pull him into any danger.”
“I don’t think a few questions will do that. I doubt he knows much.” Reid glanced at his watch. “It’s nearly lunchtime at school. We could grab him and Tyler a sub sandwich and meet up. I’ll text him.”
All this camaraderie made her want to take a step back, but she nodded, and they moved toward the vehicle.
* * *
Jane’s manner was still as stiff as a stork’s legs.
Reid scanned the kids shooting hoops and lounging in the shade of the water oaks and pecan trees lining the basketball court. He waved at Will and Tyler sitting on a bench under a giant tree near the gurgling creek.
“There they are.” Will waved at him, and Reid waved back.
Parker gave a joyous bark and raced to thrust his nose into Will’s hand. Jane wore the first genuine smile Reid had seen on her face all morning. Would she ever smile at him like that again? Hope seemed elusive after the hours they’d spent together. How different it might have been if he’d told her who they were as soon as they hit town. They might have been a real family now.
Jane stepped out ahead of him a few feet. Her eagerness to see her son always touched him with her craving to make up for lost time. She might be small, but she was a powerhouse of love and care for others.
Will grinned up at her when she reached them. “How’d you guys know lunch was going to be tuna casserole? I’d rather eat dirt.”
Jane started to touch his hair, then drew back with a quick peek at the other kids watching them curiously. “Lucky guess. Your dad got you meatball subs. That okay?”
“He knows it’s my jam.”
“Mine too.” But Tyler blinked and stared at the sack of food as if he couldn’t quite remember what a meatball sub was like.
He had a slight build, green eyes, and sandy hair that curled just over his ears. Reid could just make out the name Megan on the metal bracelet he wore on his left wrist. Another indication that he still wasn’t quite right when it came to his relationship with his ex-girlfriend.
“We had some questions for you both.”
Tyler’s eyes widened, and he pulled at his lip. “My memory isn’t so good right now. I’m not sure what you want, though.”
Will took the sack, then opened it and handed a sandwich and a bag of chips to Tyler. “It’s okay, Tyler. My parents will be cool with whatever you can remember. What’s up, Dad?”
My parents.
The casual pride in Will’s voice touched Reid’s heart. Family meant everything to a kid who’d had so little of it.
“I’m actually the one with the questions,” Jane said. “It’s about an investigation.”
“What’s up?” Will opened his sandwich and took a big bite.
Jane stared at Tyler, who was tearing open his bag of chips. “It’s about Keith McDonald, Tyler.”
The boy looked up. “Is he in trouble?”
Reid exchanged a glance with Will. Tyler had to have heard Keith was missing. His father would likely have discussed it with him. More of his short-term memory loss problem?
“He’s missing.” Jane’s voice was gentle. “Your dad said you hung out a lot with him, and he mentioned Keith had been acting like he thought someone was following him. Did he say anything to you about it?”
Tyler kept his head down and shrugged. “I don’t really remember.” He glanced over at Will. “When did we see Keith last?”
“Three weeks ago? He threw some balls for us, remember? You hit a home run.”
Reid wished he could comfort him. Kids that age didn’t want anyone to think they were vulnerable, though. Three weeks ago would have been before he took the baseball to the head.
“Yeah, sure,” Tyler mumbled.
Will took a swig of his Coke. “After practice, we went to the ice-cream store for milkshakes. Keith was all jumpy and huddled in the corner when a white pickup went by real slow. I asked him who it was, and he just shook his head.”
“Could you see who was driving?”
“It was a guy, maybe twenty-five or so, but I couldn’t tell you much beyond that. I didn’t get a good look through the tinted windows. I probably wouldn’t have even remembered that much if Keith hadn’t been acting so weird.”
Parker growled low in this throat, and his ruff stood on end. He stepped away from Will to place his front paws toward the creek.
Jane swiveled with her hand on her gun. “What is it, boy?”
Reid moved to her side. “You see anything?”
The brush rustled, and a large bull alligator charged from the vegetation. Parker lowered his head to charge and uttered a volley of ferocious barks. Jane drew her gun, but the dog had the situation under control. He forced the alligator back to the water, then trotted back with his tail high.
Will petted his head. “Good dog.”
The school bell rang, and the boys jumped up to toss their trash in the barrel. “Gotta go,” Will said.
Reid watched them walk toward the door. Jane touched his arm, and he turned to look at her.
Her eyes were soft. “That’s some son we’ve got. I love the way he was trying to take care of Tyler.”
“He’s always been that way. Little kids are drawn to him, and I’ve seen him make the rounds at school functions, making sure any new kids aren’t feeling left out. I can’t even claim any credit for it. It’s just who he is.”
He’d take that tender expression in her eyes over the contemptuous one any day, even when the tenderness wasn’t directed at him but at Will.