“You know,” she said. “Maybe I should see this one alone. I’m not sure you made a great impression.”
“Fine, you’d be doing me a favor anyway. I’ll go over and see what Max is into.” He gave her a wink, and she turned and went in with Lily, using the same gentle, comforting voice that she had the day before.
“How’s it going?” Darek asked Max, who sipped his coffee and watched the screen with another officer.
“There’s barely any traffic on this one, although we think we spotted Victor from the photograph we had from his house on another. Looks a lot like him.”
“Anyone else?”
“Nope. No one suspicious. Some younger girls, a few guys in a group, one getting into a car. There are a few people passing through here and there, but most aren’t suspicious. A few of the files are blank, which is puzzling because the guy from the shop where these came from said that they were all here.”
“Maybe we should check him out,” Darek said.
Max smiled. “Already done. The guy is a college kid, clean, no priors. He was at work the entire night and has witnesses to prove it.”
“It was worth a shot.”
“Yeah, it’s getting desperate now that Victor’s MIA.” Max gave a frown and turned back to the screen.
“You should be in the other room,” Darek said. “The shit those people do to each other just to get off? It’s fucking crazy, man.”
“How does Lizzy take it?”
“Like she’s got a set of brass balls. I think I’m a wuss, no kidding. But I can’t deal with the way they treat their dicks. Sticking needles in it, shoving—"
“Hey, man, that’s enough,” Officer Talbot said, adjusting himself and making a face. “I don’t want to hear that shit, man.”
“No kidding,” Max said. “The worst I’ve ever done to mine is catch it in my zipper.”
“Oh!” Darek winced. “Done that, brother. But it’s not like we did it for shits and giggles. These people are getting their rocks off on this stuff.”
“No thanks,” Talbot said. “I’ll keep my vanilla sex, three nights a week with the wife, thank you very much.” Officer Talbot was an older man and had been married for years. He still adored his wife, and at one time, Darek had wished that his marriage was going to last just as long. Now, he couldn’t wait to get the divorce over with just so he could kiss the only woman that had caught his attention since Megan.
Darek sighed. “I’d take vanilla sex right now, too.”
Max shrugged. “I’m more of a rocky road man, myself.”
“I don’t even want to know what that means,” Darek said, exchanging a look with Talbot.
Officer Talbot cut his eyes in Max’s direction. “I don’t know, but if it’s nutty, you need to stop.”
“Darek?” Lizzy called out from where she stood by the door. “I’m ready for you. April canceled. She’s apparently starting a new job, so I’d guess she has no hope of Victor’s return, and Eli is about five minutes away.”
He left the guys and walked down the hall beside her. “Do I have to talk to that kid?” He wanted to go back, hang with the guys, and look at the footage. The kink and ink crew were creeping him out.
“Yes, and Lily wanted me to tell you hello.” She shook her head, clearly puzzled.
Darek straightened his collar. “I guess I made a better impression on her than you thought.”
Lizzy laughed. “No, I think the poor thing just likes men who yell at her. Are they having any luck?”
“No, not much. They think they found Victor, but there are a few blank files.”
“Blanks? What the hell?” She let out a growl and stopped outside the room. “Have you ever talked to the security company? We need to find out if there’s a glitch causing that. They’ll know. I’ll call them tomorrow and see if I can’t find something out. Max is not getting results.”
“In his defense, I’m the one who dropped the ball on that. Let me handle it.” He didn’t want Lizzy calling Alan Lowe’s office with a fucking attitude.
“Whatever, as long as it’s taken care of. I don’t want any stones left unturned.”
He loved it when she talked that way, with her naughty teacher voice. He wished he could tell her that, too, without her reminding him of the previous rejection. He’d just have to suck it up, grin, and bear it.
Darek opened the door, and an officer was walking Eli into the small room. The guy had changed his appearance. His hair was combed and trimmed out of his eyes, and he was wearing a button-down shirt and a tie.
“Eli?” Darek sat down and held out his hand.
“Yes, sir. It’s so good to see you again.” His voice was still effeminate, but not as exaggerated as before.
“It’s good to see you, too. Thank you for coming down.” Darek was as polite as possible, and Lizzy gave him a blank look like she was onto him.
Darek ignored the look and continued. “Eli, we’re trying to figure out if Victor told anyone where he was going the night of the murder. Do you happen to remember anything about the last time you spoke with him?
Darek didn’t think any of the people who worked for Victor would have any useful information, but then Eli cleared his throat. “He came to me asking about supplies. His travel kit was low, and I helped him pack it. He wanted to make sure he had everything he needed. He said the client was very particular.”
“Did he say anything that would lead you to assume anything about the client?” Darek asked.
“No, but I know he was supposed to come back. He had promised me another lesson.” Darek sighed and waited to hear another weird sex story from the boy. “I’m an apprentice, and he’s been instructing me on different artistic styles.”
Lizzy jotted something down in her notebook. “Did he tell you when your next lesson would be? Specifically?”
“No, but usually that means the next day,” Eli said. “He was in the shop every day at some point. Even if he didn’t open up or close, he never missed a day. He even taught me to use the latest printing program, for things we find online, but he had gotten called away, so he never finished that either.” Eli frowned. “I don’t know what I’m going to do now. Victor was helping me through art school. He said he’d never seen a talent like mine.”
“This might be a personal question, but you mentioned a mistress before?” Lizzy asked.
“Yeah, she heard about Victor being missing and turned me loose. She said she didn’t want the cops on her.”
“Why would we be?” Darek asked, narrowing his eyes.
“Because when she took me in, I was only seventeen.” Lizzy shook her head, and the boy leaned back in his chair. “I’ll never tell you her name.”
She looked him right in the eye. “I’d never ask. You were seventeen, and sometimes, seventeen is old enough to make decisions.”
Darek could tell by the conviction in her voice that she meant that with her whole heart, and he wondered just what had happened to her in her youth that she’d be so passionate about it. At that moment, seeing her connect with the kid on that level, he thought he might somehow love the woman.
They sent Eli on his way, and Lizzy sat back in her chair.
“Where did all that come from?” he asked.
“All of what?”