“So where are we off to, Starsky?”
“Fuller Street in Dunston. When Tilly—I mean Mattie—gave birth to Justyn, she lived on this road. At least that’s where she was found shortly after she abandoned him. It was listed in Justyn’s Social Services file.” I briefly wondered what Sean would say if he knew I was acting on information from Melissa’s case files. Ignoring the thought, I continued. “Most of the buildings in that part of Dunston are in a state of disrepair, if not condemned.”
“And yet that’s where we’re headed,” Makayla said ruefully.
“The police haven’t been able to find Justyn anywhere else,” I said. “Wouldn’t it make sense, if Justyn is revisiting his past and punishing people for their supposed crimes, that he’d hang out in the place where his misery began?”
Makayla nodded as she drove out of town. “Sounds like a good theory. But it’s also possible that we’re on a wild-goose chase.”
“I know. But what if we aren’t? We could break this case and get him off the street before he hurts anyone else.”
“At the very least, we have good sandwiches and coffee to keep us going.” Makayla flashed me a wide smile. “And if things get real boring, we can sing ‘Ninety-Nine Bottles of Beer.’”
I groaned. “Please, no! With a son who was a Boy Scout, I’ve had enough of that song to last a lifetime.”
Makayla laughed. “Okay, no singing, den mother. Let’s go stalk our bad guy.”
DUSK HAD FALLEN by the time we arrived at our destination. In the shadowy light, a dilapidated two-story apartment building lurked eerily between an empty lot and a mountain of debris from the demolished buildings nearby. It was small and narrow, and I doubted there could be more than six or eight apartments inside. Makayla parked across from it, alongside a small house with peeled paint and a sagging roof, and turned off the engine.
“Man, they could really use some neighborhood improvement here. You sure you want to do this?”
I nodded and pointed across the street to the apartment building. “That one’s not completely boarded up. See the door? It’s been propped open with a cinder block. I bet that’s where Justyn was born.” I gripped the car door handle. “Let’s check it out.”
Makayla grabbed my arm. “Girl, have you gone and lost your mind? If he’s in there, you’d be an easier target than a lame duck. And if he’s not, well, the whole building could fall down around you. I’ve seen playing card houses that look more stable!”
“But we won’t know it’s the right place if we don’t check it out. I just need to see if there’s any sign that someone’s taken up residence in this building—any evidence that Justyn’s been here.” I held up my bag. “I have no intention of confronting him, but if he is inside, I came prepared. I’ve got a can of pepper spray and my phone has 911 on speed dial. We’ll just peek in the doorway, okay?”
Makayla exhaled and reached into the glove compartment. “Okay, but I’m also taking my flashlight and this handy pocketknife I keep in the car. We are not going in that place blind and unarmed. Sorry, Lila, but your pepper spray just isn’t enough to make me feel good about this.”
As we crossed the road, the streetlights came on, casting a dim and eerie glow on the building entry. I stuck my head in, but all I could see was darkness. I pushed on the door and it creaked open. Suddenly, it swung in all the way and I lost my balance, tumbling inside.
“Damn it,” I whispered in anger and pain as my leg fell through a piece of rough and jagged wood. I knew it was wood from the feel of a dozen splinters piercing my skin at once.
“You all right?” Makayla aimed her flashlight at me.
I shielded my eyes from the glare. “Yes, be careful you don’t fall. Can you point the light at the ground?”
The beam illuminated a rickety ramp made of plywood, which had been placed where the steps had once been. The wood was partially rotted, and my leg was wedged in up to my thigh. No matter how hard I tried, I could not get enough leverage to push myself up and out of it.
“Oh, girl, it looks like I need to come inside after all.” Makayla gingerly climbed down the ramp and used her knife to pry away enough of the wood to free my leg. It was bruised and there were several fragments of wood beneath my skin, which was painful, but I was otherwise unharmed.