Shanks, in the meantime, had gone back to the police station to get his own files and they were waiting for him to return. He hadn’t looked at any of the purloined material because as of yet, no one could figure out how to legitimize the files. Shanks knew that if he nabbed someone, he’d have to justify his investigation under oath. The saving grace was the life that all this activity had injected into Ellen’s stalled case.
William Vicksburg shook his head. “The police can’t use any of this stuff. It was obtained illegally. Who are you two looking at?”
Ro pulled out Kevin Barnes. “Him.”
William began to read the data. “He’s not a scientist, he’s a lawyer.”
Ben said, “An immigration lawyer who works for the government getting visas for its foreign scientists. He was at the hotel on the vernal equinox, Dad. I bumped into him. He smelled dirty—wet and musty—like he had just done some gardening. And this was at midnight.”
The man paled. “Oh Jesus! We’ve got to tell Shanks.” He wagged a finger. “Son, you are not going to start searching the mountains again.”
“No one in the area was reported missing, Dad. I don’t think he did anything, although I don’t know that for sure.”
“So why was he here?”
“Reliving something maybe.”
“If this is the guy, I’ll kill him myself.”
“You’ll have to stand in line,” Ben said.
Ro said, “No one is killing anyone.” She turned to Ben. “How’d you find out he was an immigration lawyer? I couldn’t find anything on him except that he’s a lawyer.”
“George Tafoya told me. He knows him from the lab. He thinks he’s weird.”
“George Tafoya thinks he’s weird?” William said. “How?”
“Nothing he can put his finger on.”
“Get me George’s phone number.”
“You can’t call him up,” Ben said. “His phone lines might be bugged.”
“Bugged?” his dad said. “He told you his phone is bugged?”
“He thinks his entire house is bugged. Whenever we talk, we go out and drive in my car. I told him everything I know about Barnes. He told me to back off and let him poke around.”
Dad said, “Exactly how many people have you enlisted for help?”
“Just Ro and George. And of course, Shanks.”
“What else haven’t you told me?”
“We think that Kevin Barnes is using aliases,” Ro said. “Specifically girls’ names so he’s less likely to be noticed.”
“How did he check into the Jackson using girls’ names?”
“We don’t question things like that, Mr. Vicksburg. It would be bad for business. We just smile and do the job.”
The doorbell rang. Ben got up. “Must be Sam.”
“I’ll get it,” William said. “Don’t tell Shanks any of this. I’ve got to think of a way to make this all legal. And certainly do not tell your mother any of it. I’ll tell her in my own time.”
Ben looked at Ro, who said, “The jig is up, Vicksburg. You’ve been officially outed.”
“I’m happy to let the experts do their thing.”
“I wonder if that’s true.” She stood. “Shall we join the others?”
“I suppose we have to.”
Ben’s parents were having a powwow with Sam. Haley and Lilly were on the couch in their pj’s, looking very scared. Shanks noticed it. “Might be better if the girls weren’t here.”
“I want to know what’s going on,” Haley said.
“Fair enough,” Shanks said. “After all your family and you have been through, you deserve to know. But first let me find out what’s going on, okay, Haley?”
Lilly tugged on Haley’s sleeve. “They’ll tell us when they know. Let’s continue on with our search for the perfect morp dress.”
Laura was still fuming at her son. Ben asked her, “You okay?”
“I have a terrible headache.”
“I’ll get you an Advil.”
“What I have can’t be remedied with pills.”
“Mom, I’m really sorry. But at least we’re getting somewhere.”
There were tears in her eyes. “Ben, our family has suffered horribly. In a single stroke, our lives were in shambles. A wound can’t heal if you keep picking at the scab.”
“I know. I’m sorry for all the misery I’ve caused you.”
“You didn’t cause me misery. He did. I just want some of the pieces put back together, even if the clay pot is badly damaged. Is that too much to ask?”
Ben’s dad said, “Laura, why don’t you lie down? I’ll catch you up in the morning.”
“What do they need you for, William?”
“One of us should be here. And Ro hired me as her lawyer. I have to stay.”
“So now you’re involved?”
“Do I have a choice?”
“No, I suppose not.” She walked out of the living room.
Shanks was already sitting at the dining room table, booting up his laptop. Ro said, “I’ll make some coffee.”
“I’ll make it.” Ben got up and started a pot. Ro was smoothing out her prom dress. It was then that Ben realized he was still wearing his rented tux. “I’m going to change. You want some sweats, Ro?”
“That would be nice.”
They went into his room and he tossed her sweatpants and a sweatshirt. “You’ve contacted your parents?”
“It was all I could do to keep my father from charging down here.”
“He’s welcome to join the gang.”
“Not on your life, Vicks. I also told them I’m sleeping over.”
“Why? I’ll take you home.”
“I’m not going out in the dark and neither should you. We don’t know where he is. Can I take a shower in your bathroom? My makeup is itching my skin.”
“Of course. You can sleep here. I’ll use Ellen’s room.”
“That’s okay with your mom?”
“Sometimes I sleep there. Sometimes my mom sleeps there. You know . . .”
“Yes, unfortunately, I do know.”
When they came back into the living room, Ro had changed into sloppy clothes, her wet hair in a towel. Without the dress and the makeup, she looked about fifteen, especially with the sprinkling of freckles across her nose.
Shanks was staring at his laptop screen. He opened up a briefcase. “Over my many, many years as a cop, I’ve learned to only ask questions if I want to hear the answers. Right now, I’m interested in getting information without landing either one of you in jail.”
“Same goal here,” William said. “I’m here as Ro’s lawyer.”
“That’s fine.” Sam took out a piece of paper. “Here is a list of scientists that I have been looking into since Ben told me his theory about the killer being involved in the labs.” He handed a sheet of paper to Ro and the same one to Ben. “Anyone strike your fancy?”
Ben scanned the names. Some were the people whom Ro and he had been looking into. “How’d you get these names, Sam?”
He gave Ben a long, hard look. “What do you think I do with my time, Vicksburg? Throw paper airplanes across the squad room?”
“Don’t take offense. You know me by now.”
“Yes, I do.” He tousled the kid’s hair, an act that was more appropriate three years ago. In Sam’s eyes, Ben was still a kid. “These names were chosen because the men on this list have been to three out of the four labs for business. We’ve investigated all of them, and by our thinking, none of them seems like a suitable candidate.” He paused. “But some of them do travel a lot. If you’re brilliant and happen to be a sexual psychopath, it’s a good deal for you. Talk to me about these names.”
Ben took a pencil and checked the names he recognized. To Ro, he said, “How are you doing?”