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Val glanced over the background check, then texted it to Burke. As a security guard.
“He was a security guard in the hospital,” Burke said aloud.
Jace nodded. “He was, but said he picked up a few things while he worked there. Always laughed when he said it. Bobby, too. I didn’t get the joke, but I didn’t ask.”
“I’m sorry,” Kaj said. “I interrupted you. You went to get your cut fixed up?”
Jace looked surprised at the apology. “Yessir.” He hesitated, then swallowed audibly. “That’s when I heard Rick screaming. Bobby found me and went to get Corey from inside. When Corey came out, I thought he’d hurt me, too, but he didn’t. He was really gentle, y’know? But then he tricked me into telling him that Rick had lied.” Jace looked at the table. “I thought Corey would be mad, but... he wasn’t. He said he wouldn’t punish me, but that I just needed to drive him somewhere.” Jace looked up at Kaj, his eyes shiny with tears. “To here. He made me put Rick on your lawn, sir. He said if I didn’t cooperate, he’d either leave me, too, or he’d shoot me in the head.”
Val’s heart hurt for the boy. Elijah looked devastated.
“And then...” Jace shuddered. “That dog chased me and Corey laughed and laughed.”
“Where did you go after you left here?” André asked.
“Back to the camp. He made me wear a blindfold when we were leaving to come here, but he didn’t on the way back, and that scared me even more. Like he didn’t care if I saw where his camp was. He’d already shown me the gun when he said he’d shoot me...” He exhaled wearily. “I figured he’d beat me, too, but he didn’t. He just yelled a lot. And hit me with my shoe.”
“Why?” Kaj asked softly, and Val was glad for his gentle tone. Jace looked ready to break.
“Because I cried. He said I was useless. Then he locked me in Aaron’s quarters. It smelled bad and gave me a headache. This was Aaron’s jacket.”
“Meth,” Kaj said, and Jace nodded sadly.
“I wasn’t gonna tell you because Aaron’s got enough trouble, but I figure you’ll find it when you go to the camp. I found a lot of glass stuff, like in a chemistry lab. And a lot of money. I took a little when I ran. Just in case. I left it in Dewey’s truck. I parked it a block away from here, Mr.Cardozo.”
Dewey’s truck, Val thought. Maybe the rifle belonged to Dewey.
André nodded slowly and Val thought he’d ask about the rifle then, but he didn’t. “When was Dewey Talley murdered?”
“Not long after we got back. They shot him and pushed him in the water. And laughed.”
“That’s when you figured you were next,” Kaj said.
“Yessir. I had to get away. Oh, I forgot. Bobby and Ed left for a while after they... well, after Dewey. Then they came back with two people—a man and a woman. I never saw ’em before. They were blindfolded.”
André and Kaj both looked surprised at this. “Blindfolded?” André asked.
“They kept the blindfolds on while they walked to Corey’s quarters. After that, I started looking for tools to take the window out so I could get away. That’s when I found the money. And a rifle. I took it in case Corey found me, but I left it in the truck, too. I never fired it. You can check.”
Kaj nodded, looking relieved. He wants to believe Jace, too. “Trust me, we will check. Why did you come here?”
“I was worried about Rick. I shouldn’t’a left him here. I was too much of a coward to tell Corey no. I figured I’d hang around, maybe listen if you said anything about where you’d put Rick.” He swallowed. “I thought he was dead. I needed to know for sure. He’s at the hospital?” he asked, looking for reassurance. “You’re sure?”
“I’m sure,” André said. “I went with him in the ambulance. He’ll be okay.”
Jace’s shoulders slumped, relief on his face and tears in his eyes. “Thank you.”
“Didn’t you think we’d catch you?” Burke asked.
Jace looked exhausted. “I thought maybe, but I thought you weren’t looking for me.”
André tilted his head. “Why would you think that, Jace?”
“I heard Corey say that you thought Dewey was the driver because of my tattoo.”
Where had they gotten this information? Bobby must still have pals on the force.
Jace flinched when everyone stared at him. “Didn’t you think that? Was I wrong?”
