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The man’s eyes narrowed the instant he looked them both over. He knew they were cops right away. The pair reached for their badges and held them up, showing no expressions but watching his every move.
“What can I do for you?” he asked.
“I’m Detective Vaughan, and this is Agent Spencer. You are?”
“Steve Jenkins.” When the mechanic noticed their puzzlement, he added, “Bob used to work for me. This was the only clean shirt I had.”
“Steve,” Vaughan said. “Jason Dalton’s parole officer said he works for you.”
“That’s right. For about a year. Is he in some kind of trouble?”
“No,” Vaughan replied. “We’re searching for a missing girl and believe he might be able to help us.”
“Is that the kid they been plastering on the news for the last twenty-four hours?”
“Yes,” he said.
“What does Dalton have to do with a girl like that?” Steve asked.
“That’s what we’re trying to determine,” Vaughan said.
Nodding, Steve ducked his head in the bay and called out Jason’s name before facing them again. “He’ll be right here. I can tell you he’s been working long hours at the garage. If you’re looking for someone to vouch for him, I’m your guy.”
“We appreciate that,” Vaughan said.
Jason Dalton stepped through the garage bay door, wiping his greasy hands on a clean towel. He was a tall man with large biceps that strained the edges of his short-sleeve blue shirt. The full-sleeve tattoos running down each arm were likely prison ink. His hair was as long as it had been when he had been arrested for speeding with Hadley, and the lines at the creases of his eyes were a little deeper, but he was still a good-looking guy.
Wariness sharpened the blue eyes for an instant. Vaughan could almost hear the man’s defenses slamming into place before Jason’s mouth curled into a grin. “What can I do for you?”
Vaughan introduced himself and Spencer. “We’d like to talk to you about Skylar Foster.”
His smile faded. “We’ve had the news playing in the garage. Have you found her?”
“Not yet. That’s why we’re here,” he said.
Jason shoved the rag in his back pocket. “Boss, you mind if I step outside for a moment with these good folks?”
Steve glanced at the clock. “Don’t take too long.”
Jason grinned and winked. “No, sir.”
The trio stepped outside and around the side of the building. Jason removed a pack of cigarettes and lit one. Smoke curled around his face as he exhaled slowly.
“You dated Hadley Foster in high school?” Vaughan asked.
“No. I knew her, and I worked for her father, but we didn’t date,” he said.
“How long did you work for Prince Paving?” Vaughan asked.
Jason scratched the back of his neck. “About a year. It was a good job, and Larry was a decent boss.”
“You quit a couple of weeks before Marsha Prince vanished,” Vaughan said.
“My leaving had nothing to do with Marsha. I simply got a better job offer in Florida. I liked Larry, but he didn’t pay top dollar.”
“Hadley was with you when you were arrested for speeding,” Spencer challenged.
“We had dinner once,” Jason said. “That night, as a matter of fact. We didn’t see each other again.”
“If I ran a DNA test, would yours match as Skylar’s biological father?” Spencer’s gaze was as blunt and direct as her question.
Jason’s intake of breath was slow as he stared at the glowing tip of his cigarette. “If I had a one-night stand with Hadley, so what? That was eighteen years ago. It has nothing to do with now.”
“It might have something to do with Skylar and Hadley’s disappearance,” Vaughan said.
“I don’t see how it could,” Jason said.
“Have you been communicating with Skylar through a secured phone app?” Spencer asked.
“That’s not against the law,” Jason said.
“No, it’s not,” she said. “Did you?”
Jason inhaled deeply. “Yeah, Skylar and I started texting in the spring.”
“Do you have any idea where she might be?” Vaughan asked.
“No.” He exhaled. “Have you asked her dad where the hell she is?”
“Where would Skylar go if she were in trouble and wanted to hide?” Vaughan asked.
“She’s got that boyfriend, Neil, wrapped around her little finger. You should ask him.”
“We did,” Spencer said.
“Ask again. If Sky was going to reach out to anyone, it would be that pencil neck.”
“When did Skylar find out you were her biological father?” Spencer asked.
“The kid is very smart. She always knew she wasn’t like Mark.”
“How so?” Spencer asked.
“Temperament. Interests. Apparently, kids like Sky sense when they don’t exactly fit into a family.” Another inhale and exhale of smoke. “Anyway, she tested her DNA against Mark’s, and it proved her instincts were right.”
“Did she ask her mother?” Spencer inquired.
“No. Like I said, Sky’s no fool. She knows Hadley would never come clean with her. Sky dug around in Hadley’s old papers in the attic and found a picture of Hadley and me. The kid looks like me. There’s no getting around that. I came out of work one day, and the kid was standing there. She asked me to dinner. We hit it off.”
“Why did you come back to Virginia after your release from prison?”
“It’s where I grew up. It’s home, for what it’s worth.”
“Can you account for your whereabouts over the last forty-eight hours?” Vaughan asked.
“Working mostly. You met the boss. Steve doesn’t like giving much time off. And he’ll tell you I arrived at work yesterday about 5:00 a.m. and worked straight through until 6:00 p.m. The security cameras picked up me arriving, working, and leaving. Steve will give you a copy.”
“Why did you approach Hadley back in July at the hardware store?” Spencer asked.
“I recognized her. Is there something wrong with talking to an old friend?”
“She looked a little spooked in the video footage.”
“I’m sure I startled her. It’s been eighteen years.” He checked his watch. “If you don’t wrap up this interview soon, my pay is going to be docked.”
“If my kid were missing, I’d be pretty upset,” Vaughan said.
“I’m worried. But I learned in prison not to wear my heart on my sleeve.” He flicked the growing ash off the tip of his cigarette and inhaled again. “Sky is a tough kid. And I’ll say it again. She’s smart. She’ll turn up.”
“Speaking of tough, we found Hadley Foster’s body this morning,” Vaughan said with no emotion. “She was stabbed to death.”
Jason dropped his cigarette butt to the asphalt and ground it with the tip of his worn boot. “I’m sorry to hear that. I didn’t wish her any harm. Did you find Skylar?”
“Not yet,” Vaughan said.
Relief softened his features.
