Page 54 of Requiem & Reverie

He’ll be safe with Jonah. I’ll send my brother a text once I arrive at the location, to be sure he’ll find Oliver, and maybe if I’m lucky enough, he’ll find me, too.

Slamming through the hotel entrance, I race to my car in the lot, where I fumble to get the damn thing unlocked. Once that’s accomplished, I throw back the door and slump into the driver’s seat, scarcely taking the time to catch my breath as I start up the vehicle and squeal out of the lot, back to my house to search for the address.

19

Voss

I reach the Conservatory about twenty minutes before the doors close for the night. Only a few cars sit in the parking lot, and my gaze is glued to the rear entrance, watching for their owners.

Minutes pass before a blonde leaves the building, followed by a smaller group, possibly students, judging by their ages. Behind them, Simon Jeffries exits with a briefcase, looking as shifty as he did the day before, when I met him. Everyone in that department seems a little strange, but I suppose when a person spends the majority of their day peeling skin off dead animals, it begins to take its toll.

A security guard strolls up to the door behind him, locking it from the inside.

No one else exits.

“Fuck.” Resting the heels of my hands over my eyes, I let out an exasperated breath. It’s not until I lower my hand that I notice the man standing outside my window, and my muscles tense for a moment, ready to fight.

Simon Jeffries offers a slight smile and holds up his hands. “Sorry, didn’t mean to startle you.”

With a small bit of confusion, I roll down my window, prepared to strike his windpipe if I have to.

“Listen … you asked around yesterday. About a guy? Mid-forties?”

“Yeah. You know him?”

“I didn’t want to say anything there. But … I might be able to help you.” He adjusts his glasses and clears his throat. “Come back tomorrow, and I’ll take you to where he lives.”

“Why don’t you just tell me now, and save yourself some time.”

“I would need to access files, and as you can see, they’ve closed up for the evening.”

“A kid’s life is on the line, here. Why’n’t you go ask the security guard to let you back in. Tell him you forgot something.”

“The individual you’re looking for has hurt others?”

“Yes.”

“I suspected as much.”

“How so?”

“I had a feeling about him.”

“So, you understand the urgency. I need to know where to find him. Tonight.”

“You’re asking me to do something illegal, Mister Voss. And last I checked, you’re not the authorities. Please come back tomorrow morning. I’m happy to show you then.”

My instincts tell me to strap this little prick down onto a concrete slab and torment him until he talks, but I made a promise to myself a long time ago not to go after innocents. “What time?”

“Early. I typically arrive before opening, to get a head start on some work. Say about five-thirty, or so?”

“Five-thirty,” I echo. “You’ll be here.”

“With bells on. I’ll provide you with the address we have on file then.”

“Does he work in your department? No one seems to know who he is.”

“He’s not someone most pay attention to, but I’ve had my eye on him for quite some time now.”