Chandler looked out the window. “I’d go out of my mind if someone I loved was murdered.”
24
On Borrowed Time
Jack sat at his computer while Chandler lay on Jack’s bed, tossing a baseball into the air and catching it again. Jack’s mom and dad weren’t home, which came as a relief to Jack. He hadn’t faced either of them since almost getting arrested. He didn’t want to see disappointment in their eyes.
“Nina’s going out with Bobbie G tomorrow,” Jack said. Apparently Nina put just about every facet of her life on Facebook.
“She just wants to tick off Two Point.”
“Probably.”
Jack had been hoping Facebook would allow him to find out more about some of the people involved in the case—especially Leland Chambers—but it seemed that social media wasn’t a great source of information, unless your name was Nina. So he clicked over to the Fairfield Times website to see if anything new had been reported. And sure enough, the lead headline read, “Grand Jury Set to Convene in Stacy Shaw Homicide.”
Chandler read over his shoulder. “What does that mean?”
“It means we’re running out of time.” Jack opened his email app.
“So what’s the plan now?” Chandler asked.
“Remember those two business cards Stacy had in her handbag? I’m sending them emails to see if Stacy had an appointment or anything.”
“That sounds like a long shot.”
“It is, but maybe Stacy was heading there. Luisa’s Luxe Hair Studio is across from the park on Holland Street, and it’s open till nine.”
Chandler shook his head. “I bet they don’t tell you diddly. Some random guy sends an email asking if a murdered woman had an appointment? And you think they’ll respond? Especially that fertility clinic. They have all those privacy laws and the whole patient confidentiality thing.”
“I know,” Jack said, “but Detective Clark says you should follow up on every lead. The serial killer Son of Sam was caught because of a parking ticket.”
“Sounds to me like you’re running out of ideas.”
“Thanks for the encouragement.”
The front door opened. “Are you upstairs, Jack?” his mother called out.
“Hey, Mom,” Jack replied. “Be down in a second.”
Chandler headed for the bedroom door. “I still can’t get over Nina. Bobbie G was seeing Evy. No good’s gonna come of that.”
Jack got up too, but stopped in the doorway. “Wait a minute.” He spun around and jumped back on the computer. He pulled up one of the Facebook pages he had been looking at, and checked the page owner’s relationship status. Single.
Jack hurried out of his room and down the stairs.
“I didn’t think you’d be home this early,” his mom said. “Happy birthday.” She kissed his cheek, then gave Chandler a hug. “Did you boys eat breakfast?”
His mom didn’t even mention the incident in the park. But she did give Jack a questioning smile. She was probably searching his face for any hint that his disgust for “Garbage Day” had lessened. It hadn’t.
“We’re good,” Jack said. “Hey, can I borrow your car?”
“Is something wrong with yours?”
“Nope. I’m just… doing a test. I’ll fill up the tank.”
“You don’t have to do that.” She walked over to her handbag and pulled out the keys.
“You don’t need it for work?” Jack asked.
“No, Mrs. Dillard will be picking me up in a few minutes, so I won’t be needing it. She and I are going to Foal Brook High to give them a hand with their new record-keeping system.”
“Great. Thanks, Mom. I shouldn’t be that long.”
“You can have it the whole day.” She gave him the keys. “Will you be around for dinner tonight?” Her voice rose, and her hands pressed together as if she were praying.
Jack knew what she was really asking: Would you like a birthday dinner with a cake? He shook his head. “I don’t think so.”
His mom smiled, but Jack read the disappointment in her eyes.
“Hey, do you know when Dad will be home?” he asked.
“He’s teaching a summer class. Did you need him for something?”
“I just wanted to ask him about an old student.”
“Who?”
“Alex Hernandez.”
His mother’s hand flew to her chest. “Please don’t tell me something bad happened to him.”
“No… Do you know the guy?”
She fiddled with the cross on her necklace, a sure sign she was getting upset. “He was your father’s student, oh, a dozen years ago. He was such a nice young man. Where did you see him?”