Page 25 of Dead Man's List

David’s lips thinned. “Whatever.”

“I want the cops out of our lives,” Carla said quietly to him, then looked at Kit. “No offense.”

“None taken.” Kit rose. “Thank you for your time.”

Connor handed Carla one of his business cards. “Call either of us if you change your mind. And if you could have your attorney contact us as soon as possible, we can get the information we need and be out of your hair.”

From the corner of her eye, Kit saw Sam slip Carla one of hisbusiness cards, the one from New Horizons. The woman’s eyes filled with tears as she clutched the card to her chest.

“I volunteer at New Horizons,” Sam murmured. “It’s a shelter for teen runaways. If you send me their photos, I’ll pass them around and keep my ear to the ground for word of your boys.”

David sucked in a breath. “Carla.”

She lifted her chin. “They’re my sons, David. I will find them.”

David closed his eyes, but not before Kit saw the pain there. “I want to find them, too. But they don’t want to come home.”

Carla’s jaw twitched. “And if they did?”

“They’d have to obey the rules of the house,” David said wearily.

Carla looked like she wanted words with her husband, but she just promised to email Sam photos of her sons before showing Kit, Sam, and Connor out.

“Well,” Kit said when they got back to the car. “That was different.”

“What was that at the end, Sam?” Connor asked.

“Seems like David made some rules that Davy and Danny didn’t like and they ran away. David has given up on them coming home, and Carla refuses to do so.”

Connor squeezed into the back seat with a grimace. “Chances of finding those kids after a month suck.”

Sam sighed as he slid into the front passenger seat. “I know. I’ll make some calls, just in case. And the kids that come through New Horizons hear things. A few of them trust me enough to tell me the word on the street.”

Kit started the car. “Next stop, Jennifer’s Body Shop?”

Connor snickered. “I wanted to laugh so bad.” He waved his hand. “Drive on, Jeeves.”

“That’s Detective Jeeves to you,” Kit said lightly. “Run checks on Jennifer and her boyfriend Bran.”

“Like the cereal,” Connor deadpanned. “On it.”

Sam was already on his phone, sending texts. “New Horizons?” Kit asked.

Sam nodded. “If I can help them find their kids, I will. Carla Norton’s already emailed me the photos. I’m passing them on to the staff on duty today.”

Kit’s heart squeezed. The kids passing through the teen shelter were lucky to have a man like Sam on their side. “I know you will. Okay. Jennifer’s Body Shop, here wecome.”

Chapter Three

Mission Valley, San Diego, California

Sunday, January 8, 9:00 a.m.

Sam winced as Kit brought the car to a stop in front of the apartment building where the owner of Jennifer’s Body Shop resided. He’d just finished reading the plot of the movie the body shop was named for. “This is horrible.”

“Duh,” Connor said. “It’s ahorrormovie. You haven’t seen it?”

“Ah, no. No horror movies for me. They give me nightmares.”