Page 19 of The Sinner's Son
“I’ll look at it,” Royce said. “I might not be able to fix it tonight if I need a part from the hardware store, but Jason and I can help you clean the kitchen. Right, kid?”
“Sure.” Jason had done more than his fair share of dishes over the years, with Dru working long hours to make ends meet.
Cayden turned redder. “I can’t ask you to do dishes.”
“You didn’t,” Jason said. “We volunteered.”
“Cay,” a frail voice called from somewhere in the house. “Is Dane back home?”
“No, Mama.” Cayden hung his head. “It’s Jason and his uncle, Sergeant Locke.” He stepped closer to Royce and lowered his voice. “I told her you were coming, but she’s forgotten already. They’ve put her on pretty strong meds to keep her comfortable.”
Royce settled his hand on Cayden’s shoulder. “I’m truly sorry for everything you’re going through.”
The young man’s head slumped forward, and his thin body trembled. “I just don’t know what to do. It’s so hard to see my mom like this. Dane has carried the burden for the past year and a half. Maybe he’s really had enough.”
“No way,” Jason hissed. “You know better, Cay. He’d never leave you to deal with this alone. He’d never abandon Nina.” Jason shifted his weight and rubbed the back of his neck. “Look, it’s probably easier to think Dane hit the road than accept the alternative, but he’s out there somewhere, and I won’t leave him. We have to bring him home…no matter what.”
Royce wanted to caution Jason not to leap to conclusions, but statistics didn’t favor a good outcome. There were a few scenarios that could explain Dane’s absence, and most of them weren’t good. “Let’s get started.”
Cayden really didn’t want to show them deeper into the house, but he finally gave in and led them down the hallway. Most of the rooms they passed were pitch-dark, but the musty odor of dust and neglect was ripe in the air. Cayden flipped on the kitchen light, and Royce’s heart lurched. Piles of dirty dishes covered every surface, and trash overflowed onto the floor. Empty pizza boxes and carryout boxes formed columns aroundthe room. The problems had started long before the dishwasher broke. Christ, what the hell had these boys and their mother lived through, and for how long? The gravity of the situation settled on Royce’s shoulders like a leaden blanket. He wouldn’t allow Cayden to live in these conditions, and he didn’t care what obstacles stood in his way.
A broken sob penetrated his thoughts, and Royce hooked an arm around Cayden’s neck to pull him into a tight hug. Great big, hiccupping breaths racked the boy’s thin body. “Don’t know what to do. I’ve tried so hard. I need Dane.”
Royce held him harder as tears leaked through his shirt. “I’ve got you now, Cay. You hear me?” The devastated kid nodded against his shoulder. “We’re going to get through this. One step at a time.”
Jason turned toward the sink, but not before Royce saw the tears streaming down his face. He opened a few cabinets until he found a box of trash bags. He pulled one free, snapped it in the air a few times to open it, and began tossing the obvious trash away.
Cayden pulled in a deep breath and stepped out of Royce’s embrace. He wiped away his tears with the back of his hand and assessed the room. “Okay. One step.”
Royce nodded. “What have you done to find Dane so far?”
“I called every hospital in a seventy-mile radius and talked to Dane’s friends,” Cayden said. “Struck out every time.”
“Friends other than Jason?” Royce asked.
“Jason and two others,” Cayden replied. “Dane didn’t have time to maintain friendships, so the other guys hadn’t talked to him in several months.”
“He tried to blow me off too, but I wouldn’t let him,” Jason said.
“Do either of you know if Dane worked independently or for someone else?” The guys exchanged a glance and shrugged.“Do you know if he developed friendships with other escorts?” Royce asked. “They often form buddy circles and develop safety protocols to look out for one another.”
“He’s mentioned someone a few times,” Jason said, not looking up from his task. “Only by a nickname, but I think I know a place to start.”
“See if you can get them to talk to me,” Royce said. “Be clear that I’m not looking to make any trouble for anyone. I just want to find Dane.”
“Okay.”
“What about Dane’s electronics?” Royce asked. “Phone, tablets, or a computer? Would you know any of his passwords? We might be able to trace his steps. We won’t be able to get a warrant just based on the little information we have right now, but if we could get into his accounts, we could track his movements.”
“Dane doesn’t sleep here every night,” Cayden said. “I think he feels weird being around mom after he spends time with clients.”
“Any idea where he’s crashing?”
“Probably with the same guy I’m going to talk to,” Jason said. “If Dane left stuff behind, it would be at his place.”
“Can you try to get in touch with him now?” Royce asked.
Jason put the trash bag down and retrieved his phone. He nodded toward the hallway. “I’ll step outside and call him.”