Chapter 12
Tessa
“The forum is called Retro Chevy.”
KC Kingma nods as he turns to his computer. One of the younger of Edwards County’s finest, KC is a techie with a treasure trove of knowledge of all things internet, who is often called in on active investigations for his expertise.
“I’ll find it.”
Remi finally shared a little more information after I showed him Ryan Wells’s picture. I didn’t enjoy doing that—scaring him into talking—but in this case I felt the end justified the means. I don’t want my baby to end up as Ryan did.
He admitted he knew our victim, although only by sight, both in person and from an online profile picture in a group they apparently were both in.
Although, Ryan had apparently used a handle instead of his name.
He’d seen the other kid around at a few of Linc’s high school football games last year—he played for the team of a rival high school—and recognized the boy’s picture when it showed up in the online group Remi joined at the end of the last school year.
That’s the group KC is looking into now.
Unfortunately, Remi still didn’t have a name for us, but at least he was able to share the way he was recruited.
He can’t remember who actually recommended the forum—he thinks it may have been someone from his shop class—but he says it wasn’t long after he joined that he was contacted in a private message.
The person who contacted him had the grille of an old Chevy as his profile pic and used the handle, KingRides-78.
In the message he was invited to connect with other young car enthusiasts in an exclusive group, and included a link for Remi to download a special app to his phone.
The phone that is now missing…as is Ryan Wells’s phone.
KC is going to look for that group, to see if he can confirm the other boy was a member as well, but in my gut I already know. I had a feeling there was a connection between these two cases and with every piece of information confirming it, my fear for my son grows bigger.
This app Remi was told to download looked like some kind of game at first. He had to enter information, his age, his location, and his dream vehicle, and then was given a series of challenges to complete.
Each was supposed to test his skills, but also held a certain monetary value.
His earnings would be held for him in a virtual savings account until he had enough to buy his dream vehicle.
The theft of the catalytic converters was one of Remi’s challenges.
He was given instructions to leave them underneath the dumpster in the alley behind the Bread they are willing to kill.
If they even suspect Remi spilled the beans—and they might once they find out we’re looking into their scam—they could well be back for him.
So as much as it pains me to give this case out of hand, I nod at Hugo.
“I agree. Call them in.”
As soon as he’s gone, I put a call in to Steve Haynes to share my updates, and give him the heads-up about calling in the feds.
He agrees with the decision, and says he’ll ask around if any of Ryan’s contacts have heard of the Retro Chevy forum.
He also offers to pass on the information to Zuri Warner, which I’m grateful for.
I still have a few potential locations to check out. It might be a wild-goose chase, but I’d like to at least be able to strike those off my list before the FBI swoops in.
“Can you hold down the fort here?” I ask Rick, stopping by his desk. “I’m going to check out those last few empty buildings we have on that list.”
“I’ll do it,” he offers, getting to his feet.
“You don’t want to be out of reach in case your kid is trying to get hold of you.
Besides, you’re the best equipped to put together a complete timeline with events, names, dates, evidence, leads, and anything else they need to know.
In my experience, it’s the first thing the feds will be asking for. You may as well get ahead of the game.”
I guess working for the Coeur d’Alene police department, Rick has had to hand over investigations to the FBI before.
“If you’re sure.”
“Yeah, absolutely. Where am I going?”
I hand over the list Rowan helped me compile. He quickly scans it and nods.
“Just three, that’s not too bad. But I notice the quarry isn’t listed here. Have you checked around there already?”
“Which quarry?”
“Lizard Peak. I think it shut down just a few years ago. Plenty of empty buildings that would be suitable for an operation like this.”
“I wasn’t aware,” I admit.
“I’ll add it to the list and will see if I have a chance to look around on my way back.”
Barely two-and-a-half hours later, when Special Agent Jason Mancuso shows up at the station, I feel reasonably prepared, thanks to Rick’s suggestion.
Still, it isn’t easy to hand over the reins, no matter how nice a guy Mancuso is.
He has me walk through the investigation to date, asking very pointed questions when I get to the attack on Remi and the things he confessed to me earlier in the day.
His intense focus on my son is a bit alarming. Mainly because his concern validates my fears, and negates what might otherwise have been conceived as parental paranoia on my part.
But that doesn’t stop me from feeling nervous when, a short while later, I find myself walking across the parking lot to the firehouse, with Mancuso on my heels.
Clem
I’m just about to close the bay door, when I catch sight of them: Tessa, marching this way at a fair clip, with some suit close behind her.
I have no idea who the guy is, but I’m willing to bet he’s law enforcement, and something about his expression has me brace for trouble.
“Clem, meet Special Agent Jason Mancuso. Jason, this is Clem Tanek, he owns this place.”
Although there is technically nothing wrong with the way she introduces me, it doesn’t sit well. It feels too impersonal, but I guess she’s working here in an official capacity. Besides, we haven’t even gone out on a date yet, so I’m not sure how else she could describe our connection.
Or maybe it’s just that I’m suddenly very conscious of my worn flannel shirt, oil-stained jeans, and the grease stuck to my hands and under my nails.
The guy surprises me when he holds out his hand, and I quickly grab my rag to give mine an extra wipe before accepting.
“Jason wants to talk to Remi, is he upstairs?” Tessa asks.
“Yeah, he’s been up there all afternoon. I’ve been checking in on him from time to time.”
She makes a move toward the stairs when her companion speaks up.
“You go on ahead, Tessa, I want to have a quick word with Clem.”
She stops and looks at me with an eyebrow raised. At my nod, she continues up the stairs.
When I return my attention to the agent, I catch him looking after Tessa before he focuses on me.
“Is there something going on I should know about?”
The blunt question takes me by surprise and for a moment I’m not sure how to respond, but then I get pissed.
“Do people generally respond to a question like that?” I finally fire back. “First of all, I just met you, so I have no way to know what you should or should not know about, and aside from that, where the hell do you come off asking something like that in the first place?”
“Relax,” he returns, his hands raised defensively. “I’m just getting the lay of the land here. She’s beautiful, smart too.”
“I’m well aware, thank you fucking much.”
The grin I get in response does little to stop me from wanting to plant my fist in his face. I think maybe I’ve been goaded.
But the next moment he suddenly turns serious.
“Interpersonal dynamics are important for me to understand in order to get a full picture of the situation. I have information that suggests that kid up there might be in danger, and so could his family. This was a fast way for me to find out if you’re friend or foe, which is going to be helpful when decisions need to be made about their safety. ”
I feel my anger deflate like a balloon.
“Whatever it takes.”
He claps me on the shoulder.
“Good. Let’s get this done.”
Upstairs we find Remi asleep on the couch, covered with the blanket that took me four months to finish. Tessa is in the kitchen, waiting by the coffee maker for her mug to fill.
“Hope you don’t mind, I helped myself.”
“Of course.”
I like she’s comfortable enough to make herself at home in my space. It feels good.
I briefly rest my hand on her hip as I slip by to get the creamer from the fridge. A small possessive gesture I can’t resist making, knowing Mancuso is probably paying attention.
“I thought I’d give Remi a few more minutes while I made coffee,” she explains to the agent as she doctors up her coffee. “It’s been a rough few days for him.”
“No problem,” he responds, taking a seat on one of the stools at the island. “I could probably use a cup of that as well, if you don’t mind. There’s something I probably should mention before he wakes up anyway.”
Tessa’s hand stills at that last part, and turns to look at Mancuso.
“What is that?”
“I’ll get the coffee,” I jump in, grabbing two more mugs from the cupboard.
I gently bump Tessa out of the way to get access to my Keurig, while keeping my attention on what the agent is saying.
“Your boss’s call earlier this afternoon raised a few flags. We’ve been keeping an eye on the reports of the car thefts around Spokane. We’ve had similar reports come in from Richland and Walla Walla.”
Both those towns are farther south, closer to the Oregon border. If connected to the ones in Spokane, it would suggest a much larger organization.
“Two months ago, a deputy from the Walla Walla County Sheriff’s Office pulled over a heavy-duty pickup truck hauling a thirty-foot car trailer, when he noticed a young kid behind the wheel at five thirty in the morning,” Mancuso continues.
“The kid said he was hauling the trailer for his father and handed over his driver’s license, but when the deputy went back to his cruiser to run the license, the kid took off running, leaving the vehicle.
In the trailer they found two high-end vehicles that were stolen overnight from two houses in the same neighborhood in Walla Walla. ”
“Sounds familiar,” Tessa comments.
“That’s what we thought,” the agent confirms. “Especially when you take into account that the kid who ran off and ditched the stolen vehicles was discovered four days later, his throat slit, lying in a ditch along a Walla Walla airport runway.”
“That’s why you got here so fast,” Tessa points out, looking shocked.
“You bet. If this gang is the same one your son got lured into, he is lucky to be alive.”
Glancing over to the couch, I see Remi wide awake, his face once again white as a sheet.