CHAPTER TWENTY
After AJ and Hiro checked every parking garage or lot, they tracked down the lot where the second car was parked. Right on the Riverwalk, no doubt he’d parked it there with hundreds of other cars, looking like a tourist.
Fitch and Sor walked toward the lot, seeing a young man welcoming people in. He was smiling, very polite, and looked to be no older than seventeen or eighteen.
“Hi, we’re hoping that you can help us,” said Fitch.
“Oh, hello. What can I do for you, sir? I hope you don’t need parking. As you can see that was my last one.”
“No, no,” said Sor. “We’d like to know about the car belonging to Professor Teller Wayne.”
“I can’t give you any information about that. I’ll lose my job.”
“Listen son, we think the professor has kidnapped a girl and might harm her. We need to find out where he lives,” said Fitch.
“No way! He’s always so nice to me and he helped me with some of my homework assignments. He gives me an extra fifty bucks just to make sure nothing happens to his car.”
“What’s your name?” asked Sor.
“Brett. Brett Bourgeois.”
“Brett, you’re not in any trouble at all. We just want to see what’s in that car and if there’s an address for where the professor lives.”
“I’m gonna be in so much trouble,” whined the kid. “I’m just trying to make enough money for my first semester of college. If I can do that, my folks will help me with the rest. I just have to prove myself or something.” The two men smirked at him nodding.
“Brett, you will not be in any trouble at all. This man is trying to avoid trouble. Please, son. A woman’s life is at stake and you could help us to save her.” He looked at the two men and nodded.
Closing the gate, he stuck the sign out that said ‘LOT FULL’ and walked them toward the old Chrysler.
“This one?” frowned Sor.
“Yes, sir. He drives a Jeep back and forth from his house. I guess it’s pretty far from here because it’s always covered in mud.
He drops the Jeep here and swaps it out for this one.
It’s always neat and clean. He’s pretty particular about the cars.
If I have time during the day, he asks me to go wash and vacuum it.
Sometimes it’s every single day but he gives me extra for that as well.
“When it’s raining, I have to take my shoes off so I don’t get mud or water in the car. I don’t mind because he gives me the extra money.”
“Have you ever seen him with a woman?” asked Fitch.
“Never. I mean, I hope this doesn’t offend you, but sometimes I thought maybe he didn’t like women. He’s so particular about everything. It’s not like the cars are luxury but to him you’d think they were.”
“Did he ever mention where he lives, Brett. Anything. Anything at all could be of help to us,” said Fitch.
“Well,” he said thoughtfully. “Once he asked me what I did over the weekend and I told him that my dad and I went fishing near Port Sulphur. He said he knew of the place and when I asked why, he looked up at me real strange and shrugged. He said he knew someone that lived out that way.”
“That’s very helpful, Brett,” said Fitch. Sor pulled out some papers from the glove box, all neatly folded and stacked in side.
“The addresses all say Arkansas. He never changed the registration or insurance address,” said Sor.
They put everything back exactly as it was, wiping the steering wheel and the seats, just in case. When they were certain they’d left no trace, they closed the car door and locked it, handing the keys back to Brett.
“If he should come by for the car or call, anything, I need for you to contact us right away,” said Sor.
“Yes, sir. He seemed so nice,” frowned Brett. “He never once yelled at me or threatened me. He always gave me huge tips and asked me about my school work and how I was doing. I don’t get it.”
Fitch stood in front of the young man and nodded, gripping his shoulder.
“Listen to me, Brett. Sor and I both served in the military. We try to stop men like this from committing any further crimes if we can. Sometimes, not always, but sometimes the nicest people in the world have very dark, very dangerous secrets.”
“How do I tell the difference? I mean, how will I know if someone is really nice because they’re just really nice or because they have a secret?” Fitch nodded at him, giving one more firm grip of the shoulder.
“That, my young friend, takes years of practice.”