Read Online Blood Ties by S. J. Rozan - Free Book Online Page B

situation like this, you weren’t curious?”
    â€œDying from it. But this isn’t my problem. I’m looking for Gary Russell. I didn’t want to have to talk my way out of it when you found me in the house.”
    He gave a small smile. “Smarter than you know. This town’s real touchy about these things. Especially with outsiders.”
    â€œWhat does that mean?”
    He shrugged again. “Something like twenty years ago, girl got beaten up, raped at one of these things. Boy who did it shot himself a few days later.”
    â€œI guess living down that kind of thing could make a town touchy.”
    Sullivan looked at me. “What made them touchy was, they’d already arrested the captain of the football team and it made the national news. Heads rolled over that.” He turned to Burke. “Come on. We better see if we can get in. Gas may be on, something like that.” He stepped back up on the porch, turned the door handle: nothing. He didn’t tell me to get lost, so I stuck with them as they headed around the back.
    â€œCan I ask you about Gary Russell?” I said.
    â€œWhat’s your interest?” Sullivan asked, as Burke rattled the handles on the french doors to the living room. One of them had a broken glass panel, but you couldn’t reach the inside lock from it. We kept going. “Family hire you?”
    â€œNot exactly. He’s my nephew.”
    Burke was trying all the windows as we rounded the house. Sullivan said, “That right? You the mother’s brother?”
    â€œYes.”
    â€œThey didn’t tell me she had a brother in the business. When’d they call you in?”
    â€œThey didn’t.”
    â€œYou’re here.”
    â€œGary was arrested last night in New York. That was the first I heard he’d run away.”
    â€œArrested for what?”
    â€œHe picked a guy’s pocket, but they dropped it. They released him to me. He ran again.”
    â€œOh, shit.”
    â€œRight.”
    Sullivan’s mouth twisted sympathetically. “Well, at least you can tell them he was okay last night. Bet you’re in the doghouse, though.”
    I took out another cigarette, lit it in answer. I shook out the match, said, “How come you guys are involved? No offense, but most police departments don’t put a lot of effort into teenage runaways.”
    â€œYour brother-in-law is from here. Played football with my chief. Called him the first day after the kid didn’t come home.”
    â€œOld buddies, huh?”
    Sullivan just looked at me.
    â€œHey, Sullivan,” Burke called from behind some shrubs. “Back door’s open.”
    â€œGo on in,” Sullivan said.
    â€œDetective,” I said, and Sullivan looked at me, “if Tory Wesley was home alone and this was a party that got out of hand, where’s she now?”
    He eyed me. “Haven’t seen her around town, it’s true. You’re thinking she ran away, too?”
    â€œIf it was my fault something like this happened to my folks’ house, I’d run away.”
    â€œI might do the same,” Sullivan agreed. “She tight with Gary Russell?”
    We rounded the well-pruned plantings, followed Burke inside.
    â€œI don’t know. My sister thinks they saw each other for a while over the summer. I also talked to a kid named Morgan Reed.”
    Sullivan snorted. “Little bastard,” he said. “Punk-in-training, Morgan Reed.”
    â€œWho does he train with?”
    â€œUpperclassmen. Seniors and juniors. We got some doozies here, Smith. This is a quiet week, seniors are at Hamlin’s.”
    â€œThey’re football players? All your doozies?”
    â€œThis town, you can do whatever the hell you want all week, long as you win on Friday night. Morgan says Tory Wesley and Gary Russell are an item?”
    â€œWere. He says it’s long over.”
    â€œLong over? Russell