exactly true. I remembered what I had learned. But I
also wasn’t qualified to be making any kind of determination about
the man. Not without talking to him in the proper setting first.
And even then, I couldn’t call myself a psychologist. I knew enough
to be dangerous. The degree helped in the sense that a wet dishrag
helps when you run out of toilet paper. It creates a mess you can’t
just flush away.
“Best guess, Mitch?” Sam’s expression turned
serious. He thirsted for knowledge on what we were facing.
“This cat’s got no family that we’re aware
of. Just his wife and now she’s dead. He’s only got a couple of
friends that we’ve found. Born and raised in the city. Never served
in the military. Never spent time abroad or anywhere else in the
U.S. of A. He’s a loner. He’s suicidal, based on his actions the
other night. He might have killed his old lady. Would he do it
again? He’s on the run, he’s alone or with one other person. If
cornered, or in the right situation, he’d kill again. Especially if
the person he’s with is so inclined. He might have taken his wife’s
life, someone he cared about, at least at one time. If he did that,
he probably won’t hesitate to take another life that means less to
him. As for all the other stuff, we’d need a profiler to give us
some help.”
Sam nodded and said nothing.
“We might need to dig a bit deeper. Who was
the other guy? Maybe there was a childhood friend who moved away
that he’s kept in touch with.”
Sam nodded again, remaining silent.
“He’s not that old. We should dig up his
elementary school and see if any teachers remember him.”
Sam nodded. “Good idea.”
“Let’s also find out what happened to his
parents.”
“I got part of that,” Sam said.
“Deceased.”
“Yeah, I got that, too. But how?”
He nodded again. He pulled a notebook from
his inside pocket and jotted on a blank page.
“I see this guy killing himself before going
to jail,” I said. “I say that with one caveat though. One that
could lead to him making us take him out.”
Sam looked up from his notebook and lifted an
eyebrow. “Do tell, partner.”
“Huff said there were two of them. Now, we
still don’t know if the ID was good or not, but—”
“Strength in numbers. We find the childhood
friend, we probably find the guy Roy’s riding with, and maybe find
where they’re staying.”
I snapped my fingers and aimed my forefinger
at him. “You got it, bro. Let’s get the hell out of here.”
Chapter
11
I was on my cell phone before we got back
outside. I spoke so fast that Huff told me to slow down at least
ten times.
“Okay, Tanner,” Huff said. “I got some of
this in the works already. Expect to have the parental history on
my desk by the time you get back. I like the childhood friend
angle, but don’t get your hopes up there. I’ll get a couple guys on
it once we find out which schools he went to. Then we can see if
any of his old teachers are still present at the school or in the
area. Some of them might be retired by now. I sent Horace and
Fairchild out to act on a tip we received after you left.”
“You did what?” I shouted.
Sam turned his head, dipped his chin to his
chest and looked at me over the rim of his sunglasses. I waved him
off.
“Set your huge ego aside, Tanner. We need to
get this guy and bring him in. Besides, it’s not a tip on his
location, rather about him. A friend stepped forward, said he had
some information that could help us. I figure, at the least, he’ll
lead us to Miller’s social circle.”
“Speaking of that, let’s get his PC.”
“What?”
“His computer,” I said, leaving out the words dumb and ass .
“Oh, yeah, good call. I’ll get forensics on
that. Maybe we’ll find some dirty pictures on there.”
“Not quite what I was thinking, Huff, but
have at it.”
“Shut up, Tanner. You know what I mean.”
I wasn’t going there.
“All right, Tanner. You two get back
also wasn’t qualified to be making any kind of determination about
the man. Not without talking to him in the proper setting first.
And even then, I couldn’t call myself a psychologist. I knew enough
to be dangerous. The degree helped in the sense that a wet dishrag
helps when you run out of toilet paper. It creates a mess you can’t
just flush away.
“Best guess, Mitch?” Sam’s expression turned
serious. He thirsted for knowledge on what we were facing.
“This cat’s got no family that we’re aware
of. Just his wife and now she’s dead. He’s only got a couple of
friends that we’ve found. Born and raised in the city. Never served
in the military. Never spent time abroad or anywhere else in the
U.S. of A. He’s a loner. He’s suicidal, based on his actions the
other night. He might have killed his old lady. Would he do it
again? He’s on the run, he’s alone or with one other person. If
cornered, or in the right situation, he’d kill again. Especially if
the person he’s with is so inclined. He might have taken his wife’s
life, someone he cared about, at least at one time. If he did that,
he probably won’t hesitate to take another life that means less to
him. As for all the other stuff, we’d need a profiler to give us
some help.”
Sam nodded and said nothing.
“We might need to dig a bit deeper. Who was
the other guy? Maybe there was a childhood friend who moved away
that he’s kept in touch with.”
Sam nodded again, remaining silent.
“He’s not that old. We should dig up his
elementary school and see if any teachers remember him.”
Sam nodded. “Good idea.”
“Let’s also find out what happened to his
parents.”
“I got part of that,” Sam said.
“Deceased.”
“Yeah, I got that, too. But how?”
He nodded again. He pulled a notebook from
his inside pocket and jotted on a blank page.
“I see this guy killing himself before going
to jail,” I said. “I say that with one caveat though. One that
could lead to him making us take him out.”
Sam looked up from his notebook and lifted an
eyebrow. “Do tell, partner.”
“Huff said there were two of them. Now, we
still don’t know if the ID was good or not, but—”
“Strength in numbers. We find the childhood
friend, we probably find the guy Roy’s riding with, and maybe find
where they’re staying.”
I snapped my fingers and aimed my forefinger
at him. “You got it, bro. Let’s get the hell out of here.”
Chapter
11
I was on my cell phone before we got back
outside. I spoke so fast that Huff told me to slow down at least
ten times.
“Okay, Tanner,” Huff said. “I got some of
this in the works already. Expect to have the parental history on
my desk by the time you get back. I like the childhood friend
angle, but don’t get your hopes up there. I’ll get a couple guys on
it once we find out which schools he went to. Then we can see if
any of his old teachers are still present at the school or in the
area. Some of them might be retired by now. I sent Horace and
Fairchild out to act on a tip we received after you left.”
“You did what?” I shouted.
Sam turned his head, dipped his chin to his
chest and looked at me over the rim of his sunglasses. I waved him
off.
“Set your huge ego aside, Tanner. We need to
get this guy and bring him in. Besides, it’s not a tip on his
location, rather about him. A friend stepped forward, said he had
some information that could help us. I figure, at the least, he’ll
lead us to Miller’s social circle.”
“Speaking of that, let’s get his PC.”
“What?”
“His computer,” I said, leaving out the words dumb and ass .
“Oh, yeah, good call. I’ll get forensics on
that. Maybe we’ll find some dirty pictures on there.”
“Not quite what I was thinking, Huff, but
have at it.”
“Shut up, Tanner. You know what I mean.”
I wasn’t going there.
“All right, Tanner. You two get back