Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen

When Cass emerged from the house without his brother, a flash of anger hit hard. They’d come too far to leave empty-handed. Miles Wayland had to know where Travis was!

Gabe rushed forward, grabbing the kid’s shoulders and shaking him. “Where’s Travis? You need to tell me where he is!”

“Easy, Gabe,” Jina cautioned. “We’ll get him to talk.”

“Tell me where he is!” He shook the kid again, unable to hide his panicked distress. “Did you kill him? Is that it? Did you kill a seventeen-year-old kid?”

“No, no, no,” Miles stuttered. “No!”

“Hey, get him away from my son!” Gordon Wayland shouted from the doorway. “That’s police brutality! Let him go or I’ll file a complaint with the Newport Police Department.”

Police brutality would be if Gabe punched the kid in the jaw, which was tempting, but he managed to hold back. Nobody bothered to correct Gordon’s assumption that they were local police. He released Miles’s shoulders but didn’t back off.

“Mr. Wayland, I highly advise you convince your son to cooperate with us,” Cassidy said in a calm but firm tone. “If Travis McCord is dead, your son will face serious charges. First degree murder and kidnapping a minor, and those are just for starters. A young man’s life is at stake.”

“My son didn’t kill anyone!” Gordon shot back. But when Miles fell silent, standing with his head down and his shoulders slumped in defeat, his father frowned, and said, “Miles? You don’t know this Travis kid, do you?”

When Miles didn’t immediately answer, Gordon strode purposefully from the house, planting himself in front of his son. Gabe took two steps back, praying Gordon would convince Miles to cooperate.

“Miles?” Gordon glared at him. “I asked you a question.”

More silence.

“If you know something about this missing kid, you need to tell us,” Jina said as father and son simply stared at each other. “Every minute counts. If you don’t cooperate, and we find that Travis has been killed, you will face murder charges.”

Gabe noticed Miles went pale upon hearing that.

“However, if you talk to us now, I’ll let the DA’s office know that you cooperated with the investigation,” Cass added. “But if you don’t, then you’ll face the consequences of your actions in front of a judge.”

“Miles, please.” Gordon’s voice was low and urgent. His earlier claims regarding his son’s innocence had vanished as the older man seemed to understand Miles knew far more than he was letting on. “Tell them the truth. I know you wouldn’t hurt anyone. Don’t stand there and take the fall for someone else’s actions.”

“I don’t know where they took him,” Miles finally said. “Travis should have just kept his mouth shut.”

Gabe’s stomach knotted. “Who took him? Tell us their names.”

Miles opened his mouth to answer, but Gordon quickly interrupted. “Wait, I want assurances that you won’t press charges against Miles if he cooperates.”

Gabe would have instantly agreed but noticed that Jina and Cassidy exchanged a long look. “I have to run that past the DA’s office,” Cass finally said. “Your ability to get a deal depends on the extent of your involvement in the crime.”

“He’s not talking until we meet with the DA,” Gordon repeated. “I don’t want Miles to face any charges.”

“Fine, then we’ll take Miles to the precinct,” Jina said with a shrug.

Gordon started to protest, but Cassidy interrupted him. “We’ll talk to the DA’s office on the way back to Milwaukee. I’m sure we can arrange for one of the ADAs to join us in the interview.”

No! Gabe didn’t want to wait a second longer than necessary. Miles made it sound as if Travis was still alive the last time he saw him, but that was hours ago.

The men who had him may have already killed him.

“We’ll find him,” Cass murmured as Jina marched the cuffed Miles toward her SUV. “We’re one step closer Gabe. This kid will tell us what we need to know.”

“What if it’s too late?” He searched her gaze as dawn crept over the horizon. “What if they’ve gotten rid of Travis by now?”

“Gabe, I know this is incredibly difficult.” She wrapped her arm around his waist, hugging him close. “I won’t lie to you. It is possible they’ve killed Travis. It’s been several hours since they went on the run. But they’ve kept him alive this long for a reason. We need to stay positive. To have faith in God’s plan.”

He wasn’t sure he could do that, but he managed to nod. Everything she said was true. It had been hours since they’d found the phone in the restaurant. If they wanted to silence his brother, they’d have had plenty of time to do the job.

And if they hadn’t? He glared at Miles as he slid into the back of Jina’s SUV. “You need to get answers from him, Cass. And soon.”

“That’s the goal.” She hugged him again. “Let’s hit the road. I’ll make some calls along the way.”

“Where are you taking Miles?” Gordon asked. “I thought you were from the Newport police station.”

“We’re MPD,” she said. Then she rattled off the address of the Seventh Precinct police station. Gabe felt a flash of sympathy for the older man. Gordon Wayland looked as if he’d aged ten years since they’d arrived.

“Thank you. I’ll be there soon.” Gordon turned and headed back inside the cabin.

As he followed Cass back to their SUV, he asked, “Will you let Miles’s father participate in the interview?”

She shrugged. “By law, we don’t have to. But if Gordan can get his son to cooperate, I’m all for it.”

“Me too,” Gabe murmured.

“Are you able to drive?” Cassidy asked as they neared the rental. She pulled the key fob from her pocket and tossed it to him.

“Yes.” He gratefully took the key, knowing she’d get more work done on the trip back than he would.

They were back on the road and heading toward the interstate a few minutes later. True to her word, Cassidy made several calls. He listened to her side of the conversation as he drove. “Hey, Rhy, Jina is bringing in a suspect by the name of Miles Wayland to the precinct. We believe he has pertinent information regarding the disappearance of Travis McCord.”

If Rhy was upset about them leaving before he arrived, Cassidy’s expression didn’t let on.

He listened as she described how they’d tracked Miles Wayland to the cottage on Newport Lake. “We were checking the place out when Miles Wayland and his father, Gordon, arrived home. They weren’t cooperative at first, but once we arrested Miles, he pretty much intimated that he knew Travis but didn’t know where they had taken him.” A pause, then, “No, he didn’t say who they were. His dad stopped him, demanding a deal in exchange for his son’s cooperation with the investigation. My next call is to your brother-in-law Bax Scala to hopefully make that happen.”

Gabe pushed the speed limit, but the flash of brake lights up ahead made him groan. Of course, they were heading downtown right during rush hour.

“The one comment Miles did let slip was that Travis should have kept his mouth shut. I’m not sure if that’s related to the secret call he made to Gabe’s office from the disposable phone, or something else entirely.”

He had found that comment from Miles interesting too. It could have been in reference to the phone call, but Gabe couldn’t help but wonder if it was more than that. Like the fact that Travis had reached out to him in the first place about the gaming software. Prior to his being assaulted.

He hit the brake, slowing as traffic became more congested. At this rate, it would take twice as long to get back to the precinct as it had for them to get to Newport Lake.

It took a minute for him to realize Cass was onto the next call to Bax Scala. That conversation was short, and it sounded as if Bax was more than willing to meet them at the precinct.

“Everything set?” he asked when Cass lowered her phone.

“Yes, thankfully, Bax didn’t have court this morning, so he was able to rearrange his schedule for this.” She glanced at him. “We’re close, Gabe. Very close.”

He wished he shared her confidence, but until he could see Travis for himself, he found it difficult to believe. Losing his memory had limited their ability to work the case.

His gut clenched at the thought of facing his mother if they didn’t find Travis in time to save him.

“This is not your fault,” Cassidy said, reading his expression. “The responsibility lies with the bad guys. Not you.”

“Maybe.” He felt certain he had played a key role in this mess. And that the guilt would be worse once his memory returned.

A painstaking fifteen minutes later, he was able to exit the interstate. The traffic lights were in his favor as he navigated the streets to the precinct. He was surprised to see that Jina and Miles had just arrived as well.

The four of them walked into the precinct, Cass and Jina keeping Miles between them. Rhy came out to meet them, gesturing to the open interview room.

“Has he been read his rights?” Rhy asked.

“Yes, sir,” Jina and Cass replied in unison. “Miles’s father is on his way. Gordon Wayland requested the DA’s office to be present to make a deal.”

Rhy frowned. “Is this Gordon a lawyer?”

“I don’t think so,” Jina said. “He originally said he’d get a lawyer, but once he realized Miles knew more than he was telling us, he changed his tune to getting a deal.”

With a grimace, Rhy nodded. “It’s up to Bax how he wants to proceed.” Rhy met Gabe’s gaze. “It may be that we have to wait for a lawyer to represent Wayland.”

Swallowing hard, he forced a nod. “I understand. But the bad guys know that Travis reached out to me. It’s critical we find Travis as soon as possible.”

“We’ll find him,” Rhy said, echoing Cassidy’s earlier words. “You can watch the interview from the anteroom.”

It was another blow to know he wouldn’t be allowed in the interview room with Miles and his father.

All he could do now was to wait, listen, and pray.

Cassidy felt the anguish reflected in Gabe’s eyes all the way down to her soul. There were times, like now, when all cops chafed against the constraints of the legal system.

Obviously, the goal was to protect the innocent. A few months ago, when Jina had been a murder suspect, the rules had been helpful. But eyeing Miles slouched in his chair, with his stringy hair hanging in his face, she doubted he was an innocent bystander in this.

She grabbed a water bottle from the fridge and headed into the conference room. She offered it to Miles, who gratefully took it.

“ADA Bax Scala will be joining us soon,” she said as she took the seat next to the young man. “You need to understand you are being recorded. When ADA Scala gets here, he’ll outline the terms of the proposed agreement.”

Miles finally lifted his head. “Can my dad be here with me?”

She glanced at Jina, who shrugged. “That will be up to ADA Scala.”

As if on cue, the door opened. Bax strode in, sharply dressed in what was probably a thousand-dollar hand-tailored suit, followed by a very anxious-looking Gordon Wayland. “Miles Wayland? I’m Assistant District Attorney Scala. I understand you’re requesting your father sit in on this interview for support and guidance in lieu of an attorney.” When Miles blinked, Bax said, “Is that correct?”

“Yes. I want my dad, not an attorney.”

Bax gave a nod. “And you also understand this interview is being recorded?”

“Yes.” Miles sent a furtive look toward his father. “I don’t want to do any jail time.”

Bax sat directly across from Miles and his father. He held the young man’s gaze. “I’m willing to work with you, Miles, but you need to give me something that indicates you’re negotiating in good faith.” Again, Miles looked blank, so Bax clarified further, “I mean you need to give me some information that lets me know you’re willing to cooperate.” Bax leaned forward. “Is Travis McCord still alive?”

Miles grimaced. “He was the last time I saw him.”

“And when was that?” Bax pressed.

“I dunno. Two thirty or three this morning?” Miles made it sound like a question rather than an answer.

“Miles, I need direct answers to my questions. If you can’t help me, there’s no reason for me to make a deal regarding minimal to no jail time.” Bax was clearly getting annoyed. “Either you’re here to cooperate or you aren’t.”

“Miles, answer his questions.” Gordon nudged his son with his elbow. “Tell them about this kid Travis.”

“The last time I saw Travis he was being driven away in a van from the Homerun Restaurant and Bar. I can’t tell you the exact time, but it was somewhere between two thirty and three in the morning. The minute Turk found out that Travis made a phone call, they hustled him outta there.”

Bax nodded slowly. “Okay, so you know the men who have Travis. Is that correct?”

Miles lifted a bony shoulder. “Yeah, I know their names.”

“Okay, then. I will agree to dropping all charges against you in exchange for detailed information about who these men are and why they took Travis.” Bax spoke plainly enough for Miles to understand.

The kid glanced at his father, then nodded. “Okay.”

“One more thing,” Bax said with an intense gaze. “If we discover you lied to us at any point during the remainder of this investigation, this deal is null and void. Do you understand? If you lie, I will prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Miles hunched his shoulders again. “I hear you. No lying.”

Cass was impressed with how well Bax was managing the situation but could sense Gabe’s impatience radiating through the one-way glass. She sent a reassuring smile, even though she couldn’t see him.

“Who is Turk, and why does he have Travis?” Bax asked.

“I dunno his first name; the guys call him Turk, which I learned was shorthand for Turkow,” Miles said. “He’s the guy in charge. They took Travis because he discovered the hidden spyware in the Sorcerer’s Sword software.”

“Spyware?” Cassidy asked with a frown. “You mean the goal is to spy on the general public through the game?”

“Not like, to see them or anything,” Miles said. “There isn’t a camera. But the spyware will infiltrate the computer network giving them access to all online banking information.” Miles shrugged again. “They claim they’ll be rich in a matter of weeks, once the holiday is over and every kid across the world with money to burn has started to play the game.”

Cassidy glanced toward the one-way mirror again, imagining Gabe’s reaction to hearing this. They shouldn’t have been surprised to learn the root of this nightmare was money. Greed was the motive of most crimes. She knew he’d be upset that he hadn’t figured out the spyware aspect to the software he’d downloaded to the USB drive, but they had what they needed now. At least in part. They still needed to find Travis.

She turned back to face Miles. “Okay, you don’t know Turkow’s first name, but you must know the names of the others involved in this,” she said reasonably. “Start with how many guys were at the Homerun bar earlier this morning? You, Travis, and who else?”

“Three others. Turk, Lonny, and King.”

She frowned. “That’s not good enough. Those sound like screen names, not legal names. We need to be able to track these guys down.”

“I don’t know their real names,” Miles’s voice turned whiny. “We’re gamers. That’s how we know each other.”

This wasn’t nearly as helpful as she’d hoped. She glanced at Jina, feeling helpless. How could they possibly find these guys based on names like Turk, Lonny, and King? She turned her attention back to Miles. “Think back to the time you spent with them. You heard Turkow’s full name, right? Maybe you heard something else? Maybe Lonny stands for Lionel? And King is either a first or a last name?”

“Maybe.” Miles glanced at his father who was starting to look sick to his stomach at what his son was revealing. “My screen name is Millions. Because you know, that’s the end goal. To make millions so I don’t have to work at some dead-end job.”

It was all she could do not to laugh, cry, or scream with frustration. Based on the incredulous expression on Gordon’s face, his father felt the same way.

“You mentioned they took Travis in a van,” Jina said, turning the conversation back to the facts at hand. “What kind of van? A box van without windows? Or a minivan? We need the make, model, and license plate number.”

“Dark-gray minivan, I think it’s a Ford.” Miles did not sound at all confident. “I didn’t pay attention to the license plate. But if it helps, the Turk always drives the van. He doesn’t let anyone else get behind the wheel.”

“We can work on finding dark-gray vans that belong to someone with the last name of Turkow,” Cassidy said. “Is there anything else specific about the van? Dents or stickers of any kind?”

“Not that I remember,” Miles said. His expression was earnest as if he’d taken the threat about not lying to heart. “I didn’t pay any attention to that kind of stuff, you know?”

“What did you focus on?” Jina asked.

“The game.” Miles’s eyes gleamed with interest. For the first time since picking him up at the lake house, the kid came alive. Which was a little sad when she thought about it. A bit like Ben and Brian whose whole world revolved around games. “The game was the best thing to hit the market in years. Everyone had been talking about it for weeks prior to its release last week. Stores were selling out the minute stock hit the shelves.” Miles waved a hand. “I work at the Game and Go store, so I got to see it before anyone else. The graphics are phenomenal, and the levels are super hard.”

“How exactly did you get involved with Turkow and the others?” Bax asked when Miles took a breath. She sensed the kid would have kept going on and on about the stupid game without taking into consideration the fact that Travis’s life was at risk because of it.

The blunt question caused Miles to deflate. He stared down at the table for a long moment, avoiding his father’s gaze. “I connected with them on Dorian.”

At Bax’s confused expression, she said, “That’s a social media site for gamers.”

Bax nodded. “Okay. Go on.”

Miles swallowed hard, still avoiding his father’s gaze. “There were rumblings about this game making people rich. Like I said, Travis is a big name on Dorian, he’s wicked smart. Beats every game faster than anyone else, and there are a lot of gamers who resent him for that.” Miles paused, then said, “Travis bragged that he knew exactly how the game was being used to make money and that he was taking care of it.” Miles shrugged, then said, “After he made that post, he went silent on the site.”

Cassidy nodded as some of the puzzle pieces fell into place. “That explains why Travis was kidnapped, but we still need to understand how you got involved. Why were you at the Homerun bar?”

“Turk is a friend of mine,” Miles finally admitted. “We go way back to when Dorian was a relatively new site for gamers. He messaged me privately and said it was urgent that we get to Travis before he could ruin it for everyone. He said the game was incredible, and Travis didn’t know what he was talking about.”

“Wait a minute.” Cassidy held up a hand. “That doesn’t make sense. If Travis didn’t know what he was talking about, then there was no threat. No reason for you to get to Travis before he could ruin it.”

“Yeah, I said that to the Turk,” Miles admitted. “After a few messages back and forth, the Turk finally admitted the money-making scheme was for real and that he would make it worth my while to help him out.” He hesitated, then said, “I knew Travis from the Game and Go store. We shared screen names so we could play each other. I have to admit, he kicked my butt every single time.”

“Back to the money,” Cass pressed.

“Yeah, well, the Turk said we couldn’t discuss it online, only in person.” Miles still didn’t look at his father. “So I went out to meet with him.”

“How much did he offer you?” Bax asked. Cass wondered if he was regretting making the deal now that he knew exactly what was involved.

“Five hundred thousand dollars.” Jina gaped in shock, but Cass tried to keep her expression neutral. “He convinced me I would be halfway to my million-dollar goal if I helped them out. So I, uh, agreed to bring Travis to meet Turk.” Miles finally looked up from the table, his gaze beseeching. “I swear I had no idea that Turk and his buddies intended to hurt anyone. I didn’t even know that the spyware was inserted into the software to illegally access their bank accounts.”

“What did you think?” Gordon suddenly demanded. He took them all by surprise when he cuffed his son on the back of his head. “You didn’t think at all, did you? How many times do I have to tell you that there’s no easy way to make money? Nobody gets rich sitting on their butt playing stupid games. The only way to get ahead in this world is by working hard! A concept you can’t seem to comprehend.”

Miles hung his head, looking miserable.

“Okay, so you agreed to bring Travis to Turkow,” Cassidy said, getting them back on track. “Where did that meeting take place? Who was there, and which one of you hit Gabe Melrose in the head?”

Before Miles could answer, the interview room door burst open. Gabe rushed in, holding a laptop in his arms. The fact that Rhy hadn’t stopped him indicated he’d uncovered key intel to the case.

“Is this Turkow?” Gabe dropped the machine in front of Miles. “Is that the guy who has Travis?”

“Yeah, that’s the Turk,” Miles admitted. “I didn’t know his first name was David, but that’s him.”

Gabe lifted his gaze to hers. “I found him via the intel on the van. Now that we have a positive ID, I’ll run a search on all known properties. From there, we should be able to get a search warrant.”

“Go for it,” she said. “Get what we need. I’ll join you as soon as we’re finished here.”

She sensed Gabe wanted to argue, but he turned away without saying anything. A surge of satisfaction hit hard.

They had a viable lead. She felt certain that David Turkow would lead them directly to Travis.

Please, Lord Jesus, keep Travis safe in Your care!