CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Back at the precinct, Ella willed the ancient desktop computer to life, ready to find an address for Roland Pierce. The computer wheezed like it was about to cough up a silicon lung.

Luca leaned against the wall, arms crossed, looking like he was posing for a calendar of Brooding Feds Monthly. Confirming Isabella Thorne's alibi had taken all of two minutes. Her CCTV feeds showed her in her office until the early hours.

‘Come on, Ell. It's a computer. I could have built one by now.'

‘Don't blame me. Blame lack of police funds.'

‘I do. Every day.'

‘Yeah, well, if Roland Pierce had a digital footprint I'd have found him already. But the guy's got no social media accounts.'

‘Pretty weird, huh? An actor without an online presence? Like having a car without wheels.'

The computer lit up, and Ella navigated to the Yamhill PD database. Most police departments in the United States used similar local databases because they all fed into NLETS, a nationwide system for communicating with federal agencies. So, the only thing that differed between precincts was the database version and the quality of the computers. The Yamhill precinct scraped the barrel with both.

Finally, the database loaded. Its interface was a relic from the days when ‘wireless' meant you'd lost the TV remote.

‘Yeah, it's weird, but we can get answers from him when he's in cuffs.'

Ella cracked her knuckles, ready to go digging. But just then, Sheriff Redmond barreled into the room like a freight train with a badge. ‘Got some intel for you two,' he announced, slapping a file down on the desk with all the subtlety of a sledgehammer.

‘Let's hear it.'

‘Talked to the vics' families. Or what passes for family in these parts.' Redmond tugged at his beard as if trying to coax words out of the wiry forest. ‘Natasha's family is still up in Portland. As for Van Allen, guy was a regular hermit. No family to speak of, at least not around here.'

‘Thanks, Sheriff,' Ella nodded, filing away the info for later. ‘Anything else?'

Redmond produced a sheet of paper from his back pocket like he was pulling a rabbit from a particularly deep hat. ‘Got this from Jeremy at the Screamatorium. List of guests from that group of punters before Van Allen was killed. And a list of the actors who were working that night.'

Luca grabbed the sheet and devoured it. ‘Great work, Sheriff.'

Ella asked, ‘You see Roland Pierce on that list?'

‘No. He's not on the list of actors or customers.'

‘Good,' Ella said. ‘I'd hope this guy wasn't stupid enough to use his real name as a customer, and he couldn't be on the actors list because he was a punter.'

Redmond's face scrunched up like he'd just bitten into a rotten apple. ‘Roland Pierce? How'd you dig up that name?'

‘Isabella Thorne, owner of Gallows End, dropped it in our laps,' Ella explained. ‘Said he was an old employee with a bear fetish.'

Luca's attention snapped to Redmond like a rubber band. ‘You know him, Sheriff?'

Redmond let out a laugh that sounded like gravel in a blender. ‘Oh, we know ol' Roland alright. Had him in here last year for indecent exposure, if you can believe it.'

‘Given what little I know about the guy, yeah, I can believe it.' She went back to the database and plugged in Roland's name. A criminal record popped up with vague details, but no address. ‘Can't get a location on this creep. Nothing in the system.'

Redmond loomed over the desk, blocking all of the light like a human eclipse. ‘You won't find one in there. Last time we busted him, he was shacked up in some non-profit housing out on Maple Grove.'

‘Assisted housing?' Luca asked.

‘Yeah. The guy has… troubles. Those housing units are off the grid. Some charity runs them.'

‘Maple Grove,' Ella said. ‘Where is it?'

Right on the edge of town, can't miss it.'

Ella was on her feet faster than a cat in a dog pound, energy thrumming through her veins like liquid lightning.

‘Luca, we're rolling. Time to pay Mr. Pierce a visit.'

Her partner pushed off the wall. ‘I'll drive.'

As they headed for the door, Redmond called after them, 'Pierce's place is the last one on the left. You want me to come with you?'

'No. Sheriff, can you do me a favor?' Ella pointed to the list of actors and punters from the Screamatorium. 'Can you dissect that list? Pull up everything you can on every name. See who has criminal records?'

‘Leave it with me.'

‘It's just insurance, in case Roland Pierce slips through the cracks.'

‘With any luck, we'll have this wrapped up within the hour,' Redmond said.

‘That's the plan. Come on, Hawkins. We've got a teddy bear fetishist to meet.'