“Jude! Snow! This is a surprise!”
“Hey, Uncle Gary,” Jude said, his voice lacking his usual enthusiasm.
“Come in! Come in! Get out of this damn cold wind.” He stepped out of the doorway, letting them into the narrow building. As soon as the door was closed, Gary wrapped Jude in a tight hug. The man was a brute with huge shoulders and chest. It looked as if he bench-pressed tractors in his spare time. And when he hugged Jude, it was as if he completely enveloped the man, even though Jude wasn’t particularly small.
Snow glanced around the little trailer that smelled of old, burned coffee and dust. There was a desk at the far end of the open room with a large walkie-talkie, old paper coffee cups, and piles of papers. Another table was shoved against the wall, with more papers and rolls of what appeared to be blueprints. Dusty old plastic blinds covered the windows but were open enough to let in the bright sunlight while revealing the worn and shabby appearance of the trailer. But at least it was warmer in the trailer than outside, thanks to the large heater he’d spotted at the other end of the long room. Snow was willing to guess that Gary had been working out of this space for a number of years and was as much at home here as he was in his own house with his family.
“I’m so sorry about Jordan. That kid didn’t deserve what he got,” Gary murmured against Jude’s head.
“Thank you, Uncle Gary,” Jude said. He stepped backward, his jaw hard like he was clenching his teeth.
“It’s good to see you, Snow.”
“Gary,” Snow answered, shaking his extended hand.
He’d seen Jude’s uncle several times over the years at various family functions and dinners. The man was a jovial, big-hearted guy with four kids and a wife who absolutely doted on him. But Gary was full of love. He’d been thrilled when Jordan asked to come work for him. From what Snow had gathered, none of his own kids were interested in construction, and Gary was looking to make his company into a family business that could be handed down over the generations.
“I was wondering…Jordan worked this site, right?” Jude asked.
“Yeah. He’s made some great progress since he started with me. Last week, I had him up on the second floor doing some framing.”
“Do you know if Jordan made any friends with people who worked the site? Did he hang out with anyone after work?”
Gary frowned as he scratched his bearded chin. “I don’t really know. Lot of the regular guys on my crew are late twenties to thirties. Got wives and kids to go home to. Not much for hanging out after hours.” He paused, his face scrunching in thought. “But there are a few framers who are young like Jordan. Maybe. You don’t think Jordan got hurt because of something here?”
Jude shook his head. “No. I just want to make sure Jordan didn’t get into something that got him hurt. He’s not hanging out with his old friends, and I was wondering if someone he worked with knew who he was hanging out with.”
Gary released a long sigh, plopping his fists down on his hips. “I don’t know what’s going on with that boy. I didn’t see him much on the site recently. I’ve had inspection delays and other issues keeping me off the site. But Jordan wasn’t at the last family dinner. Your aunt thinks it’s girl troubles. He stopped dating that Emily girl with all that…stuff,” he said, waving his hand in front of his face, “about six months ago.”
Snow had to look away to keep from laughing. He’d met Emily once at a family dinner. The young lady had lip and eyebrow piercings. Apparently, that combined with her rather dramatic eye makeup, had left an impression on some of Jude’s family.
“Do you mind if I talk to some of his coworkers? Ask if they knew who Jordan was hanging around?” Jude inquired.
“No, just let me grab my coat—”
“I meant without you. I’m worried if they see you, they might be afraid to talk.”
Gary stared at his nephew for a couple of seconds before he finally nodded with another sigh. It was breaking safety regulations without a doubt, but he at least realized that his workers were less likely to talk with the boss hanging around. Turning back to a worktable shoved against one wall, he grabbed a pair of bright-yellow hard hats and handed them to Snow and Jude.
“Wear these. Don’t stay long.”
“This shouldn’t take long,” Snow said, accepting a hat.
“Jordan’s crew was working the second floor of the second building, but they should be up on the third today. Look for a thin, young guy. Blond hair with freckles. Kind of squirrely. That’s Austin Finch. I’ve seen him and Jordan talking on several occasions. He’s your best bet on the crew.”