From Bit’s last message, it sounded as if he’d gotten set up in an adjacent parking lot that belonged to a music shop. The spot gave him full view of the entrance, so he could monitor the foot and motor traffic to and from the structure. The majority of his week would be spent inside the van since she was confident the nursing home was at the heart of the investigation.
“A family member taught me how to play,” Brook responded, pushing the memories of Jacob teaching her the art of chess to the far recesses of her mind. “It’s been a while since I’ve met such a worthy opponent.”
They had played three games, and she’d come out the victor twice.
Jim Risner had returned to the facility and had recently stopped by the table to ask if she would meet him in his office. The chances of him asking her to leave the grounds were relatively high, and she wasn’t sure if she would be able to convince him otherwise.
Until Sylvie ruled him out as a suspect, Brook would have to avoid confrontation.
“You’re just trying to sweet-talk me, young lady,” Norman replied with a hearty laugh. She guessed him to be a few years older and in better health than Abe. “Are you single, by chance?”
Before Brook could reply, a young version of Norman walked into the room. He smiled brightly when he caught sight of them sitting at the chess table. He was carrying a white bag from one of the nearby fast-food restaurants.
“Morning, Grandpa.”
While it didn’t take a genius to figure out why Norman had asked Brook the standard question about her relationship status, she couldn’t help but think that he hadn’t had his vision checked recently. Either that, or Norman believed that his grandson was a few years older than his birth certificate read.
“Brook, this is my grandson,” Norman boasted proudly as he leaned back in his chair. Unlike Abe, Norman used a walker, which was positioned next to his chair. “Dylan, meet the lovely Brook Sloane.”
Dylan’s smile faltered when he met her gaze, and it was more than evident that he’d been watching the news lately. Still, he held out his hand for a proper greeting.
“It’s nice to meet you,” Brook said as she returned the gesture. She took her time gathering her coat and purse before pushing back the chair. “Your grandfather is quite the chess player. I’ll let you take over, though. I need to get back to work, and Mr. Risner asked that I stop by his office before I left.”
“I’ll head that way with you,” Abe declared as he unlocked the brakes of his wheelchair. He motioned for her not to make a big fuss over him. “No need to push me. I’m quite capable, you know. I just wanted you to feel useful earlier.”
“Norman, it was a pleasure playing chess with you,” Brook said as she folded her dress coat over her arm. “Maybe I can stop by again soon.”
“Anytime, my dear.”
Brook nodded toward Dylan, who had yet to really say anything else. She figured he would question his grandfather about her visit, but that wouldn’t technically be a bad thing. Bit would have already pulled information from the man’s license plate. She would soon have all the details to make a determination on if he fit her profile. She’d mentally already added some significant points, but she would need to let the team know what those additions were before the day’s end.
“I’m sorry that Norman wasn’t a big help,” Abe said as they continued down the hallway side by side. She walked slow enough that his arms wouldn’t have to work overtime. “I had hoped that he could provide you with more information on Nurse Jack.”
“Believe it or not, Norman was quite instrumental to the case,” Brook divulged as she glanced down at Abe. “His opinion of Jackson Ridgeway has me believing that the man had nothing to do with the missing women from three years ago. Ridgeway also didn’t crawl out of his grave to abduct Jenny Capshaw.”
“So where does that leave us?”
Brook couldn’t stop the smirk that had been tugging at her lips.
“Are you sure that you weren’t in law enforcement?” Brook asked as she multitasked her thoughts on several subjects. Risner wasn’t going to be happy that she’d spent the morning with his residents. She’d sent Bit a message to find out where the man had been most of the morning, and Sylvie had texted back that he’d had a dental appointment. The two of them had to be together in the surveillance van. “You do know that I was only here asking questions and not to recruit you as an informant, right?”
“You keep telling yourself that, missy. I’ll have you know that I would make an excellent informant. Don’t you know that teachers have eyes in the back of their heads?”
“I have to admit, the thought had crossed my mind back in the day.”
Once again, she couldn’t help but believe that she’d missed something when speaking with Jacob’s teachers. She’d take a look at her notes later tonight to quell her doubts. Today was all about gathering information on the current case so that she could finish rounding out her profile.
“Go ahead,” Abe asked as he slowed down right before their presence would be revealed to Amelia. “Ask me.”
“What do you know about Dylan?”
“Last name is different than Norman’s surname. Fournette.” Abe rested his hands on his black and gold blanket. “Dylan comes to see his grandfather every Wednesday for lunch and every Monday night so that they can watch football. The season has ended, so I’m not sure what they’ll watch now. And no, I don’t believe him capable of abducting women and then doing God knows what to their bodies. For all you know, those women could still be alive.”
“Do you think anyone is capable of taking another’s life?” Brook asked wryly, knowing that she would continue to get the same answers from Abe on every single person who she inquired about in relation to the residents and staff. “Abe, you were a teacher. Are you telling me that you don’t believe one child you taught was capable of killing someone?”
“On the contrary,” Abe replied as he held up a hand. He shook his index finger at her. “I was going to have you check up on a boy named Gunther. Gunther Leary. He’s got to be in his fifties by now, but that one…well, that one had a very black soul.”
Brook came very close to posing the same question that had haunted her for most of her life, but she refrained. In the end, it didn’t really matter if it was nature or nurture that was the result of someone’s soul being tainted with darkness.