“Is Morgan Riley working today?” I asked him, trying to keep my voice calm and even.
“Who’s askin’?”
“I’m working with CPD on the missing girl.” Not a lie. I just hoped he didn’t ask me for ID.
“Morgan already talked to the cops. She doesn’t know anything.”
“Well now we need to speak to her again. Is she here or not?” I asked, losing my grip on my calm once again. I didn’t have time for this shit.
“She’s out back, on her break.” He finally relented, pointing a thumb behind his shoulder to a door right at the back of the store, which was slightly ajar.
Not bothering to utter another word to the awkward fucker, I stormed down the aisle and straight through the door, out into a rough looking yard, stacked high with pallets and metal cages filled with boxes and trash.
Everything was covered with a fine dusting of snow and it smelled like crap out there.
I looked around impatiently and found a small older woman sitting on a stack of pallets, hunched in on herself against the cold, a lit cigarette in her hand.
“Morgan Riley?” I asked as I approached, stopping a few feet before her. She looked up hurriedly and studied me with a scowl.
“Who are you? It’s staff only back here.” She growled, her voice a little rough, likely from years of smoking. Her hair was grey and scraped back to a bun at the nape of her neck. Her face was a little red and heavily wrinkled. She looked exhausted and stressed out, her body way too thin in her oversized uniform.
“My name’s Matt Garcia. I’m working with the CPD on finding the missing child.”
“I already told your guys, it was a mix up. I haven’t seen the guy you’re looking for.” She sighed, dropping her cigarette to the floor and stamping it out with her foot. She stood up and started to move around me, but I couldn’t let her leave.
“Please!” I cried, desperately. “We need to find this guy before it’s too late.” She stopped just a foot away from me and looked up into my face briefly. I saw a flash of guilt in her face, then she looked down to her feet.
“Sorry. I can’t help.” She took another step.
“He has my girlfriend too!” I cried, and once again she stopped and turned to me. Knowing this was my best hope of finding a lead I pulled out my cell and showed her the home screen.
“This is Livy. She’s eighteen and a little over three months ago she escaped from where that motherfucker had been holding her for over eight years, beating and abusing her. Now he has her once again, and that little girl too. I have to find him. I have to get Livy back. Please…..if you know anything you have to tell me.” I pleaded as I showed her the photo on my homescreen of Livy smiling brightly just the week before on her birthday.
“You’re not a cop?” She asked.
“No. I’m not going to report anything you tell me. It’s not official, and whatever stopped you from talking to the cops, doesn’t matter. I just want to find Livy.” I looked into her eyes, showing her, as much as I could, just how desperate I was. She seemed to debate in her head for a few minutes, and then her face softened and she let out a deep sigh.
“No one can know I told you this. I’ve been threatened. My son’s serving a stretch upstate and I got this note. Said they’d hurt him if I spoke to the cops.” She whispered so quietly I only just heard her. She was clearly terrified.
“A note from who? Who knew you were going to talk to the cops?” I asked.
“I don’t know, kid. Note was in my mailbox.”
“No one will know you spoke to me. You have my word.” I assured her, just needing to know what she could tell me. I’d worry about who got to her once Livy was safe.
“The guy…..he looks just like that picture the cops showed me. He comes in here every Friday, just after midday, buys the exact same stuff…..cans mainly. He’s been coming every week for a couple months now. He never speaks, barely even looks up. Always wearing army type shit. He freaks me out….something wrong about him.” She shivered as she spoke.
“Do you know which direction he drives in from?”
“He doesn’t drive. Walk in from the East trail, then heads back the same way when he’s done. I’ve never seen him get in a car.”
“The East trail? Where is that?” I asked eagerly. This could be a good lead.
“Starts right across the street and leads up into the woodland. Hikers use it in summer, but it’s pretty deserted right now.”
“Thank you. I promise no one will know you gave me this.” I assured her, and I meant it. She had helped us more than she could know.
“I hope you find them both.” She said with a nod, then she moved off toward the door again.
“Just one more thing. Do you still have that note?” Kade would want to see it.
“No. I threw it out. Sorry.” She shrugged, then headed back into the store. I followed her and hurried back down the aisle and out of the store, spurred on by my new information.
Not wanting anyone who may be watching, to see me going straight to the trail after leaving the grocery store, I walked to my truck and climbed in. I wanted it to look to anyone watching me or Morgan, like she had given me nothing. I started my truck and peeled out of the lot, driving just outside of the small town before pulling over and parking at the side of the highway. I pulled up maps on my cell, looking for the trail Morgan had mentioned, then followed the marked hiking trails until I found one that came in from outside of town that would lead me to join onto the
