Matt
I explained everything to Nora after my phone call with Larissa. Elias's boys' case became highly profiled because it involved all five of them. Reporters had camped out everywhere to get information about the case. It became a nightmare.
I met Payton at his office. The Oakridge Sentinel covered the case, but Payton protected never included the victim's names.
"What's going on, Matt?" Payton asked.
I sat across Payton's desk in his office. "The newspaper covered a sexual abuse case years ago."
Payton leaned back in his chair. "Yeah. Mr. Leland had me cover it and print a story about it. Why?"
"Did you know the identities involved in the case?"
"Not at the time since the Judge wouldn't allow any press in the courtroom. With minors involved, the judge wanted to ensure their protection. It made my job difficult. So, I contacted my nephew Oliver since he was working the beat when the police arrested the person involved."
"What did Oliver Gray say?"
"Oliver said someone called in a domestic disturbance at an address. When the police got there, they arrested a nineteen-year-old male for sexual misconduct involving minors. He couldn't give me names since he wasn't the arresting officer, and it was an ongoing police investigation."
I leaned back in my chair and played with my bottom lip.
"Matt, we didn't know what happened to the boys until you told us. Afterward, I pulled previous news articles and checked them. I found something you might want to see."
"What?"
Payton opened a drawer, pulled out a manilla folder, and handed it to me.
I opened it and found different articles the Oakridge Sentinel covered. "What is this?"
"These are different articles about a street drug showing up at parties and schools."
"Okay. But street drugs have been around forever."
"Right. But this particular drug comes in different forms and is undetectable. The kids call it X. After you told us about Trevor Cox, I searched the computer for him. The police had arrested Trevor Cox for dealing drugs. He was also a registered sex offender."
"Tori checked OTIS religiously. It never showed a sex offender living on her street."
"That doesn't surprise me since not all offenders notify the state with an address change."
My mind processed the information. If Trevor was dealing this street drug to local kids, our family exposed him when the police arrested him. That meant Trevor's boss would know who our family was.
"Thanks, Payton." I stood up and left Payton's office to talk to Elias and Tori.
Tori was working from home today. So, I could kill two birds with one stone.
******
Elias
Owen worked on invoicing at the office while I showed Marty a few things at home. Val and Odin checked the supply trucks for any issues. This time it allowed us to have supplies ready for the new builds.
"Elias!" Tori called from the kitchen.
"Yeah?" I called back while drafting.
"Your dad's here!"
Marty and I glanced at each other.
"Why is Grandpa here?" Marty asked.
"I don't know." I shook my head. "I thought he was working at the shop. Here, take over."
Marty switched places with me while I checked to see what Dad wanted. Dad was waiting in the kitchen with Tori.
"I thought you were working," I said.
"I had some errands to take care of," Dad said.
I grabbed a pop can and stood with Dad and Tori at the kitchen island. "What's up?"
"I found some notes your grandfather kept about the boys' case."
"Why would Grandpa have notes about their case?"
"Dad wanted details if the police needed more information. But something caught my attention."
"What?"
"Larissa told me Grayson had clerked with a District Attorney when he started his legal career."
"But Grayson is a defense attorney."
"Right. Grayson switched sides after interning at the District Attorney's office."
"That doesn't make any sense." Elias shook his head.
"No, it didn't until Larissa said Grayson wanted to work on cases involving people old enough to know better."
"Wait. Grayson works with adults."
"Now he does. He didn't when he interned with the DA."
I stared at Dad and blinked. "What?"
"Grayson was clerking during the time of the boys' case."
"Grayson never said anything to us," Tori said.
"Grayson didn't know the case involved the boys," Dad said.
"Grayson wouldn't know if he was an intern. He doesn't have access to client names. It's the same with Marty. Only Owen and I have that access unless we deal with a difficult client. Then we would bring in Odin and now, Val," I said.
"Wait. I remember when the newspaper covered the story. Payton was the lead reporter on it. I couldn't cover it since it involved the boys, and the judge placed a gag order," Tori said.
I looked at Tori. "Would you want to cover a story about our boys and plaster it for everyone to see?"
Tori glared at me. "That's not fair, Elias. I would never expose something a heinous act with our boys. Don't treat me like the enemy."
Dad held his hand up to diffuse the tension before lowering it. "Tori would never hurt the boys for a job. You should know better than to question your wife about her intentions."
I wrapped an arm around Tori, pulled her to me, and kissed her head. "Sorry. I didn't mean it."
"You're a goober." Tori tapped me before sinking into my embrace.
"I didn't come here to start an argument. I'm here to piece a puzzle together. Trevor didn't register as a sex offender when he moved here like the courts ordered. That alone would have the police arresting him for violating his requirements with the courts," I said.
Tori and I looked at Dad with knitted brows.
"It wasn't until the altercation with Trevor's family the police found out Trevor violated his parole."
I narrowed my eyes and creased my forehead. "Grandpa was there when that all went down."
Dad nodded in agreement. "My dad was the one that talked to the police. I was too busy trying to restrain you from killing Trevor."
"Oh, I would have made Trevor's death slow and painful."
My dad shook his head.
Tori pulled away from me and leaned on the kitchen island with her forearms. "So, Trevor was a drug dealer and registered sex offender. He drugged the boys except for Marty. Jayden said the doctor found drugs in Demarco's system after Camille visited him. Oliver said a girl drugged Jordin at the restaurant. The family hadn't seen Dexter in three years until he showed up at the party with a little girl."
I leaned on the island with one palm. "What are you saying?"
"If Trevor was a drug dealer, wouldn't people have access to the drugs flowing through Oakridge?"
I glanced at Tori, then at Dad while rubbing my chin. I ran the information Tori presented through my mind. Then it hit me as a chill ran down my spine. "There was a reason Trevor showed up at the college."
Tori and Dad looked at me.
"The boys could link Trevor to the drugs. If you want to silence people from talking, what would you do?"
"You kill them," Dad said.
Tori and I stared at Dad with horrified expressions. My heart dropped into my stomach at the realization. Then my anger bloomed.
"Elias, people will find a reason to target your family. Trevor's boss wants to silence our family. I plan to stop him."
"How?" I shook my head with unshed tears from the anger radiating inside me.
"I promised your grandfather I would protect this family. I intend to keep that promise. Whatever happens, trust me with that promise."
"What are you telling us?" I gave Dad a sideways glance.
"Nothing that you need to worry about."
I looked at Dad, knowing he wouldn't tell me if I asked. But I trust him. My dad would never lie to us. If anything, he would risk his life for us.
******
Valentine
Odin and I checked all the supply trucks, searching for anything unusual. After what happened with the last truck, Dad didn't want to take any chances.
"What are we looking for?" Odin asked.
"Anything that would cause a truck to explode."
Odin turned his head to me and rolled his eyes.
What? Did he expect me to lie?
"Thanks for the reassurance, Val."
"Anytime."
Odin shook his head before climbing out of the truck and moving to the next one.
"So, what's the deal with you and your girl?"
"Who? Sofie?"
"Yeah."
"Well, Sofie hates her parents. I don't blame her. You didn't meet Haywood. The guy was a real prick."
"Yeah, Dad mentioned he wasn't thrilled with the client."
"Sofie's dad kept her prisoner when he was home. We had to sneak around so we could see each other. Ricardo helped us."
"What's Ricardo's deal?"
"Ricardo was Sofie's dad's driver until Haywood fired him. I hadn't seen him until the day Dad and Elias hired him. Why? Do you think Ricardo is shady?"
"Nothing is adding up with Ricardo. Don't you find it odd that he, Dexter, and Keaton are missing?"
"Yeah, I do. Ricardo was asking me questions when we were at the cabin about our family."
"Why? It's not like we have the best reputation."
"No shit. We got to talking about Grammy Maggie and her brother, Marco."
"Why would someone want to know about Grammy Maggie?"
"I don't know. But Ricardo was acting weird. He wanted to know how Grammy felt when she found out."
"What did you say?"
"Grammy was okay with it and accepted her brother."
I cocked my head at Odin. "Do you think Ricardo had other reasons for asking about Grammy?"
"It's possible. When I questioned Ricardo about his family, he mentioned a family adopted him."
I dissected everything Odin told me. If a guy has an adoptive family and no further background, why? No one materializes into thin air except for Casper.
"I don't like that look. Why are you making that face?"
"Oliver found Casper on the church's doorstep without any information. Your family found out later why."
"Casper's mom was protecting Casper from Casper's dad, who was a cop and an abusive prick."
"What if Ricardo is running from the same situation?"
Odin looked at me, pondering my question. "That would make sense. Ricardo claimed he had a foster family with the last name Diaz. His foster dad owned a small construction business. When Dad called to check Ricardo's resume, someone confirmed it."
"Odin, there is no one with the last name Diaz who owns a construction business."
"Are you sure?"
"Positive. Our dads have worked in the construction business since they graduated college. They never mentioned Diaz Construction."
Dad had a list of all construction businesses in the vicinity. Diaz Construction wasn't on the list.
"Someone's lying, and it isn't our dads."
Odin nodded in agreement.
My phone rang, with Marty's name popping up. I answered it. Marty proceeded to fill me in on what he heard at home. I ended the call after he finished.
"What now?" Odin asked.
I looked at Odin as my jaw clenched. "We need to head to my house."
"Why?"
"My grandpa was discussing history with my parents."
Odin nodded but didn't say anything.