Page 10 of The Smart Killer
Ray blew out his cheeks. “Another reason I’m here. Look. I have to speak to the parent of a teen we pulled in that night; you want to be a fly on the wall?”
“Ray. I can’t. If Savannah catches wind…”
“She won’t. I never asked you to lead the investigation. As far as I’m concerned, you just came by to give me a ride back to the station because I got a flat.”
Noah furrowed his brow. “But your cruiser’s fine.”
Ray turned back to his cruiser and pulled out a knife, ready to stab one of the tires.
“Ray!”
He laughed, stretching out his arms. “I’m kidding, I wouldn’t do that,” he said, walking back, a grin forming.
Noah shook his head.
Noah listened attentivelyto the conversation inside a home in the same cul-de-sac. Only the sound of a ticking clock could be heard in the background. A hound dog lifted his heavy eyelids from a nearby couch.
“He’s a good kid, officer. A little lost but good. I can tell you right now; he never started that fire.”
Denise Ellis was in her mid-fifties, an unusually frail woman for her age, but what she lacked in strength, she made up for it in other ways.
The home was spotless. Nothing out of place.
“You can understand why folks might be hesitant to believe that.”
“That was last summer and wasn’t intentional.”
“That he told you,” Ray said.
Seated on a well-worn armchair, Denise set her cup down, her manner polite, her posture upright. “Officer. Jason has been through a lot with my recent divorce. He’s sixteen, so it’s expected that he might act out. I’m sure you were sixteen once.”
Noah observed the interaction in silence. Getting a glimpse into Ray’s world on the job was rare. He could see some of the mannerisms of their father in his elder brother.
Ray pulled out his notepad and flipped a few pages. “June 14th last summer, he and two others were charged with more than 20 counts of arson in Adirondack County. Fortunately, no one died. Investigators determined the homes were deliberately set on fire. Three multi-unit residential buildings and some smaller fires nearby. He was caught on camera, Ms. Ellis.”
“Setting a shed afire. Not the homes. That was the other two. My son fell in with the wrong crowd.”
“That’s not what the other two said. Their statement was...” He flipped pages again.
“I know what they said, officer,” Denise erupted, cutting him off. Then she sighed and looked back at him, composed. “I’m sorry. Listen, I know what they said, but he wasn’t the instigator, and if you have any doubts, I’m sure the cameras in this neighborhood will clear that up.”
“We’re combing through that footage.” Ray looked back down at his notes. “Neighbors reported him stumbling around incoherent, appearing to be high on drugs. An officer from ourdepartment took him to the hospital for assessment, where it was confirmed that narcotics were in his system.”
“Like I said, my divorce and the last year have taken a toll on him. He was locked out of the house. Forgot his key. Drug use or not, that doesn’t mean he was responsible for the fire over at the Johnsons.’”
Ray studied her. “You were working that evening at the diner in town.”
“I work every evening.”
“And you felt comfortable leaving him at home?”
“Officer, do you own a home?”
“I do.”
“Well, then you would understand, a home like this doesn’t pay for itself. Without a partner, I am left to work two jobs to provide my kid some semblance of normal life. I’m afraid I don’t have the luxury of being here at all hours. Jason is mature and responsible enough to take care of himself.”
Ray glanced up at Noah, rolled his eyes, and then looked at her. “No offense, Ms. Ellis, but the drug use would beg to differ.”
