Page 29 of If She Remembered
"If he's legitimate, probably.Most small business owners are pretty punctual about client meetings."Kate moved away from the window and settled onto the uncomfortable couch."If he's guilty and planning something—or is he even suspects this might be some sort of set-up—he might be late while he scouts the area or sets up an escape route."
The living room fell silent except for the occasional car passing on the street outside.Kate found herself thinking about Allen and Michael, who were probably finishing up their afternoon routine at home.She'd texted Allen earlier to give him an update, but she’d left out a few key details, namely that she might be confronting a suspected murderer.
At exactly 4:02, DeMarco signaled from her position at the front window."We’ve got a white pickup truck pulling up… some sort of business decal on the side that I can’t read just yet.”
Kate moved to the kitchen window and watched as a man in his early forties climbed out of a slightly beat-up pickup truck with "Torres Handyman Services" painted on the side in fading blue letters.He wore work boots, jeans with paint stains, and a flannel shirt over a gray t-shirt.He was carrying what appeared to be a clipboard or estimate pad.
Michael Torres looked exactly how Kate would expect a working handyman to look.Medium height and build, with weathered hands and the kind of tan that came from spending most days outdoors.His dark hair was cut short and practical, and his movements as he approached the house were confident but not aggressive.He was quite handsome, complete with a worn and rugged look.His arms weren't all that muscular, but the T-shirt made them appear that way.
"He doesn't look like a killer," DeMarco observed quietly.
"Neither did Ted Bundy," Kate replied, though she had to admit that Torres appeared completely ordinary.No obvious signs of nervousness or unusual behavior as he walked up the front path.
“Um, actually, he sort of did,” DeMarco said with a small smile.
Torres knocked on the door with a firm, professional rap.Kate took a deep breath and opened it, immediately studying his face for any signs of deception or recognition.She put on her best smile as she greeted him.
“Hi,” he said simply.
"Ms.Kate?"Torres asked with a slight smile."I'm Michael Torres.You called about some repair work?"
Kate stepped back from the doorway."Please come in, Mr.Torres.”And then, as soon as he was inside and the door was closed behind him, all pretenses were dropped.“Actually, I need to be honest with you about why you're here."
Kate could see his expression shift from professional friendliness to confusion as he took in the sparse, impersonal atmosphere of the safe house.His eyes lingered on DeMarco for a moment, sitting on the couch almost casually.
"I'm Agent Kate Wise with the FBI," Kate said, showing her badge."This is my partner, Agent DeMarco.We'd like to ask you some questions about your handyman business."
Torres's face went pale, and he took an involuntary step backward toward the door."FBI?What...what is this about?Am I in some kind of trouble?"
"Please have a seat, Mr.Torres," DeMarco said, gesturing toward the couch."We just want to ask you about some work you may have done recently."
Torres looked back and forth between the two agents, his clipboard clutched tightly in his hands."Shit,” he hissed, not in anger but something like disappointment."Look, I know I should keep better records, but most of my clients pay cash and I don't always..."
"Mr.Torres, this isn't about taxes," Kate interrupted, settling into the chair across from the couch."We're investigating some suspicious deaths, and your name came up in connection with the victims."
"Deaths?"Torres's voice cracked slightly, and his expression dropped to something resembling true terror."What kind of deaths?I don't… I don't understand."
Kate studied his body language carefully.Torres appeared genuinely terrified and confused, not like someone who had been caught in a lie.His hands were shaking slightly, and his breathing had quickened in a way that suggested real anxiety rather than calculated performance.
Or he’s freaking out because he realizes he’s been caught, Kate thought to herself.
"We'd like to ask you about work you did for a woman named Carol Bennett," DeMarco said."Do you remember her?"
Torres thought for a moment, then nodded slowly."Yeah, Mrs.Bennett.Nice lady, lives over on… Oak Street, I think.I fixed some stuff around her house a couple weeks ago."
"What kind of work did you do for her?"Kate asked.
"Um, let me think."Torres consulted his clipboard, flipping through several pages of handwritten notes."I replaced a kitchen faucet that was dripping, fixed a loose board on her front porch, and patched some holes in her drywall out in her garage."
"How did you get that job?"DeMarco asked.
"She called me after getting one of my business cards.I canvass neighborhoods sometimes, leave cards on doors or in mailboxes.It's how I get most of my work."
Kate felt a slight disappointment.This explanation was entirely plausible and had nothing to do with gaining unauthorized access to victims' homes.But it was also an entirely convenient excuse, too.
"What about Thomas Rodriguez?"she asked."Did you do any work for him recently?"
Torres looked genuinely puzzled."I don't think I know anyone by that name.”He looked through his note and documents again, shaking his head.“No, I don’t believe so.What's his address?"
