Page 7 of Freeing Hawk
Ghoul leaned over her shoulder. “Did you say Engine-O-Con?”
“Yeah. Do you know what it is?” Mia asked.
“Yes.” Ghoul told us. “It’s a car show that happens in LA every year. Half naked models, engines, designer cars, show pieces…”
“Half naked models?” Eris turned to look at Ghoul.
Ghoul kissed her ear. “You’re all the half naked model I need.”
I groaned. “Guys! Focus your dirty little mind for me, please?”
“Yes, ma’am.” Ghoul and Eris chorused.
“When does that usually happen?” I asked. “Engine-O-Con, I mean.”
“August.” Ghoul replied around a kiss of Eris’ neck.
“We have company.” She swatted him. “Behave.”
“It happens the first weekend in August.” Ghoul continued. “If you need anything else…”
“Thanks Ghoul.” I looked over at Mia who looked ill. “Okay, thanks guys. I’ll hit you back, okay?”
Eris blew me a kiss and Ghoul waved.
After hanging up, Mia accepted the poster and stared at it. “I don’t get it. He wouldn’t jet off to something like this without telling me—without telling you. We usually go to these things on dates.”
“Makes sense.” I began searching the internet for the convention. “It would also make sense if this was something he was working on. He never liked bringing work home.”
It was due to begin in a week and if I didn’t find anything more concrete by then, I’d be jetting off to California again. “Let’s search to see if we can find anything that leads us toward this convention other than this poster.”
“Right.” Mia turned her head and lifted her arm to wipe her nose in her top. “I mean, someone could have given this to him on the street—they still do that, right?”
“All the time.”
She was trying to hold onto something, anything that would explain this. I understood that need to feel as if she had some control when the world is topsy-turvy. I allowed her that comfort—for her sake, the baby’s and King’s.
Once again, Mia and I went searching and came up with a file Kingston had hidden under their bed in a shoebox. It spoke about the car show and potential drug trafficking. He had no suspects, but there had been a wave of drugs hitting Oklahoma that for a little over a year, we’d suspected to be running from California.
On top of that, drugs from this suspected batch had been killing teenagers all over the state. I knew of one particular incident, the one in King’s box but it hadn’t been one of our assigned cases.
“Did he tell you he was investigating this death?” Mia asked.
“No.” I frowned. “We weren’t assigned any of these deaths.”
“You mean there’s more than one?”
I nodded. “I’m afraid so. He kept this from me when I could have helped him. Do you recognize this kid?”
She took the picture. I could tell she didn’t know who he was but was trying her hardest to. Eventually, she shook her head and handed it back.
“Okay. I’m going to look into this.” I promised her. “I’m familiar with the case but we weren’t the investigating department. I think it came back as an overdose. I’ll take a look then let you know. Plus, I need a little more to go through this file. Try not to worry, okay?”
“Don’t they say after twenty-four hours…”
“Don’t think like that.” I stopped her. “We’re going to find him. Listen, my friend is pregnant too. If there is anything you’d feel comfortable talking to her about, she won’t mind.”
“Are you sure?” Mia asked.
