"The last time I saw him?"Doug asked, taking a large breath in."It would have been a few days ago, but he was supposed to be in today.I know he was in today.His bag's still under the desk.I don't know what he's playing at.The keys for the Honda are missing, and the Honda itself, of course."
"Could he have taken someone for a test drive?"Alison asked.
"That’s what I thought when I got here," Doug admitted."Thought I would come in and see how things were going.Business will pick up soon.The door was locked when I got here, and the sign turned around.Figured he was out for a test drive with a customer, and with the new Honda.Good car; very good car.But that was hours ago.He would have been back by now.No, he stole the thing.Now, I’m a fair man, and if he were to bring it back, then no questions asked, right?"
"Can we see the footage from the security camera?"Alison asked."It might really help."
"You don't believe he stole it?"Doug asked."I’m telling you now that he did."
"We don't think he was alone when he left the lot," Alison replied.
"An accomplice?"Doug asked, and it began to feel like he was stalling.
"We need to look at the footage," Moore said, a little sterner.
Doug pulled at his collar."See, the thing is, that camera doesn’t really work.I can assure you that Michael took the car.He was working this morning, and his bag is still here.You can come and have a look if you don't believe me.He took the car; it’s as simple as that.So, do you have my car or not?"
"We have it," Moore admitted.
Doug brightened.
"But it is evidence in our investigation at the moment.We can't release the car to you as it stands.Did you know Michael well?"
"What do you mean you can't release the car to me?"Doug asked."It’s my car.I want that car back."
"I understand that," Moore said."We’ll have the car back to you as soon as possible.Until then, I need to know if Michel was associating with anyone recently or if you noticed anyone else hanging around him?"
"I don't know," Doug complained."What’s going on here?"
"We’re investigating more than just a stolen car, and the more you can tell us about Michael, the quicker we can deal with your car," Moore told him."Has anything changed over the past few weeks?Anything you’ve noticed?"
"I’m not here all that much," Doug moaned."I don't know.He seemed like a good kid, and I knew about his past.I mean, I don't know if he stole the car, but he’s done time in jail.Still, he was one of the ones who stuck around when it all went to crap.I don't know why, but he did.I don't know much more than that.I can give you his home address.That’s all I have on file.I don't know what else to tell you."
"That’ll be helpful," Moore said.They could easily get his address, but she wanted Doug to feel that he was helping in some way.
They followed him toward the office.They would get Michael’s home address and take his bag as evidence.Alison looked around before heading inside.There were a few businesses in the immediate vicinity, and perhaps they had seen something.The car had been dumped at least five miles from the dealership.It made more sense for the killer to have arrived at the dealership on foot.The camera at the dealership wasn’t working, but with it looking like it had seen far better days, someone would have noticed someone who didn't belong.
***
"We got a hit," Moore said."I just got off the phone with Officer James, and the woman who runs the laundromat across the road believes she saw someone go into the dealership earlier today."
Alison took a breath.She had been sure they would get something, and that hunch had been proven correct.Two officers had been sent over to Michael’s home address to check it out, but Alison didn't think they would get anything from his home, just as they hadn’t gotten anything from his bag other than some gym clothes.
An eyewitness, however!
"What did they see?"Alison asked from her desk back in the police station.
"It’s not super descriptive, but middle-aged white man, brown hair, possibly a mustache, and well-dressed.Said that he wore a suit.She knew he definitely wasn’t from around there, and not the sort of customer who goes onto the lot, or who would frequent any of the businesses in the area.She thought he looked lost."
"Okay, that’s good news," Alison said."We can't confirm yet whether he’s our killer, but it’s another piece of the puzzle."
"Do you want the bad news?"Moore asked.
"I thought we were on too much of a good run," Alison admitted."Yeah, go for it."
"It’s going to come out in the press tonight that we’re looking for a serial killer.They know the first two murders are connected, and they’ll soon know about the third.I don't know yet how much they know about your reports, but I wanted to warn you.This is what the killer wants, and it’s happening.These things always get leaked to the press.I don't know how much damage control you want to do."
"I want to work on the case," Alison said."I’m not concerned about damage control, and I don't care what gets leaked to the press.The only way we end this is by catching the killer."
