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“Now, that’s something!” Clancy said.
Nelson nodded as he took notes. “I’ll see if he has a record.”
“It gets better!” Nox pumped his fist. “Adam Tipton is on the league’s roster as a reader.”
“I think we need to talk to Mr. Tipton,” Nelson said, but Nox shook his head.
“Can’t. No one’s seen him in over a week.”
“That’s interesting,” Nelson noted and was glad to have something to focus on while Nox was in his next lecture.
“I’m feeling a lot better about this,” Clancy said as he rubbed his hands together. “What can I do?”
Nox made a dismissive sound. “You can get out of here, is what you can do. The FBI keeps you busy enough, you don’t need to poach my case.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it,” Clancy said, holding his hands up innocently as he backed away. “But call me if you need anything.” He pointed at Nelson so he understood that the offer extended to him as well.
They waved as he turned and Nox gave Nelson a nudge. “I’m sorry and I do trust you, Nelson. Implicitly,” he stated, his gaze pinning Nelson’s. “But I don’t want to lose you by pushing you too far too fast.” Nelson started to argue that he’d been open-minded and cooperative, but Nox hushed gently. “This was just supposed to be two unconnected nuisance cases that quickly turned into a dead woman in a freaky pagan ritual and four more missing young women. I had to get you to sign on to all of that and trust me. How was that going to work if I told you I was…like them, but not one of them? Especially when it—me and my practice—has nothing to do with this?”
“I’m not so sure, Nox. I believe you when you say that you had nothing to do with New Castle, but you still seem incredibly relevant.”
“I can’t explain that,” he admitted, then tilted toward Nelson. “But so do you.”
Nelson ducked his head, acknowledging that Nox had a point. He was intimately connected to that place for reasons he couldn’t comprehend, let alone explain. “Go get ready for your next class and I’ll make some phone calls.”
“I’m glad we got that cleared up,” Nox said, walking backward and reaching for the door. “I missed your company last night and it didn’t feel…right, you being mad at me.”
“No, it didn’t,” Nelson agreed and watched the door shut behind Nox. “He missed my company?” He stared at it, wondering what Nox could have possibly missed, then gave his head a shake. “I have a lead to follow,” he said, scolding himself. “Who is Adam Tipton and where the hell is he?”
Fourteen
Nelson hadn’t had any luck tracking down Adam Tipton. Nox sensed that he was in an extra restless mood when they drove home after his last lecture and a “quick” faculty meeting that definitely could have been an email. It was nearly 7:00 and the sun was setting.
“He’ll turn up,” Nox reassured him as Nelson parked his Continental and they got out.
“He’s the most promising suspect we’ve had so far. He attended college for one semester, racking up disciplinary complaints for disruptive and inappropriate behavior before dropping out. He’s got charges for breaking and entering, trespassing, and indecent exposure on his record. He’s a serial something, I’d bet on it.”
“He certainly sounds like a predator,” Nox said with a hesitant wince, not wanting to get his hopes up before they found Mr. Tipton and had a better look at him. “But I have a feeling we’ll find a few more if we comb these women’s social media and dating profiles.”
“He could read, Nox. He went to college.”
Nox paused as he reached for his front door. “Why sign up for help with the literacy league, then?” He asked as he opened it for Nelson and let him pass.
“I’d really like to ask him that and if he was stalking one particular girl or looking for free access to a specific type of girl,” Nelson replied, then sniffed the air. “Smells like Kung Pao Chicken.”
Nox hummed as he took off his coat and hung it. “Merlin messaged and said he had news and would have dinner ready. Do you suppose it could have started out as one girl? Perhaps Mr. Tipton joined because of her and decided he didn’t need to stop at one.”
“That’s often the case. I’d like to take a look at his internet history and see if he knew Elsa before he joined. Julian sent over that list of the league’s readers and I’ll see if anyone else jumps out at me.”
“You still believe she’s the key,” Nox said as they strolled into the study together and went to pour himself a drink, leaving his messenger bag on the desk. “Whiskey?” He asked Nelson and he shrugged.
“Maybe a little.” His attention had already locked on the chalkboards. “I want to update this,” he murmured under his breath and Nox watched as he wrote Adam Tipton’s name on a note card.
“Oh, good! You’re back!” Merlin announced, pushing the cart ahead of him.
“And we’re starving,” Nox added while Nelson taped the card and Tipton’s picture to the board, then went to Nox’s bag for the list.
“I had a feeling, the two of you will run yourselves ragged,” Merlin said with a shake of his head at Nox.
