Chapter 22
One quick phone call and I had Lawrence Turner’s work schedule. Today was his day off at the school, yet he was scheduled to work at the playground I’d visited the day before. Thanks to Fillpot, Larry’s picture was attached to the file. It was just a matter of time before I found him. I grabbed a cup of coffee and headed for the benches that were outside the playground area. Only a few little kids and their young mothers were already at the playground. It was a school day, so all of the older kids were in school, except for Petunia. Someone like Larry would be easy to spot.
An hour later, I glanced at my watch for the third time. A park service truck pulled up, and a man wearing overalls climbed out. He grabbed a few items from the back of the truck and then started walking, picking up trash as he headed away from where I was sitting. That had to be my guy.
I threw my coffee away and jogged to catch up with Larry. “You keep the park clean.”
Larry glanced in my direction as he stabbed another piece of trash, picking up his garbage bag. “Somebody has to do it. I can’t leave it up to these kids.”
The tension in his voice, and the way he said the word “kids” grated down my spine. “You don’t like kids?”
Larry shrugged. “Some kids are fine. Is there anything I can help you with, lady? Because I’ve got work to do.”
“Actually, there is something you can help me with, Mr. Turner.”
Larry quit walking and turn to regard me, giving me his full attention. The fact that I knew his name, when he’d never offered it, was reason enough to be suspicious. “Do I know you?”
“Not yet. Tell me Larry, why are you volunteering at a school if you don’t like kids.”
“How do you know where I work?” He asked.
“Just answer the question.”
His gaze narrowed. “I volunteer at a school so that my niece can attend. My sister can’t afford the tuition, not that it’s any of your business.”
“Do you know any little girls named Petunia?”
Larry’s face hardened. He did know Petunia.
“Why do you want to know?”
“It’s a matter of life and death.” I crossed my arms over my chest. “Start talking about Petunia, and tell me everything.”
“Petunia is one of the good kids. She picks up after herself. She’s a nice little girl. Whenever she comes to the park, she comes with a packed lunch and offers to share with strangers.”
“And let me guess, you like to indulge.”
Larry held up his hands and took an unconscious step back. “It’s not like that. I’m not a pedophile. She’s just a good kid. The first time I met her I was sitting on the grass eating my lunch. She came up and sat down next to me and just started talking. She talked about how the chef makes her lunch, how her mother doesn’t eat, and she started telling me about her friends at school. It was strictly innocent. She reminds me of my niece.”
“Who was watching her that day? Or should I say, who wasn’t watching her?”
He shrugged. “I have no idea. That was the first time she talked to me.”
“Would you be surprised to find out the Petunia is getting death threats from a stalker obsessed with her mom?”
“Well, yeah. Thinking back to all the times I’ve seen Petunia here, she’s hardly with her mom. Who the hell would hurt a child, especially one as nice as her?”
Larry’s face was growing red with agitation. He looked ready to take his frustration out on the perpetrator, just like me. I had a sneaking suspicion that this wasn’t my guy. “Have you ever noticed anyone watching her? Or maybe a person that doesn’t belong here?”
“No, I mean, Petunia has pointed out the people I’ve seen her with since. She’s sometimes with a security guy and other times with a short auburn-haired lady that carries a basket full of food.”
“Her chef. Anyone else?”
“Sometimes some guys in suits watch her from the bench but they’re on their phones most the times.”
I sighed and pulled up a picture of both Max and Carter and turned it for Larry to see. “These guys?”
“Yeah, that’s them. I haven’t noticed anyone paying close attention to her that wasn’t already with her.”
