“Her dad just got out of prison, and he’s started hanging out with his old friends. She spends as little time at home as possible.”
I hated that I couldn’t read Stella’s mind. Not knowing how all of this was really affecting her was driving me insane. Was she falling apart on the inside, or was she truly not worried about her own safety?
She believed in this Marcus guy for whatever reason.
My phone dinged, and I glanced at the text before I hurried to close the food containers. “We’ve got to go.”
“Why the rush?” she asked.
“You wanted a location. We’ve got one.”
Her eyes widened. “Really? Where?”
She wasn’t going to like my answer. “The parking lot outside the county hospital.”
We were quick to make it to the hospital. I’d wanted to call Detective Morrison, but I’d let her talk me out of it. At least until we actually laid eyes on Marcus.
We parked, using the coordinates until we closed in on a general area.
Stella turned in place. “I don’t think Marcus is here. I don’t see his car.”
My phone said twenty yards ahead and we’d be on top of his cell phone.
I pulled out my gun, wanting to be ready, and we closed the distance toward the tree line in the back of the lot. Stepping out from behind the last car in the row, we spotted a homeless man sitting on a blue tarp, a shopping cart filled with blankets and junk beside him.
Stella and I shared a look, and I put my gun away as we approached.
“Excuse me, sir,” I called out.
The man’s eyes flew open and filled with alarm. “What? I’m not on the property. You can’t make me move.”
I held out my hands. “We’re not here to make you move. We just need to ask you some questions.”
I didn’t do anything, and they can’t prove anything.His brows dipped in defiance. “I know my rights.”
“I’m Ashton, and this is my friend Stella. We’re looking for another friend of ours. His name is Marcus.”
“I don’t know anyone named Marcus.”No Marcus. No Marcus. No. No. No.The guy stood up from his spot and started packing up his things.
Stella hurried to the shopping cart and pulled out a trench coat. “This was Marcus’s. I gave it to him. Where did you get it?”
“I found it. Finders keepers.”Keepers. Finders. Keepers. Mine.
He lunged for it and tried to yank it from her grasp. A phone clattered onto the ground.
“Now look what you did,” the homeless guy said.
“That’s blood.” I pointed to the stained coat and pulled out my badge. “I’m afraid I can’t let you leave with that.”
No. No. No. I’m not going back to that doctor. He’s crazy. I did nothing wrong. I’m not crazy. I need to leave.
“Fine.” He shoved it into Stella’s hands and was about to leave when I stepped in front of his cart.
“Not so fast. I have questions, starting with where you found that coat,” I said as I dialed Detective Morrison’s number.
“I found it. I told you,” the old man claimed.
Stella lifted her shoulders and presented a calmer front. “We believe you. What’s your name?”
