HOMESTAY 004

Kinner got behind the wheels and ignited the vehicle. He knew Sullivan was still stewing so, he gave her time - he was careful enough not to start a conversation with her.

The ride was silent for about the first ten minutes before Sullivan broke the calm. "We were too good for each other" she said silently

"Huh?" Kinner turned to her

"You wanted to know why we got divorced."

"Who gets divorced because they are too good for each other? I think there is more to it" Kinner returned his face to the wind screen

"He is a surgeon, he barely has the time. I am a detective, I basically sleep with murder cases every damned day. We couldn't deal with that." She hesitated "he got married to that young crazy cop who was intriguing and I got married to that medical college boy who was a stud, handsome and quite a nerd but everything began to sink in when I became detective and when he became surgeon" she swallowed hard "we just grew apart"

Kinner laughed "you guys need a marriage counsellor"

"Our marriage is over Shawn and my personal life is not something funny"

"Pardon me Sullivan but it is."

"Shut up Shawn"

"No, really. Did you see your face? You were actually blushing like a little prissy when he called your name and he apparently couldn't get his eyes off you the whole time. It is evident you two are still onto each other but scared of commitment"

"I shouldn’t say anything to you again Shawn because you judge like a prick. Shut up and drive. We still have to find King Jessie or the whole world would burn down" snickering, Kinner stepped on the accelerator.

After a long drive, they arrived at the address.

The house was wooden cabin located at the far end of the road that led into the hills. It had a chimney that didn't give smoke and it was surrounded by a graceful landscape. The place was conducive, no doubt but what in God's name brought Dwayne to such isolated part of the city? The air was cool, and the scent of the evening swept into their noses. The trees brought shade and the golden setting of the sun pierced through the clouds, warmly touching their skins.

It has been a very long time since she had been to someplace like that. The last time was on her honeymoon - like Dwayne, she had fallen in love with the scenery, had fallen in love with the antiquity that enveloped the place but to her, good things don't last long.

Maybe it wasn't because Dwayne wanted to do the family a favor that made him take the house, maybe, it sort of reminded him about them. About the lovely time they spent together on their honeymoon in that hill house that reeked of passion and love and desire.

She blinked as she surveyed the place. It was indeed beautiful but nevertheless, the thought of Jessie brushed her mind reminding her that he still needed to be found. "This place looks deserted" Kinner's voice reached her bringing her back to the now.

She looked around and it began to register.

They strode to the entrance and Sullivan rang on the doorbell thrice but there was no response.

"Maybe Steve is out" Kinner said ringing the bell for the fourth time

"Or Maybe Steve doesn't live here" Sullivan looked around again and she could tell the place has been evacuated. "Did you write the wrong address Kinner?" She eyed him

"No. I am damn sure it is this place"

"Let's look around" Sullivan turned around and decided to do a quick scan of the place. She rounded the cabin, it smelt of wood and wet grass and the back widows seemed sealed. It didn't reek of life at all. She joined Kinner at the other side. He was squatting, vetting the moist soil at the foot of the cabin.

"Did you find something?"

"Yes. Big foot"

Mariah drew close. There was a deep footprint on the soil "just that big foot was a man who wore nine inches boot" Kinner added as he stood to his feet.

"Let's check inside" she made for the entrance again but Kinner stopped her.

"Warrant"

"I'll just call Tucci"

Immediately, she retrieved her phone and pressed it to her ear. "This is detective Sullivan, FBI, there is a crime scene here at Old-Gravel, Long Beach, can you deploy the right quarters here?"

"Right away" there was a machine-like response from over the phone

"Thank you Diana" Sullivan pressed the off button and tucked it back in her pocket. She rang the doorbell again but no response.

It was only a matter of moments before reinforcement came.

"Hello. Good evening, you must be..." A man alighted from one of the police cars that zoomed into the premises

"Sullivan" she said sharply "and this is my partner Kinner, Shawn Kinner"

"Griffin. I am from the down town precinct; Tucci told me about you. It came to my notice shortly that the FBI have a case here at Long Beach. No one told us anything about it"

"Apparently, someone did. Dwayne Jefferies. Filed a missing person report here since Saturday and it has been pended." The man flipped through his files and pointed out one.

"Jessie Jefferies?"

"Yes, that one" Kinner noted

"We had a lot of missing persons report filed within the last two weeks. It started from the north, now it came south, same modus operandi"

"They all did Home stay?" Kinner queried

"Something like that. Two bodies have been found already, we still have six more to go plus this one, making seven. Its either these people are still alive or dead like the other two."

"So, we are looking at a homicide?"

"Something like that" Griffin walked them to the entrance.

Mariah swallowed hard, a deja vu was spinning her mind. This has happened before, a similar case was re occurring. The case that made her have sleepless nights, that made her marriage collapse, the case that made her a detective, the case that brought her to Long Beach Ca.

"No one lives here" Kinner added and without hesitating, Griffin rolled his fingers and his men came to break the door open. "There is a footprint in the dirt down there" Kinner pointed out and Griffin had his men tag it.

Sullivan strode into the room. The house was homey though it was covered with dust. Everything seemed intact. The chairs, the table, the artistic painting that beautified its walls. "Who owns this house?" She asked Griffin"

"Late Mr Gordon. After he died, his wife put it up for sale" Griffin brought in the forensic team to do their job and they handed everyone in the room gloves "it has been up for sale for about a year now."

Sullivan scoffed "this place doesn't look like a place that has been one year deserted. Someone lived here recently. Look Shawn, everything is recent"

"You bet that" he responded bringing out a piece of cracker from the lining of the sofa. I bet a year cracker can't be as crispy as this" he handed it to one of the forensics who dipped it in a plastic bag.

"So, does Mrs Gordon have family that comes here often?"

"A son. He is here everyday"

"Really?" Sullivan eyes glowed

"Yes. Just that he is buried at the back."

The glow in her eyes died "dead" she grumbled and Griffin nodded.

"But there is an Agent in charge of the house" Griffin ran through his tablet and checked Sullivan's eager face "A Jannie Wesley. She should know who she leased the house to"

Sullivan nodded. She turned to Kinner "we need to get to the precinct. This is not looking good to me"

"I agree" Kinner said. Taking off his gloves "we'll let your men do their work but we need preliminaries and reports"

"Fine. You'll get them"

"Thank you"

Kinner and Sullivan headed back to Oasis hotel; their work have started. "You think maybe Jessie..." Kinner paused as Sullivan turned her glare at him sharply.

"I think that Jessie is not missing but somewhere out there making a fool out of himself"

"Don't fight it Mariah."

"I am not fighting anything!" She snapped then steadied her breath to speak. "Jessie is a total bastard, a loafer and a freelancer and there is no way he might be dead"

Kinner watched her for almost a minute. "I never said he was dead. What are you scared of Mariah?"

"Jessie is different okay, Jessie is not the Willards and we are going to find him" she reached for her phone that was vibrating against her lap and pressed it to her ear "Sullivan"

"This is Griffin McNab. We have the preliminaries ready. Should I forward it to you? Or would you come down to the precinct to view them?"

"We'll come down. One more thing Griffin, the bodies, have they really been identified?"

"Yes. They are at the morgue. A full autopsy was carried out"

"Thanks" she pressed the off button and reached for her jacket. "Preliminaries are ready" she laced her boots and headed out with Kinner following behind her "and don't forget to do something for me Shawn. When we find Jessie, remind me to put a leash on him"

Kinner shook his head "I will Mariah, I certainly will"

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