Page 64 of Secrets in the Dark
Goodridge frowned almost instantly.
He pointed and had Mason stop at the image of Jesse Miller with dark hair and a clean-shaven face.
“That’s Lucas Braden,” Goodridge said. “And he worked here a few days when we first arrived. We had heavy lifting, and he was happy to take just a few days’ work. He was well liked among the crew—our labor force and our academics. He was willing to help in any way at any time. I was sorry to see him go. Wait! You mean this man—”
“He’s a person of interest,” Mason said.
Goodridge shook his head. “No, no, it can’t be him. I mean, this man was a good fellow. Hardworking, and just...just a nice guy! I’m telling you, everyone liked him.”
“Be that as it may,” Della said quietly, “he is a person of interest. If he should come back here—”
“I asked him to come back.
“And?” Mason prompted.
“He said that he’d be busy for the next several weeks. That... Well, after that, he’d check back with me and see if there was anything that he might be needed for.”
“If you do see him, please, it’s imperative.” He handed him a card. They’d been especially made for the current situation and had numbers for the entire team listed on them. They didn’t want to take a chance on anyone who had any information not being able to get through to a specific person.
Goodridge nodded, looking confused but agreeable—even if unhappily so.
“Did he tell you where he was staying?” Della asked. “Did you have an address for him?”
“He was what we call work-for-hire, hires who are responsible for their own VAT and records. I think that he told Lucretia he was staying in...”
He stopped speaking and blinked.
“He was staying in?” Della pushed gently.
“Whitechapel,” Goodridge said
“Who is Lucretia?” Mason asked.
“Lucretia, sorry, Dr. Mayberry. She’s a forensic anthropologist, invaluable to this project. But she’s not on site right now. She had a meeting with one of her societies at a nearby restaurant. I can call her—perhaps you could speak with her as soon as she’s free,” Goodridge said.
He had been in such denial that the man he had known as Lucas Braden could be a killer. Now he seemed confused—still in denial, but unable to completely trust his own mind. An uncomfortable feeling for such a man, Mason imagined.
“We’d be grateful,” Della assured him.
Goodridge put through the call. As he did, Mason excused himself and put a call through to Angela, having her search for any activity under their newest pseudonym for Jesse Miller. He doubted that there would be anything on record; Miller was too smart for that. But they had to try with any means possible to find the man.
They would find him. Eventually, Jesse Miller would make a mistake. There was a small army of law enforcement looking for him.
But he was also a master of disguise and illusion. Besides taking on any appearance that fit his need, he could take on different personalities. He was exceptionally talented at using a charming persona to achieve his ends.
People liked him.
Young women would easily find him fun and pleasant, unerringly polite.
He finished his call; Goodridge finished his.
“The hotel is just up the street and Lucretia is just wrapping up her meeting. She’ll wait for you in the lobby,” Goodridge told them.
They thanked him.
And Mason couldn’t help but remind the man that no matter how great Lucas Braden had seemed, they needed to know if he made an appearance back at the dig.
Goodridge nodded. Mason believed that the professor understood the importance of what he was being asked.
