“I left a message for her last night. Haven’t heard back yet. I told her I had some questions.”

“There’s a teenager angle to these latest deaths that I think we’re missing completely. I feel like there’s something just out of our reach. Something that these kids know about and they’re not sharing with adults yet.” Mason hadn’t realized this fact until he’d said the words out loud. Something was hovering just out of his awareness, something about the deaths and the teenagers that he couldn’t grasp. And he suspected talking to these kids was where they needed to focus.

Ray studied him. “You think some of these teens know what is going on?”

Mason thought for a minute. His stomach was doing an odd tingle that told him he was speculating in the right direction. “I think they’re not telling us everything. I feel like we’re only getting part of the story. Either the kids are covering for each other or they’re scared of something.”

“They’re teenagers. Of course they aren’t telling us everything.”

Mason tapped a pen on his desk. “What about Lorenzo Cavallo’s family? Where are all those sons he was so proud of? Four boys?”

“Five,” corrected Ray. He scowled as he flipped through a small notebook. “I’ve called three of them. I left messages at two homes, and at the third, the wife said she’d have her husband call me back. I haven’t heard a word. I’m still trying to locate the other two. I was hoping to get numbers from the other brothers.”

“That doesn’t sound right.”

“I agree with you there. I’ll check to see if someone has requested the body. Maybe some family has come out of the woodwork. We gave clearance for the release yesterday. Forensics and the medical examiner have everything they need.” Ray picked up his desk phone.

Mason looked at the blue pen in his hand and slowly set it aside. He needed to look over the reports from the medical examiner. How would Dr. Rutledge describe the pen jammed in Lorenzo’s ear? His stomach did a slow roll. The lab should have the original pen by now, and no doubt it was in a long line of backed-up evidence waiting to be processed.

Mason adjusted his reading glasses and dug to find his notes from the Cavallo house. It was rare that he didn’t trust his memory with scene recall, but he had to admit he’d been a bit distracted during this particular case. The pen jammed in the ear had rattled him. And the absolute loneliness of the home. He hated the thought that Lorenzo had died alone without contact from his family for years. He scanned his notes. Nothing jumped out at him. The follow-up with the family members was the priority. Where the fuck were they? Why hadn’t they called back?

Ray hung up the phone. “No one has inquired about Cavallo.” His tone was grim.

Mason felt nauseous. That old man. Living alone for years and now the abandonment continued in death. Anger flared in his chest. “Jesus Christ. Give me the numbers you have for those kids of his. I’ll have a word with them.”

Ray handed him a slip of paper. “I’m stunned. What would drive away an entire family?”

“It’d have to be something big for all five kids to shun their father. Seems like there’s always one who will look out for the parent no matter what the feud is.”

“But remember when we talked to him? He spoke of his kids like he saw them every day. That was a proud father. Apparently the kids aren’t reciprocating the feelings.”

“If they’re still breathing, I intend to find out why.”

“Christ. I didn’t think of that.”

“What?”

“Maybe something’s happened at their homes, too.”

Mason froze as the number he’d called rang and rang in his ear. He’d been using an expression of speech with his comment about breathing, but Ray had an excellent point. “No one’s answering this one. I’ll try the rest, but get their addresses and get someone to check on their homes immediately. Are they local?”

“I think at least two of them are.” Ray looked pale.

“Figure out where the other phone numbers are located and we’ll get the local departments to check on them.” Mason swallowed hard, images of more pens floating in his head. “You said you talked to someone at one of the homes?”

“Yes, I assume it was a wife.” Ray was already dialing dispatch.

Mason wiped at his forehead. Hopefully the numbers Ray had were landlines. That’d make the addresses easier to search. Christ. He didn’t want more deaths associated with this case. He dialed the other number and listened to it ring.

Why no voice mail or answering machine?

“Hello?” A woman’s quiet voice answered after countless rings.

Mason rattled off his identity and asked to speak to Mr. Cavallo.

“I’m sorry, he is very sick and can’t speak on the phone right now. May I take a message?” The voice was all politeness.

“Are you who my partner, Ray Lusco, spoke to the other day? And asked to have him call us back?”

“Yes, I spoke to a police officer the other day. My husband is still sick.”

“Mrs. Cavallo, are you aware your husband’s father, Lorenzo Cavallo, was murdered? We are trying to notify the family.”

The phone was silent and Mason wondered if she’d hung up.

“Yes.” The woman paused. “We’d heard.”

Mason waited. That was all she had to say? “Who is going to claim his body? He’s still at the morgue.”