Both parents shook their heads. “Never,” said Evelyn. “I worried about him being alone in the house and tried to get him to move down here, but he didn’t mind living alone and said he didn’t like the heat. His weight, you know,” she added, nodding emphatically.

“It made him uncomfortable?” Mason asked.

“Oh, he sweated nonstop. Even in the air conditioning. I thought maybe it’d inspire him to lose some weight, but it just made him miserable.”

“So Joe didn’t feel like he had any enemies.” Ava guided the conversation back on track.

“None. Or at least he didn’t feel the need to talk to us about them. But who could hate Joe?” Evelyn asked. “He wouldn’t harm a fly.”

“That’s what his boss said, too,” stated Ava. “Has he always been the sort of easygoing guy everyone gets along with?” Mentally she started a personality list, comparing him to Aaron King and Carson Scott.

“Oh, yes. Ever since he was a teenager. He’s not much of a social sort. Well, he was in high school. He did sports and debate team, but he settled down and became more of a homebody after he graduated.”

“No.” Joe Senior poked at Evelyn. “He was a homebody his senior year, remember? He didn’t play any sports even though the football team wanted him back. He told us he was tired of competing all the time. We let him quit.”

“That’s right,” agreed Evelyn. “He focused on his schoolwork during his senior year. His classes were really hard, and he was afraid sports would eat into his study time.”

“But he didn’t go to college? Did he apply?” Why would someone work hard at his studies if he didn’t plan to utilize those good grades?

“He applied to a few. His grades weren’t as good as he’d hoped, and he went to the community college for a few courses. A neighbor hired him to help with his construction business, and he decided he liked that better than sitting in a classroom.”

“When he played sports, did the other players like him? Did he have a big circle of friends or a few close ones?” Zander asked.

“I’d say he had a few close friends. He was a sensitive boy. He didn’t need to be the center of attention.”

Ava watched Joe Senior roll his eyes.

“He wasn’t sensitive,” corrected Joe Senior. “He was just quiet. He may have been more outgoing when he was younger, but he grew into a reserved young man.”

Ava studied the brief written summary of Joe Junior’s history in her hand. “He was born in Newberg and lived there long enough to graduate from Newberg High School.” Her instincts were pushing her to investigate his time in Newberg. Fifteen years ago, all three men had lived within an hour of each other.

How would the paths of three men of the same age have intersected back then?

The ways were countless.

High school sports, high school events, professional sports games, under-twenty-one clubs, private parties, mutual friends, a temporary job, a day at a festival. The possibilities made her head hurt. Glancing at Zander’s notes, she saw a list of things to look into in Carson Scott’s and Aaron King’s backgrounds. What sports teams and clubs had they belonged to? Employment histories were easier; the Social Security Administration had all the official records. At least of the legitimate jobs. What if they’d worked somewhere and been paid under the table?

That’s why interviews with families and friends were important. It was like mining for tiny gems, hoping to find the flawless one. There was never a wrong question or too much information to cross-reference.

Ava asked Joe’s parents to recount all the activities he’d taken part in during his middle and high school years. Then she asked what sort of jobs he’d had and what kind of activities he’d liked to participate in. As they talked, she noticed a pattern of Joe’s social world getting smaller and smaller. The twelve-year-old boy who’d played sports every season of the year and attended summer camps and played outside had abruptly evolved into a young man who stayed close to home and hung out in his room, either doing homework or watching TV.

She didn’t know if that was normal.

Mason’s son was a freshman in college. Mason should have a good perspective on a male teen’s behavior. Maybe. Was he noticing the pattern Joe’s parents described?

“Did you ever think your son was depressed?” Ava asked delicately. “You’re describing a young man who was very active and then changed.”

Joe’s parents looked at each other and then at her. Evelyn shook her head, but Joe’s father spoke. “He stopped seeing his friends and seemed to only want to watch TV. I asked him one time why he didn’t want to do things anymore. He said he’d lost interest in sports, and claimed he wasn’t good enough to play at college, so why bother? As for the friends, he said they preferred to hang out with their girlfriends, and he felt like a third wheel all the time.”

Mason nodded. “My son went through a phase like that. He was done with sports once high school was over and was a late bloomer when it came to girls. He told me he felt left out when his friends started dating. High school’s a rough time for boys.”

“Girls, too,” Ava added. “So did he have other interests as he got older? What about after-school jobs or clubs?”

“His only job was at the local video store for a while during high school. I know he loved getting first look at all the new video releases. Once he was done with sports, he seemed to find interest in more sedentary things that he did by himself. His computer, and movies, and building models from the movies he loved.”