“How did the kids react?” Ava was curious.

“Some told him that they felt like they were just part of his job. That he didn’t really care about them . . . that he walked away from them each night, back to his happy house, and forgot about them until the next week. Others shrugged and acted like it didn’t matter. But Lucien knew it hurt them. It’s a good program,” Jeanine said fiercely. “But this is the only way it can work.”

“I agree.” Ava paused. “Were there any other parts of the program Lucien felt were difficult?”

Jeanine rolled her eyes. “Oh, my goodness. Some of the mothers.”

“Explain.”

“So many of them were such overboard badge bunnies that Lucien wondered if they enrolled their kids in the program just to get close to the cops.”

“I can see that,” agreed Ava. Regina Zuch came to mind.

“It comes with the job,” said Jeanine. “Women constantly hit on him. He was pretty good at ignoring it, but I know some cops who enjoyed the attention.”

“I’m engaged to a detective,” Ava admitted. “I’ve heard the stories.”

“Some of the mothers who put their kids in Cops 4 Kidz were the worst.”

“Give me an example.”

“Lucien requested to be removed from a mentorship because the mother pursued him so hard. Then she went batshit crazy on him. She came down to his precinct and proceeded to scream that he’d used her son to get close to her and then dumped her. Lucien wasn’t even in the building that day, but she kept coming back, waiting for him outside, or trying to follow him home.”

“Why wasn’t she arrested?”

“She managed to just keep it legal. She knew what lines not to cross. This was when he worked in Vancouver. He finally applied for a position with the West Linn Police Department.”

“Just to get away from her?”

“Not completely. He wanted to work closer to home, but she sped up the process.”

“That’s horrible. She didn’t show up anymore?”

“His department told her he quit and she backed off. I suspect she continued to watch the building for a while and finally realized he’d left.”

“No other problems from her over the years?”

“No, thank goodness. Lucien and I have never opened social media accounts, primarily because of what he does for a living, but I know in the back of his mind he never wanted her to be able to find him. She was nuts. Although I imagine she simply moved her focus to whoever next mentored her son.”

“Lucien didn’t report her to the organization? Keep someone else from going through the same thing?”

“We talked about it several times. I wanted him to, but he thought it was important that her son have a male figure in his life. He said the kid was one of the needier ones he’d worked with and didn’t want to take away any opportunities the boy might get through the program.”

“He was a good man,” Ava said. “Other people wouldn’t be so forgiving.”

“That was Lucien,” Jeanine said simply.

“Do you remember the names of that mother and son?” Ava asked.

“Sonja. Sonja Parish. Her son was Jesse,” she replied without hesitation. “I’ll never forget her name.”

Ava made a note, wondering if the boy had been assigned to another cop or if his mother had given up on the program.

“I know you’ve heard the description of the man who was seen in your home at the time of your husband’s death,” Ava said. “Does that sound like someone you know?”

“An average-size man with dark hair. I probably encounter twenty a day,” Jeanine stated. “I’ve thought long and hard, wondering if I knew the person who did this to him, and I can honestly say I can’t come up with anything. Lucien was a kind man—ask anyone—he didn’t make enemies . . . outside of the people he had to arrest, but that happens with every cop. I can’t think of anyone that we know who would do this.”

Ava nodded. The task force had heard the same things from Lucien’s coworkers. Impossible to get mad at. All-around good guy. Thinks of others before himself. “Were there any work incidents that worried him? Any encounters he told you about that concerned him?”

Jeanine shook her head. “I know this will sound awful, but he didn’t talk about work that much, and I didn’t ask. He liked to leave it behind when he came home. Early on I used to ask him about his day, but he finally requested I stop. We came to an agreement that he’d initiate any conversations work-related. He knew I was there to listen if there was something he needed to get off his chest.”

Ava knew several cops who operated this way. Whatever worked. She and Mason enjoyed discussing their respective cases.

“What was the purpose of your business trip?” she asked, switching gears. Jeanine shifted slightly on her chair and took another sip of her coffee before answering.

“It’s a yearly convention for us. I buy holiday-themed outdoor lighting and electronics for an online retailer. Mainly it showcases the merchandise that will be available next year. I’m always looking for the next big thing.”

“Before the holiday season has even arrived?”

Jeanine gave a smile. “Our current season’s planning was done months and months ago. Stores placed their orders late last winter for this season. That’s retail.”