Safe Harbor - 4

"Daniel, it’s Kurt. I have a question for you if you’ve got a couple of minutes."

Detective Daniel Denton leaned back in his chair, tucking the phone between his ear and shoulder. "I bet I even know what it’s about, the street kid who was found dead in the pond. Right?"

"Right. Do you have an ID on her?"

"Judith Martin, sixteen, a runaway from out west."

"Her street name was Minnie."

"So she was one of yours."

Kurt sighed. "As much as any of the kids are mine I suppose. She and a boy named Scooter stayed at the shelter for a few days during the bad weather but left a day or two before she was killed." After a moment’s hesitation Kurt said, "I gather she’s not the first one."

"She’s not. There have been five others so far, three girls, two guys, all street kids. According to the ME all of them had been forced to perform fellatio on their attacker, and from the condition of their mouths and throats more than once. And the guys were sexually assaulted as well. They were all beaten to death afterwards."

"Was there any physical evidence, like sperm in their mouths or rectums?"

"Unfortunately no. Whoever did it used condoms, and the bodies were dumped in ponds, which washed away whatever trace evidence there might have been." Daniel tapped his pencil on the desk thoughtfully. "Kurt, why the sudden interest other than the fact she’d stayed at your shelter?"

Kurt paused before replying. "She was with someone, another street kid called Scooter. They were tight so it’s possible you’ll be finding his body as well."

"Unless he’s the perp."

"He’s not."

Daniel’s instincts kicked in. "Kurt, what aren’t you telling me?"

"Okay." Kurt took a deep breath. "I need to talk to someone first, but there might be a witness to Minnie’s, and Scooter’s, abduction for lack of a better word."

"Who?" Daniel barked out.

"I won’t tell you until I’ve spoken with him. He’s another of mine and very leer of the police. And, well, there’s reason he should be at this point. Look, I’ll get back to you as soon as possible."

"Kurt," Daniel growled, but Kurt had already hung up.