William said, "I'm not sure why exactly. Everyone has their own secrets, even among friends. If you dig too much into someone's private life, it might jeopardize the friendship."
Luke inquired, "Based on what you know about Tony, where might he have gone?"
"I can't say for certain. He's an adult and doesn't share everything with me."
"Has he been missing for this long before?"
"A few times, yes. But he always comes back on his own. For people like us, without a family or a steady job, staying in one place can become tiresome. It's normal to move around now and then."
"Does Tony keep in touch with his family?"
"I'm not sure. I haven't seen any contact. However, once, when we had a drink together, he mentioned his wife and kids. From his expression, it was clear he still misses them."
"Tony was married?" Luke frowned, noting that according to the data, Tony is single and has parents and an older brother.
"I don't know. All I know is that he lived with a woman for a while."
"What was her name?"
"I didn't ask."
"Do you know if they had a child? Was it a boy or a girl?"
William shrugged. "We were just chatting, and I was drinking a lot. I have no family or kids myself, so I'm not interested in those details."
"Who else knows Tony?"
"Tony is quite reserved. He doesn't initiate conversations with others much. He occasionally talks to local homeless people, but they don't know as much as I do..." William paused, then continued, "Oh, I do remember Tony knew a wealthy man. I saw him visiting Tony's place several times."
"How do you know he's wealthy?"
"He drives a white BMW X5 and wears a nice suit. You don't often see people like that around here."
"How many times has Tony met this man?"
"I can't remember the exact number, but it was at least four or five times."
"How often does this man visit Tony?"
"It's hard to say, as the intervals are quite long. On average, it seems to be about once a year."
"When was the last time you saw him?"
"Maybe around Christmas last year, though I'm not sure."
"Can you describe the wealthy man?"
"I only saw him from a distance, so I couldn't make out his features clearly. I know he's white, male, of medium build, and Tony never talks about him."
"Does Tony have any particular fetishes?"
"No, he's very interested in women."
"Does Tony own a gun?"
"Not that I know of."
"Has Tony ever mentioned his home state of Nevada?"
"His hometown is Nevada? I didn't know that. He never mentioned it, and I assumed from his accent that he was local."
"How is Tony doing financially?"
"He's doing well, better than me at least. He's on welfare, lives in a comfortable house, and occasionally orders takeout. I haven't seen him worried about money."
"Does that little relief he gets cover unique purchases?"
"I don't know. He might have other sources of income. That's private, and he doesn't share it. I don't pry into it," William said with a knowing look.
"Thanks for your help with the investigation," Luke said, handing him a business card. "If you think of any more clues, feel free to contact me."
William took the card and gestured towards the blue tent. "Can I go back to sleep now?"
Luke handed him an additional twenty dollars. "Buy yourself something to eat."
"Thanks. Can I get a beer? I haven't had a drink since Tony disappeared."
"You can."
Luke turned to leave. He wasn't concerned whether the money went toward burgers or beer.
Back in the car, Luke asked David, "What do you think?"
David thought for a moment. "Yesterday, while you were on break, we checked Tony's past call records. He hasn't contacted any relatives in Nevada for nearly 20 years. Combined with William's account, Tony's attitude towards his family seems unusual."
Luke speculated, "Tony avoids the police and doesn't contact his relatives. Could it be that something happened in Nevada that makes him afraid to return or reach out to his family?"
"That's a possibility. But if that's the case, it's been 20 years since the alleged incident, and finding out the details now would be challenging." David's phone rang.
"Om…"
David opened the text message and read, "It's Lindsay's address. I'm heading over there."
"What's your plan? Are you going to confront that man or just deal with him?"
"I considered confronting him, but that might make things worse for Lindsay. So, I... just want to help her."
Luke was skeptical. "And how exactly do you plan to help?"
David opened the car armrest and took out several white pill bottles. "Naloxone."
Luke recognized the drug. It's a receptor antagonist that can quickly counteract the effects of opioids and potentially save lives in an overdose situation. It's a safe, reliable, and affordable emergency medicine with no side effects.
"You think you're helping, but it's actually encouraging her drug use. You should be helping her detox instead of preparing for overdoses."
"I wish it were that simple. I've tried everything, and it's not easy. Do you know how many people die from overdoses each year? I'm trying to save her life."
"Alright, do what you need to do. Let's just make it quick; I'm hungry." Luke waved his hand. It was David's issue, and he didn't want to get too involved.
David shook his head and started the car. "Is hunger really that terrifying?"
"Is there a problem?"
"If you don't want to go, I can take you to dinner first. I understand…"
Luke cut him off. "After we're done with this, let's eat."
Lindsay's place was nearby, just a few minutes away. David parked the car and looked at the house number. "It should be here."
The area was run-down, with a broken wooden fence, surrounding iron, a messy yard, and colorful graffiti on the walls.
David pulled the handbrake and took a deep breath. "Wait here. I'll be right out."
"You stay in the car. I'll handle this."
"What?" David thought he had misheard.
"Are you sure you want to see what's going on inside? If it's that man who opens the door, can you resist beating him or shooting him?"
David stroked his chin. "Don't you want a new partner? If I do that, you might get a chance to get rid of me."
"I wanted a new partner, but not like this." Luke took the naloxone from David, stepped out of the car, and said, "You're welcome."