Before Cam followed Laurie to the party, she sat in her car and dialed Michael.
“Hi, honey, I’m going to be late. Laurie asked me to go to a drug party with her. I want to meet a few other people in the crowd.”
“Uh-huh,” was Michael’s skeptical response. “Are you going to bed with her?”
“No!” Cam exclaimed. “She’s a young kid. I want to meet whoever else is in her group. I think one of the guys who works for Preston will be there, too. I won’t stay long.”
“Just a quickie?” Michael teased her.
“Oh, all right. Just a quickie.” Cam chuckled. She knew Michael was only joking with her. “A very short quickie. I have to save some strength for you!”
“All right, Cheri, hurry home. I’ll be waiting.”
“I will. Je t’aime.”
“Je t’aime, aussi.” And the phones went dead.
There was a knock on her car window. “Follow me. I’m in back. I’ll be right out,” Laurie said to her with an enormous smile.
This is probably wrong, Cam told herself as she turned her car on and slid it into gear.
Cam followed Laurie’s car as she wove through the city. They finally came to a small house in a quiet neighborhood, there were two or three cars parked in front. Laurie pulled over to park. Cam pulled in behind her.
Laurie got out of her car and ran back to open Cam’s door.
“Come on,” Laurie said as she grabbed Cam’s hand. “The party has already started. Everyone will be toasted already.”
Cam chuckled as she flicked the remote to lock the car. She followed Laurie up the front steps and Laurie opened the door.
“Hey! Laurie’s home!” someone yelled.
There were cheers and clapping.
There were about ten or twelve people there, scattered around the living room. A girl sat in a boy’s lap on the sofa, with two other men beside them. Those two looked a little older than Laurie but still not Cam’s age. Another young couple was in a big chair and several others on the floor. Cam judged most to be in their late twenties…maybe early thirties, although there were a few much younger.
“How’s it going?” Laurie asked.
“The stuff we got today is dynamite. It’s even better than last week’s,” one of the guys said. He was the blond that had been at Preston’s that afternoon.
“Everyone, this is Cameron. You can introduce yourselves if you want.”
Cam looked around and nodded.
Laurie turned to her. “What would you like?”
“Coke would be fine,” Cam decided.
“Sure you don’t want some meth? Billy says it’s very good.” Laurie’s eyes were wide with hope. She looked over at the blond who nodded.
Cam shook her head. “I don’t do meth when I’m away from home.”
“Why not?” Laurie looked confused.
“Because the last time I did it in public I had a bad reaction and almost killed someone.”
There were gasps around the room.
“That won’t happen again. We’ll watch out for you,” one of the older guys said.
“I won’t take the chance. I don’t want to kill anyone.”
“You won’t.” Laurie brushed the thought away. “I can’t imagine you killing anything.” She was sure of that.
“I’ve already killed four people.”
Laurie’s eyebrows shot skyward and there were more gasps.
“Two before I went to prison, one in prison, and another a few years after that.”
“Why?” someone else asked.
“Because I had to.” Cam stopped. “It seems logical when you’re staring down the barrel of someone else’s gun, or when someone’s stabbed you and is about to slit your throat. I’ve got the scars to prove it.” She slid her collar to the side to show her bullet scar below her left collarbone.
“Oh, my God,” one of the other young women said.
“Damn!” one of the young men said.
There was mumbling around the room. There were a couple of moans, too
Then Neil walked out of the kitchen. “Hey, Cam,” he said with a large grin. “How’s it going? Did you try some of the stuff you got today?”
“Yes. The coke was very fine. I’ve haven’t had anything that pure since I was in Argentina, and that was right from the cartel.”
“You bought from the drug cartel in Argentina?” one of the men on the couch asked. “Was it excellent?”
“Never had better,” she replied.
“How did you do that?” someone asked.
“I was buying from this guy who turned out to be the son of the cartel lord. I mean, the stuff he had was well worth the high price he charged, but when I found out who he really was, I had to get out of there.”
“Why? If the stuff was that good, I would have stayed there forever!” one of the guys said with a loud laugh.
“He thought I was trying to stiff him.”
“Were you?” another boy asked.
“No! Well…I wasn’t, but the guy I was with hadn’t had the money, so by the time the interest added up, it came to a lot of dollars. We had to do a lot of scrimping and borrowing.”
“But you got out.”
“But we got out. Barely.”
“If you go back again, let me come with you?” Laurie’s eyes lit up.
Cam looked down at her. Maybe this was a good time to scare some of these kids before they got too involved in drugs. They had to know the perils that awaited them if they got too involved.
“I doubt I’ll be going back. It got kind of hot down there. I barely escaped with my life. You don’t want to try to fool with the cartel. They shoot right from the start and don’t even think about it later.”
“What did they do to you?” Neil asked.
“I’d rather not discuss it,” she whispered. “When you have someone sticking a gun…uh…down your throat, you tend to do a lot of things you never thought of doing before. You really don’t want to know more than that.”
Talk stopped as everyone looked at Cam. She just stood there and shook her head.
Finally, Laurie folded her arms around Cam.
“We don’t need to know more. We’re all such gossips. We always want to know everything.”
Cam nodded. There was mumbling of agreement around the room.
“Don’t try to fool with real drug lords. It isn’t worth it. Money is too important to them. They want to make it and keep it.”
The room quieted.
“Hey, speaking of knowing everything,” one of the young guys said, “did you hear that someone down in the States found Roy, Jayden, and David’s bodies a couple weeks ago?” He frowned as there were comments and moans around the room.
“Bodies? Oh no, I was afraid of that.” Laurie sounded very distraught.
“Where?” someone else asked.
“No one will say, but the Vermont troopers went to David’s mother’s house last week.”
“That’s terrible!” Laurie moaned. “I really liked those three.”
“Is there going to be a funeral?”
“There must be. We’ll have to watch the papers.”
“I don’t think there will be,” the guy who had brought this up said. “I heard there wasn’t much left of their bodies. They’d been lying in the woods all this time.”
Everyone groaned.
“Oh, they made some good shit,” the blond said nostalgically.
Others asked questions, but no one seemed to know anything else.
“Was that the stuff we got last week?” Cam asked.
“Shit, no. They’ve been missing since right after Halloween. That was Ken’s stuff we got.”
“Yah, it’s a good thing he had it ready. I think he’s been making it for quite a while. He was making it before Jayden and the guys started, but his wasn’t as good. At least he was right there when the other guys disappeared.”
“Wow,” was all Cam said. This Ken was ready with meth right after those three disappeared? That’s quite a coincidence. I guess I’ll have to find out who this Ken is. There seemed to be a rivalry there.
Laurie reached up and kissed Cam’s cheek. It jarred Cam out of her thoughts.
“Come with me while I take the bar smell off.” She took Cam’s hand and led her into the hallway, up the flight of stairs and into one of the small bedrooms on the second floor. “Make yourself comfortable,” she said as she opened a closet and took out a T-shirt.
“This is your room?” Cam asked.
“Yup. I share the house with Neil and Billy.”
“Only the three of you?”
“Yes, there’re only three bedrooms. We share the bills and the chores.”
“I see,” Cam mumbled.
“Yes. When I found out Neil had sold to you. I figured this was a good reason to get you here.”
“Why would you want me here?” Cam, mentally took a deep breath. No, she shouldn’t have come.
“Because I wanted to get to know you better,” Laurie said with a sly smile on her face.
“What do you mean by better?” Cam asked, already knowing where this was going.
Laurie smiled. “I thought we could have some fun tonight.”
“And what if I already have a lover?”
“Then why are you out alone all the time? If I were your lover, I would never let you out alone in the middle of the week.”
“Then that might be a problem. I’m not very good on a short leash. No one tells me what I can and cannot do.”
“It wouldn’t be a short leash. I’d make it worth your while to stay home or take me with you. I can’t imagine anyone trying to leash you.”
“Some have tried. It didn’t do them any good.”
“I wouldn’t try.”
There was a knock on the door.
“Yes?” Laurie called.
“I thought you wanted some of this,” was the answer.
Laurie went to the door and opened it a crack. Whoever was out there couldn’t see into the room. She reached out and took a small plastic bag.
“Have fun,” the guy on the outside of the door said. It sounded like Neil.
“We’re planning on it.”
Laurie closed the door. There was loud laughter as they heard footsteps bouncing down the stairs.
“I really should get going,” Cam declared.
“It’s still early. Don’t you want some of this?” She brandished the plastic bag. “Come on, just a little?”
“It’s coke, right?” Cam was still leery.
Laurie wet her finger and dipped it into the bag. “Sure,” she said. “See?” She rubbed her finger across Cams lips.
Cam could feel the freeze right away.
Cam shook her head. “You don’t know what you’re doing,” she said.
“Then teach me,” Laurie flirted. She flicked her eyebrows, then turned away. She set the bag on the dresser and reached inside the top drawer and retrieved a small spoon. She spooned a little coke onto the back of her hand and held it up to Cam. “Come on,”
Cam opened her mouth and Laurie blew the coke into Cam’s throat.
“See? Isn’t that better?” She unbuttoned her shirt and held her breasts up to Cam. “And these are even more delicious.”
“You’re playing with fire,” Cam said without moving.
“Yes, I know.” Laurie had a sly smile on her face.
“I don’t think you do.” Cam closed her eyes and took a deep breath. The coke was already affecting her.
Laurie reached forward, took Cam’s hand, and placed it on her breast.
“I do have a lover,” Cam told her. “I don’t think you’d want to make her mad. She could wipe the floor with everyone in this house…all at the same time.”
“Is that why you’re scared of her?”
“I’m not afraid of her.”
“Do you love her?”
“Yes,” said Cam, matter-of-factly.
“Are you going to tell her about this?”
“We tell each other everything.”
“Then let’s give you something to tell her about.”
Laurie stepped forward and lowered Cam’s head to kiss her. It was a hard kiss, smoldering with promise. At first Cam didn’t respond, but the coke had her emotions near the surface and before long, she was squeezing Laurie’s tit and returning the kiss.
Cam finally pushed herself back. “No, this won’t happen.”
“Then you are afraid of her.” Laurie grinned.
“I’m twice your age,” Cam explained.
“But I have the stamina of youth. Afraid you can’t keep up with me?”
“I had younger than you in prison,” Cam declared. “Besides, I don’t do vanilla sex that well and I don’t think you’re ready for the hard stuff.”
“I’ve always wanted to try something like that.” Laurie leered at her hopefully.
Cam shook her head. “Not with me.”
Laurie pouted.
Cam took a step back as she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.
“Want to try smoking this?” Laurie asked as she reached into her dresser and produced a pipe. “I’ve got all sorts of stuff, three pipes…”
“No. Inhaling it works fine for me. Smoking this shit will get you up into next year.”
“But it’s so much faster,” Laurie said. “And I got some rocks, too. Not as many as you bought but I’ve got some. I’ll share them with you.”
“No, keep the rocks for yourself. I’ve got enough.” Cam took a deep breath. Getting out of this was harder than she’d thought.
“Look,” Cam continued, “I appreciate the attention, but it’s not going to happen between us.”
“If I tell Neil you broke my heart, Preston will never sell to you again,” Laurie threatened.
“I’ve never had problems finding drugs. I’ll have to find somewhere else.”
“There isn’t anywhere else around here.”
“Then I’ll have to go back to Montreal.”
“Come on, Cameron,” Laurie wheedled. “Just once? You might like it.”
“No doubt I would, but it won’t happen.”
“Another time?” Laurie asked.
“No. I’m sorry.”
Laurie took a deep breath. She looked like she wanted to cry. “Well, it was worth the try.” She muttered softly but frowned. “Do you want some more coke?”
“No, but it was good. Where does he get it?”
“Billy drives over to somewhere near Burlington, I think.”
“That’s quite a ways.”
“He only goes every other week. Are you sure you don’t want some more?”
“No, Honey. I have my own at home and I should be going there now.”
Laurie glanced at her bed, then up at Cam hopefully. “Are you sure you won’t reconsider?”
Cam shook her head.
“At least stay until everyone else leaves or goes to bed? Please, don’t embarrass me. Everyone thinks I’m scoring with you.”
“But, you aren’t.”
“Let’s keep that our secret. Please? Everyone was pushing me on, saying I couldn’t do you. They don’t have to know they’re right.”
“Tell them I was a lousy fuck and you couldn’t stand it,” Cam suggested.
Laurie laughed. “No one would believe me. They all expect you to be spectacular.”
Cam took a deep breath and looked at her watch. It was after midnight. Good thing she’d called Michael. “I’ll stay one hour only.”
Laurie plopped down on the bed. “All right.” She sighed. Then she had thought. “Can I ask you a question?”
“Sure,” Cam replied.
“How did you get that scar on your shoulder?”
Cam sighed. “It was my first year on the force,” she explained. “My partner Greg and I were patrolling the streets of our precinct…” She’d never forget that afternoon.
“I pulled into the parking lot,” she explained to Laurie, “and found a space right in front of a donut shop. Greg and I’d decided to both go in and get a cup of coffee. I had just gotten out of the cruiser and was putting the keys in my pocket when something hit me in my shoulder and slammed me back into the car.”
I’m shot! I realized as I slid to the pavement. I heard another gunshot and the windshield of the patrol car shattered.
“Stay down!” I heard Greg yell as I started to struggle to my feet. I didn’t need to be told twice. My shoulder hurt worse than anything I had ever thought possible. I let myself fall back to the pavement. I could hear Greg on the radio, calling for back-up. The one thing I heard most was “Code ten-twenty-three! Officer down. Shots fired! Code ten-twenty-three!”
I was face down on the pavement. I realized I was losing blood but I struggled to remain conscious. I knew Greg would have things under control soon.
I heard women screaming and several more shots fired. I turned my head as best I could and saw, under the car, that Greg was hunkered down on the other side, beside the front tire. I watched as Greg crept back and peered under the car. When he saw me looking at him, he breathed a sigh of relief and gave me a thumbs-up.
“Take it easy, kid. Help will be here in a minute,” he said, just loud enough for me to hear him.
I tried to move my arm to motion to him, but pain shot through my shoulder. I couldn’t move it. I ended up nodding. Greg moved forward and returned to watch the front door of the donut shop.
I turned my head back to my right side when I heard shuffling on the pavement. I could see that someone was creeping along the other side of the car next to us on the left. I watched as a man was slowly working his way along the car from the sidewalk out toward the street. I could tell it was a man from the size and look of his sneakers. Suddenly, he reached down to get his balance. He had a gun in his hand. I immediately knew what had happened: the perpetrator had come out of the store without Greg seeing him. Greg was still watching from behind the front bumper and the gunman was steadily moving to get around behind him. I had to do something. But what? I couldn’t get up or roll over. My right arm seemed to be the only thing I could move.
I reached down to my hip and unsnapped my gun. It was heavier than I remembered. I brought it up and pointed it toward the rear of the car that the perpetrator was creeping around. He may be sneaking up on Greg, but he’d have to go past me, first. I was on the pavement between the two cars.
I watched him as he slowly crept around the other car, until he emerged into the opening between the cars.
“Drop the gun!” I shouted. Surprised that I was conscious, he turned and looked at me. In a split second, it was over. He pointed his gun at me and we both pulled the trigger. I only remember the sound of the tire next to my head wheezing air as I lost consciousness.”
“Good heaven!” Laurie sighed. “What happened to him?”
“That was my first kill,” Cam told her.
“But you were shot!” Laurie exclaimed.
Cam nodded. “Those things happen.”
“How badly were you hurt?” Laurie asked.
“Not nearly as bad as I could have been. An inch to the left or up and I’d have lost my shoulder. An inch to the right or down and I’d probably be dead.”
“Oh, Cam!” she groaned. “Is that why you quit the force?”
“No. I got kicked off for stealing that stuff.” She gesture of the pack of coke. “That’s what I sold to that undercover cop.”
“That was really unlucky,” Laurie said.
Cam looked at her and laughed. “Unlucky? Downright stupid.” She sat down in the chair next to the bed, Like tonight. I should just walk out of here.
“Didn’t you like being a law officer?
“I liked the job, but the pay sucked. That’s why I had that little side business.”
That was what she and Maggie had decided to say when they planned this whole thing ten years ago. Well, it had worked then…
“Okay,” Cam said. “You know about me. Tell me something bout Laurie.”
“Well,” said Laurie as she settled back onto the bed, “I grew up and went to school right here in Magog. I’ve been working at Le Crash for a year and a half. That’s about it. I’ve been into Vermont but that’s as far as I’ve ever traveled.”
“You went to school here?”
Laurie nodded. “Centre D’Education Des Adultes, here in Magog. I never wanted to go to university.
“And your family?”
“My folks are divorced. I have a stepsister who’s ten. I’ve been on my own since I graduated.”
“How do you know Neil and Billy?”
“Billy is my cousin. He and Neil have been friends in they were little. When Neil got the job with Preston, he rented this place and Billy moved in. Then I came along a few years later. That’s about it. Did you grow up in Baltimore?”
“No, I moved there with a lover who was doing her residency at a hospital there.”
“Is that the lover you have now?”
“No, we broke up a long time ago.”
* * * *
About an hour later, Cam walked downstairs softly. The lights were very dim and only one couple was asleep on the couch. Another guy was sleeping in the chair but there was no one else around. She let herself out of the house and got into her car.
Her mind was going crazy. Not only was she thinking about Laurie and how to keep her away from any busts that were going to go down, but the thought of her shooting and why she moved to Baltimore also brought memories of Dr. Karen Amos; the beautiful blond doctor that she had lived with for four years. Karen had been on duty in the E.R. when they had brought her in that day.
That had been the first time she’d been shot. It was the second time Cam had taken a bullet that sent Karen over the edge. They had split up and hadn’t talked to each other since.
* * * *
“I found some interesting information, last night,” Cam told Jean-René, when she called him the next morning. “It seems that the place I’ve been buying from is the only game in town. I guess he distributes to all the other dealers in Magog.”
“Then, if we stop him, we close the door,” Jean-René said.
“Until someone else comes along. And, I got the name of the guy who’s cooking the meth.”
“Really?”
“It’s someone named Ken. I figure he’s been cooking it for quite a while but it wasn’t as good as the stuff those boys were making. I guess they were taking his market. I’ll have to check into that.”
“Do you think he was the one who killed those boys?”
“It seems like a good possibility. If someone’s stealing your market, murder is the fastest way to stop it.”
“C’est vrai.”
“At least we have a lead now. I’ll work on it.”
“Any idea how long it will take?”
“No more than two weeks I should think.”
“That’s great, Cam,” Jean-René said as he took a deep breath, “I can’t believe you found all that this soon. We’ve been working on it for more than two years. I think your cover story is absolutely fantastic.”
“It does open a lot of doors.”
“So, what’s the plan now?”
“I’m going to buy some more stuff in a few days. I really established my presence last night, so it shouldn’t be hard.”
“All right,” Jean-René agreed. “Let me know.”