Gavin and Deb walked out onto the main street away from the river. The neighbor had followed at what she thought was a discreet distance. Gavin and Deb ignored her.
There was on one side a bit of marshy land and woods on the other side. They walked up around a blind curve. The sedan was parked in a small dirt turnaround bordering the marshy patch.
Holding Deb’s hand, Gavin walked up to the sedan and knocked on the window. Special Agent Mathews lowered the window and peered at Gavin over his Ray Bans.
“I really think you’d be more comfortable in the house, Agent Mathews,” Gavin said.
“How long have you known I was here?”
“We saw you following us last night. And again this morning. And on the way back,” Gavin smiled.
“You’re a good cop, Sergeant Mahoney. Don’t go messing up your life.”
“I don’t plan to. Neither does Dan. We didn’t have anything you didn’t until a minute ago.”
“What do you have?”
“Kris Bowen just called Miranda. He could see us. Made a xenophobic comment about the towel I was using. We think he’s at the yacht club.”
Agent Mathews nodded. “What about the young trophy wife?”
“Dan thinks he’s more preoccupied with Miranda than worried about Theo. Personally, I think she’s dangerous, too. She’s not smart, exactly. But she didn’t marry the old man just to be cut out so easily. She’ll get what she wants. I’m just not sure what that is. I haven’t looked at the ‘proof’ that he paid someone to tamper with his brother’s car, but I’m sure it’s inconclusive, or she wouldn’t have been at our door.”
“Yeah. It’s damning enough to get the old man to disinherit him but nothing to convict him of any crime. The vehicle was in working order. Nothing wrong with the brakes or any other part of the vehicle. His blood alcohol was twice the legal limit. He got drunk. He got lucky and only killed himself,” Agent Mathews confirmed. “We have Kris on the explosives and kidnapping, though.”
“Heads up, Deb’s mom escaped, and we think she’s looking for him. He threatened her grandson. Then he kidnapped him. After what she’s been through, she’s a bit of a wild card.”
“Yeah, I read the file. What about the brothers?”
“Well, the brother slash cousin slash, I don’t even want to think about it, is in prison. Frank is with Theo, and Bob is with Jason in Sterling, Illinois. Hey, what’s with telling the Sheriff we’re conducting an unsanctioned manhunt?” Gavin laughed.
“Had to tell him something,” the older man snorted, “after the bigoted neighbor called the police on you.”
“Yeah, she’s a peach. She’s right over there behind that tree, by the way.”
Deb stood looking at Gavin with her mouth hanging open. She had just told him he could tell her things in his own time. Why was she glaring at him like that? She turned quickly to see the neighbor hiding behind the tree, taking video with her phone. “Hey!” she called out.
The woman turned to run when another agent came up behind her, identified himself, and took her phone, deleting the video.
“I’m not a drug dealer, Mrs. Hogue. I’m a police officer,” Gavin said without looking at her.
“Oh. Um. I…Well, what am I supposed to think?” she huffed. “How do you know my name?”
“It’s on your mailbox, and I can read,” he replied, snidely.
Deb burst out laughing. Okay. She was okay. She wasn’t leaving. The bottom hadn’t dropped out.