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Riley followed the deputies out her front door and tailed Monson’s police cruiser to the corner. When Monson turned right, she swung left, pulled to the curb, and checked for voicemails or text. Nothing.
A stab of regret. She’d never wanted, needed, to talk to anyone more. She scrolled through her contact list, found Gary’s new entry, and hit Send. “Where are you?” she asked as soon as he answered.
“Sheriff’s department,” he said.
Not good. She needed to see Gary in private. Away from eavesdroppers. Her house was out. So was BRU. She racked her brain. Mom’s. Her ex had visited her mother’s condo while they were married. He wouldn’t need directions.
“I have an important lead. We need to talk. In private. Meet me at Mom’s condo.”
When Gary didn’t respond, she gritted her teeth. “Please.”
“Okay, Riley. I need fifteen minutes.” He paused. “Will your mother be there?”
She rolled her eyes. Gary feared the wrath of a frail woman on oxygen therapy. Smart man. Miz Pearl detested her former son-in-law for his unseemly behavior and her daughter’s ensuing humiliation. “Don’t worry. I’ll make sure Mom doesn’t throttle you.”
She used her key to unlock her mother’s front door. After her morning bombshell, she was uncertain of her welcome. Riley “yoo-hooed” to announce her arrival, then spotted her mother sprawled in a recliner. Her heartbeat picked up. Had her revelation about Wolf triggered a stroke?
She hurried to the chair. Her mother’s chest rose and fell in a regular rhythm. Sound asleep. She sighed in relief and gently rubbed one of her mom’s hands. Her fingers felt like popsicles, but her eyelids fluttered.
“Mom, are you okay?”
“Oh, it’s you.” The words came slowly, speech slurred. “I feel so groggy.” Pearl raised her free hand to her head, and her bony fingers massaged her temple. “When John left, I suddenly felt tired. I barely made it to the couch before I collapsed.”
Riley’s pulse jumped. “John was here? Today?”
“Why, yes, honey. He dropped by for a few minutes. He’s very concerned about you. And, well, our family.”
She squeezed her mom’s hand. A wince flitted across Pearl’s face. She’d been rougher than she intended. “Mother, listen very carefully. I don’t want you talking with John—”
Miz Pearl’s eyes grew wide and her lips trembled. “Riley, what on earth has gotten into you? Even if you’re not dating him, our families are friends. Why for generations—“
Riley interrupted. “Stop it, Mother, and listen. I can’t explain everything just yet. You have to trust me. Trust my judgment. You know how to make excuses. If John comes by again, tell him you’re on your way out. Say you’re not feeling well. Just . . . avoid him.”
Tears leaked from her mother’s eyes. “You’re scaring me.” Her voice sounded tinny, distant. Yet she found the strength to lever herself upright.
Riley searched her mother’s face. “I know this is baffling. I’m confused, too. But it’s not a good idea for either of us to socialize with John right now.”
“Fine. But we’ll both see him tomorrow night. You can’t ask your uncle to un-invite John. Or have you forgotten Jennie’s graduation party? Six p.m.”
“Good God, I did forget.” She ignored her mother’s scowl at her use of the Lord’s name. “If you see John in public and there are people around, just behave normally.”
“Normally? I’m not sure you know what that means, Riley.”
She let the comment slide. No point picking a fight. Her mother still looked woozy. “Are you feeling all right? Do you need your oxygen?”
She shook her head. “No, I’m just old. All this recent”—she searched for a proper term—“excitement has tired me out.”
Pearl paused and licked her lips. “John told me your Indian friend, this Wolf person, is wanted for murder. He said a deputy called to warn him. John is watching out for you.”
Her eyes searched her daughter’s face. “Tell me you’re not in love with this killer. Are you trying to protect him?”
Riley didn’t answer. “Mother, we have a guest coming. Please go down the hall and stay there till he leaves. I promised him privacy.”
“Not this Wolf!” Pearl cried with alarm.
“No.” Despite the seriousness of the situation, she wanted to laugh. Black humor. “It’s Gary. Knowing how you feel about him, maybe you’d prefer a visit from Wolf.”
* * * *
Gary’s look said it all. He thought she was nuts. “You want me to get a warrant and look into John Hunter’s life and finances based on a text message you refuse to show me from a fugitive? Hunter’s a respected international businessman. Not to mention a big contributor to your uncle’s political campaigns. Valdes’s message said the murder was on Hunter’s order, right? He didn’t even give a complete name.”
“You make this sound like I’m hallucinating.” She paced, too agitated to sit still. “I saw Deputy Nick Monson plant evidence in my house.”
“Oh, come on, Riley. You were lying on the cellar floor, dazed from taking a header down a flight of stairs. You think—think—you saw an object slip from Nick’s hand? Can you be sure it was the button the other deputy picked up? Or do you just want to believe someone’s framing your boyfriend?”
She tried another tack. “Okay, how about a compromise? Check out Nick Monson. Pinpoint the deputy’s whereabouts when Smitty was killed.”
“I suppose you want me to do it behind the sheriff’s back? Not exactly how the Feds win friends with local law enforcement.”
“Unfortunately, yes. How did Onward know to abandon that camp, to sweep it clean of evidence? Other than Wolf and our task force, who knew we’d located it? Who tipped off Onward? The leak had to come from the sheriff’s office, one of his deputies.”
She resumed her nervous pacing. “Sheriff Hendricks told his deputies what was going down, and Deputy Monson acted.”
“Are you blaming this deputy and Hunter for the personal attacks on you as well?” Gary quirked an eyebrow, a familiar derisive gesture.
“Yes, God help me, I am. And don’t think that admission doesn’t cost. I dated John for three months. If he’s behind this, how gullible does that make me?”
She glanced at Gary. He had the good grace to look sheepish. Yes, you know exactly how gullible I can be.
“John was in my house a dozen times. He could easily have peeked when I entered my alarm code or made an impression of my key. He had far more opportunities than Wolf to break my security.”
Gary sighed and stood. “With just your say-so on a phone text, I’ll give you this much and no more. I’ll have an agent check for ties between Hunter and Deputy Monson. And, for the time being, I won’t mention our conversation to the sheriff.”
Riley didn’t push. He’d given more than she’d expected.
They walked to the door. Gary reached out and gently stroked her cheek. “Promise, if you hear from Valdes, you’ll call me. I won’t send the sheriff. I’ll bring him in myself. But swear you won’t launch some solo crusade.”
Riley swallowed. He seemed to care. A tear meandered down her cheek. She had no desire to go back with Gary—yet fifteen years of marriage couldn’t be erased. The hurts and the highs.
She blinked to stymie fresh tears, struggled to regain control.
“Is it time to cancel graduation?” Her tone became businesslike, brisk. “We changed the venue—moved the ceremony to Clemson’s Littlejohn Coliseum. Your task force has been great, helped us add extra layers of security. Bomb-sniffing dogs. Metal detectors. Monitors for nearby airports and private air fields. Even armored vehicles to stop a truck loaded with explosives from ramming any entrance. But is it enough?”
She bit her lip as she searched for words. “I love these kids. If there’s even a one percent chance of danger, how can we gamble with their lives?”
Gary lifted her chin so their eyes met. “Life’s a gamble. We can minimize risks, but we can’t get rid of all the jokers in the deck.”
The expressions that played across his face said he was talking about more than BRU’s graduation. Losing a child had changed him.
“BRU should proceed with the ceremony. If you cancel, Onward will just shift the attack to another time, another place. Next week. Next month. The odds of catching—and preventing—the violence won’t get any better than they are right now. We’ll nail the bastards.”
Riley watched him hustle toward his car.
“Thank you,” she whispered. The conversation’s unexpected twists provided a closure her divorce decree never delivered. Her ex was neither devil nor saint. She could acknowledge the qualities that made her love him and move on.
Of course, she had no intention of following Gary’s advice. Her nighttime expedition would be a solo affair.
She found her mother. “Company’s gone. You can come out of hiding. Mom—if it’s okay—I’d like to stay here a few nights.”
“Of course, it’s fine. I’m sorry about this morning. Saying I wanted you to leave...”
“It’s all right, Mom. We’ll get through this. I love you.” She gave her mother a gentle hug.
“I need to go to the office and run by my place to pack some clothes.” She talked as she walked to the front door. “You don’t mind entertaining Lucy, do you?”
“Of course not. Lucy and I will enjoy a little nap,” Pearl said. “I can’t fathom why I’m so tired.”
“Want me to pick up Chinese? I’ll be back by seven.”
“No, don’t you go picking up dinner. I have a container of vegetable soup in the freezer.”
Riley considered saying something more about John. What did he have up his sleeve? Whatever it was, she didn’t want the bastard paying social calls on her mother. But it was pointless to suggest John was a killer. She’d scare the woman silly. He had no reason to hurt her mother—his biggest fan. John’s morning social call was probably harmless. He often dropped in when he visited his dad.