Worn out, AJ tossed her phone on the bed and left a trail of clothes all the way to the shower. She let the hot water pour onto her face, across her tired muscles, and let go of the “Sam’s girlfriend” personality.
The charade had worked. People at Adams Delivery Service saw her and Sam as a couple, exactly what they’d intended. They’d worked through this on the drive to Niagara. Sam probably knew more about Katie than he should, and she certainly knew a lot more about Maddie. If she’d ever had a brother, she’d have wanted someone like Sam.
She settled by the window studying the lake. Someone was having a party at the beach bar, and laughter drifted up through her open windows. Even the little lighthouse at the far point of the lake was operational tonight, something that made her smile. She and Katie had taken a boat out there to see the decorative building, a smaller version of the real deal. The house behind it looked like a beach house on the Atlantic, something she’d grown up around.
She thought of the suite where Grace and Tag were staying. Everything fit. It was perfect for the computers with the big middle meeting room, long table and desks.
Last month, she and Katie had made reservations at the last minute and it had been the only space available. They’d stepped inside with their bags and just stared. It was huge. And empty. They’d both laughed, going across the kitchen with the industrial-sized refrigerator, sinks and cooking bar, not to mention the king-sized bedrooms and—
Katie. Her mind rewound and she grabbed her personal phone. There were three unanswered texts, including one from yesterday. The first two simply said Around? but the one sent less than an hour ago was not happy. Where are you? she read.
“You promised,” Katie said, picking up right away.
“I’m sorry.”
“I miss you and worry. Are you okay?”
“It’s still quiet, but we may have caught a break today…and, again, I’m sorry.”
Katie sighed and then her voice brightened. “One thing that I know will make you smile. The lawn guys showed up and did a great job. I even gave them a beer when they were done.”
“That’s good. This place feels so wrong without you. I’m looking at the lake and the lighthouse and just came from the suite where we stayed. I miss you too.”
“Well, I’m in bed, going over notes for tomorrow’s meeting, and I’m not washing these sheets until you come home.”
They both laughed at that. “I still have a bunch of work too,” AJ said, staring at her laptop on her desk. “I haven’t even checked my email and I have to call Maddie.”
“Don’t forget to check in tomorrow.”
They said a bit more and then regretful good-byes. AJ pulled up the photo of Katie on her phone, the one she’d had in Little Crane Lake last spring. She stared at it for a long moment and then opened her laptop.
This whole thing was going way too slow. Sitting back in the weeds wore on her, but she didn’t miss the anxiety and nightmares. Or the shootings and fires. And there were the girls and Frog. Someone had to watch over them.
“Crap,” she muttered after reading the chief’s notes. Nothing new there either, especially no information on X-Girl from the Milwaukee trafficking task force. When she talked to Maddie, she’d ask. She was anxious to hear what Maddie had to say about the new car and the two men at the motel. She reached behind her for the group phone to call, still thinking about Katie and the yard guys.
“What guys?” she said out loud, scowling at the phone. The man down the street said he’d do it personally. She logged onto their home security, backed it up a couple of days, and began to page through. There they were. Two familiar men in an old pickup with a lawn mower and tools. What the hell. It was the two men who were now at the motel down the road. She swore at the video and called the chief, then sent him the security videos.
She froze the last frame. Katie. Standing on the deck in little purple shorts and gray T-shirt, handing them each a beer and, damn it, they were looking at her like she was a meal. She sent another copy to Grace.
* * *
Tag leaned back in her chair. “Got it,” she said to Grace, pointing at the screen showing the death certificate for Donna Seesom.
Grace looked at the information on the computer. “And here’s the tax information on her so-called parents’ house, the one she’s selling. I don’t know who she is, but she’s not the daughter. That’s just like those men at the motel with the fake names.”
Tag held up a beer. “Want one?”
Grace nodded, typing. “I’m sending this and the certificate you found to the group and the chief and Maddie.” She finished and propped an elbow on the desk, studying Tag.
“What?” Tag said, catching the look.
“I didn’t hear you come back last night from the motel with Sam. Those were good angles, by the way, and we still haven’t talked about your parents’ meal last weekend. Was it fun?”
“I really loved the meal with Mom, Dad, and Emma. Jay and his wife were there too. I can’t tell you what that meant to me. Will you come down and meet my folks?”
“Absolutely,” Grace said, but a trace of confusion passed across her face. “This is a first for me,” she continued as if she were thinking out loud.
Tag understood two things at that moment. This was brand new for Grace but not because she was a woman. It was simply new, and Grace was trying to figure her own feelings out. The scent of the stable and leather and the outdoors drifted around her as she waited for Grace to say more, her heart beating hard.
Grace took a deep breath. “I don’t even know how to talk about this.”
Tag took Grace’s hand, but the computer chirped and a little red devil bounced across the screen.
“What the hell?”
“It’s my AJ Alert.” Grace opened the file. “Oh my God, look. Katie and those two guys from the motel. It’s AJ’s security video. See the date? Why did those men mow their yard?” Grace reached for the group phone just as it rang. “I see it,” she said to AJ and put the phone on speaker.
“Want to go to the motel with me and shoot them?”
“The phone’s on speaker and Tag’s here. Let’s all go.”
“I’m in,” Tag said. “Why were they at your house?”
AJ snarled. “The owner of the nursery, our neighbor, said he’d take care of the yard personally. The fucking truth is we can’t do anything. I called the chief and sent this to him.” They heard her take a deep breath. “We think those guys worked for him. What are the odds of that? Remember the information we found that said they worked at a nursery? Damn, I hate this. I have to call Maddie, so talk to you later. Guess I can put my gun away for a while, but when that moment comes, I get dibs.” She disconnected.
Grace ran the video again, stopping it when Katie handed the men the beer. “No wonder she’s cranky.” She turned, her face a little dreamy. “I was there for their first kiss.”
“You were…where?”
“By the exit sign at the Copper Penny. I was with Katie and her sister, watching Michael at the back of the room. Charles had driven AJ and Bonnie back from Little Crane Lake. They were both injured and high on pain pills. I’m not sure AJ intended for that to happen at that moment.” Grace cut Tag a look. “It’ll always stay in my mind.”
Tag reached for Grace’s hand again.
“You were saying…”
Grace tilted her head with a deep breath but kept looking at Tag. “I don’t know what to say to you. I’ve never met anyone like you.”
“I have an idea,” Tag said, inching close, framing Grace’s face with her hands. “See how this works.” She kissed her softly and carefully, heart banging against her ribs.
Grace’s blue eyes were wide and startled and a shade of blue that Tag still couldn’t identify. “Much better than words,” she said and licked her lips. “Could we do that again?”
Tag did just that, every piece of her body shaking. Somewhere, something was thumping, and that quickly turned into banging.
“For crying out loud.” Grace tossed her pen across the desk and moved toward the door.
AJ and Sam strode into the room. “The cops or maybe a fire truck are at the motel. See the lights down the road? Look at the computers.” AJ turned. “Grace, take your truck down there and call us. Neither Greg nor Jeff is picking up.”
Grace grabbed her weapon and keys and was gone before Tag could move.
“Tag, pull up all the angles on the motel so we can watch,” AJ said.
Hands still shaking, Tag brought up live shots from the motel. She could still taste Grace’s lips.
“I was on the phone with Maddie when the sirens went by. Didn’t you hear them?”
Tag shook her head, and Sam pointed at a group of girls huddled in the doorways.
“There’s Frog,” AJ said.
“Has Maddie seen any of the video from here?” Sam said.
“Yes, and has three of them identified, four including Frog. That gives me hope.” AJ turned to them. “Tag, talk with Jay. See if we can trust the cops. Or if you don’t want to use Jay, see what you can find out while you’re doing that survey thing. Didn’t you say you know some people here?”
Tag nodded. “Two that I went to high school with, and I’ve spoken to both of them. One’s an artist with a little shop in town, but the other’s a doctor at the hospital. I’ll get in touch with her. And there’s no problem talking to Jay.” She turned and put her friends’ names on her personal computer notes. “I think Jay’s kind of jazzed over this whole thing, believes it’s for Clint and understands I don’t want the family to know. All I said at our meal was that I’d be working for the government soon.”
“Clint Weeks’s grand opening of his Niagara Inn is within two weeks. It’s all over the newspaper I bought,” Sam said, watching the video.
“Damn,” AJ said. “That means we’ll have a couple hundred new people in town to deal with. Great.” Her phone rang and she put it on speaker.
“There’s at least one body,” Grace said, slightly breathless. They watched the EMTs wheel a gurney to a waiting ambulance.
“There’s Donna,” AJ said, pointing at the woman talking to the sheriff’s deputy, animated and angry. There was only the ambulance and two sheriff’s SUVs. “We’re watching the feed, Grace. Can’t see…oh, we’ve got you.”
“They’re really arguing,” Grace said. “That woman’s hanging in there and— hey, get your hands off me.” They all heard a man’s angry voice and the phone went dead.
“Christ,” Tag said, reaching for her weapon in the drawer.
“Hold on.” AJ put a restraining hand on Tag. “Wait for it.” Grace spoke to the sheriff’s deputy and put her hand out. It looked like he had her phone. They said a few words and she stepped back. He moved at her aggressively, and suddenly, he was on the ground.
AJ shouted, “Atta girl, Grace.” The officer stood, obviously furious. Grace said something and he pulled his fist back, but she made another quick move and he was on the ground again. The man scrambled up and charged at her, but she turned quickly, sweeping his legs out from under him, and he was down for the third time. Grace shook her head and got into the back of his SUV.
AJ turned to Sam. “Take the car down there, but let this play out. If they ask, tell them you just stopped to see if you could help. Don’t forget she’s ‘Gabrial’ and be alert for Greg or Jeff. Show the sheriff’s men your paramedic ID if you have to.”
Tag sagged back in her chair, feeling useless. “Why’d she get into his SUV?”
“Because we need to see law enforcement up here.” AJ put a hand on Tag’s shoulder again. “She’s trained for this. I’m not kidding when I say she’s my best success story. Trust her. If the cops detain her, do you think you can get Jay there as her lawyer?”
Tag tipped back in her chair, not used to waiting. Her phone began to ring, but AJ grabbed it before Tag could get her hands on it.
“Don’t answer. What if they have her phone and want to see who picks up?” Tag’s phone went silent and AJ’s began to ring. “Grab that number, Tag. Put it on the computer.”
Tag had the location up in a heartbeat. It was the sheriff’s phone number.