by G. K. Parks
However, I used this as an opportunity to get closer to Sarah. I didn’t want to risk starting a budding friendship with any of the other women after what happened to Anika, but Sarah seemed to be particularly close to Tim. She might know more than the others, and from what Decker had said, she had been at the co-op for a long time. She was also the only one that still seemed miffed about Anika’s disappearance.
“How long have you been here?” I asked as we took the bags out of the room.
She giggled. “To be honest, I’ve lost track. It’s been a good while.”
“Yeah, I can tell. You’re really close to Tim. I don’t know if I ever got a chance to thank you for coming to my rescue a couple weeks ago, but if it weren’t for you and Tim, my nerves would probably still be shot.”
“And Jace,” she chirped. “You can’t forget him.”
Her tactics to wheedle details out of me were fairly obvious, so I decided to go with a lover’s quarrel as the premise behind my need to speak to Tim. “Apparently not.” I stopped her in the middle of the empty hallway and lowered my voice. “Tim really likes Jace, and he probably knows him better than anyone. I just need some reassurance that we’re doing the right thing.”
“About what?”
“Jace is great. Really. But we moved in together so quickly. I don’t know if he offered because he was being nice or if he really likes me. And if he does like me, was he just pretending to be a knight in shining armor in order to get laid? Guys have done that before. I don’t think that’s the case, but it could be. What do I know about Jace other than he’s a clutz that ruined two of my shirts?”
“That isn’t true. You know him better than that.” Her voice adopted a knowing quality. “But what do we know about anyone for that matter? There are very few people you can actually trust.”
“Even Tim?”
She didn’t fall for the bait or speak ill of her leader. “No. Tim’s as he appears. He’s genuine, and he cares. That’s why he’s working so hard to keep this place afloat. The bills are piling up. It happens sometimes, so we work extra hard to make our bake sales and farmer’s markets extra productive. He won’t let anything happen to us. He always has a backup plan. You can trust him, and you can trust Jace because Tim does.” She took the donation bag from my hand. “I’m needed in the kitchen. You’re welcome to join.”
“That’s okay. I’m not that great at cooking. Thanks for the advice. I really needed some female perspective. Can we keep this between us? I don’t want Tim to mention any of this to Jace when I’m just being silly and paranoid.”
“I guess, but you really should talk to Tim about your insecurities. He’s great at helping with problems.”
Or causing them, I thought.
Twenty-nine
“It’s done. As soon as Tim turns on his computer, we’ll have access to his files and keystrokes. He must be one of the only people left on the planet that doesn’t use wi-fi.”
“He’s paranoid. It’s a miracle he even has a computer. From our research, he’s been off the grid for so long, I’m surprised he was willing to compromise himself in that manner.” Decker scratched at his jaw. “He’s hardwired which gives him a false sense of security. As long as he stays plugged in, we’re in business. Did you encounter any problems?”
“There was a snag. Sarah must have seen me go upstairs. She came looking.”
“Shit,” Decker cursed, pacing back and forth. “If she tells him, he’ll check the camera footage, see that they were on the fritz, and realize you’re a plant.”
“Maybe not. She doesn’t know I was in his room. I told her I was looking for him. Honestly, I wasn’t in there that long. I think we’re okay.”
He stopped midstride and stared wide-eyed at me. “Is that a gamble you’re willing to take?” I nodded, and he sighed. “Fine, but you are staying away from upstairs from here on out.” He held out his hand. “Give me the EMP generator. I’ll flip it on and off at random intervals to make him think it’s faulty wiring. He already heard about the power outage from the weekend, so he might buy into it.”
“Now who’s being paranoid?”
Before Decker could respond, his phone rang. He answered and put it on the table. “You’re on speaker. What do you have for us, Matt?”
“The geek squad is hard at work downloading Wilde’s files. His hard drive is fairly blank, but his internet history is another story. Eve and Carlo are parsing through the websites he frequents, and Ben is monitoring his current session. In case you were curious, Wilde is researching soil conditions to increase crop yield. It’s really exciting stuff.”
That fact made me want to slam my head into the table, and from the look on Decker’s face, I imagined he had the same desire. “You shouldn’t have bothered making the call,” I muttered, defeated.
Decker held up a finger, silencing me. “What else do you have?”
Eckhardt delayed for a moment, and I sensed that there was more bad news on the way. “Another body turned up. Her stomach’s slashed open like the others, but we’re having trouble making an ID. Her fingers were badly damaged, and her teeth were knocked out. Facial rec is a tad challenging. She was found in the desert on the side of the road, about fifty miles from the border. A trucker called it in, but he didn’t stop. To top it off, the birds and wildlife did a number on the body.”
“Do we think it’s Anika?” I asked.
“Hair color’s a match, and preliminary reports indicate she’s in the proper age range. But we can’t be sure,” Eckhardt replied. “The assistant director is allowing the locals to work the case until we know for certain if the deceased is another of Wilde’s former followers. I just thought you should know.”
Decker licked his lips, hovering over the phone. “I want to see the body and the crime scene. If it is Anika, maybe I’ll be able to recognize her. That’ll save some time on waiting for the DNA results, and it’ll give us jurisdiction faster, preventing more of the evidence from being contaminated or corrupted.” He rubbed a hand down his face and stared across the room, not seeing any of it. “Where are the remains?”
“They’ve been moved to the state’s main forensic processing facility,” Eckhardt said.
Jace blinked a few times. “Fine. I’ll phone for approval, but you should expect to see me tomorrow. Also get the team mobilized. While I’m gone, I want you close enough to back-up Alex if the situation escalates.”
“Affirmative,” Eckhardt replied, and Decker disconnected.
Without giving me a chance to say anything, Decker picked up the phone, dialed a number, and shut himself in the bedroom. I dropped into the nearest chair, unsure of what to do. The news of another body shouldn’t have been shocking, but it felt like a sucker punch. Today should have been a win, but it was another devastating loss.
When Decker opened the door three minutes later, he resembled a downed fighter that was determined to get up and kick ass. Leaving the bathroom door open, he lathered his face and picked up a razor. “I’ll leave in the morning. Can you cover for me?”
“No problem, but what excuse do I use? You’re a drifter. It’s not like I can say you have a sick aunt.”
“Just tell Tim I wasn’t feeling well and wanted to sleep in. I’m supposed to work at the gas station anyway, so he won’t be expecting to see me the rest of the day. I should be back by tomorrow night.”
“Okay. In the event he drops by the trailer, I’ll say you went to the clinic.”
He nodded, stepping back into the bathroom to finish shaving away the stubbly beard that drove him crazy. When he was done, he wiped his face on a towel and returned to the main room. “How the hell did another body turn up? We’re all over the DOT cams. We have two vans outside this place. One of them is sitting on Wilde. It’s not like he called someone to pick up a body.” He zeroed in on me. “Do not do anything stupid while I’m gone. He has some way of getting people out of here without anyone noticing, and after today, you’re already on thin ice.” He bit h
is lip. “Perhaps this is stupid. It’s not like I’ll be able to tell much from a mutilated carcass.”
Recognizing the running commentary as a version similar to my internal dialogue, I blew out a slow breath. Someone needed to be logical. “Then why’d you volunteer? What do you hope to gain by going? Be honest.”
He shrugged. “I haven’t seen any of the bodies or crime scenes up close and personal. But this is personal. Anika was going to help us, and we didn’t help her.”
“She didn’t know that.”
“No, but I want to help her now.” He deflated, taking a seat across from me. “I know Wilde. I know what makes him tick, how he acts and reacts, and right now, he’s in panic mode. He’s spinning. I think he fucked up. At the very least, he thinks he fucked up. That means there could be something on the body or at the scene that ties the dead girl to him. It could be something inconsequential, but it might be the nail in his coffin.”
“You think it’s whatever Anika wanted to show me?”
“I do.” His shoulders slumped, and he chortled. “Or I’m letting hope cloud my judgment. I guess we’ll find out tomorrow.”
* * *
Jace left before daybreak. He dressed in black, kept to the shadows, and made his way off the grounds without anyone noticing. A few blocks away, Eckhardt picked him up. They were going to drive out to the crime scene, and Jace was going to take a chopper to the ME’s office to save time. Assuming everything went according to plan, he’d be back late that evening and everything would continue like clockwork.
I attended the morning tranquility session alone, finding a spot near Sarah. Securing our budding friendship might prevent her from disclosing my activities to our spiritual leader. At least, that was my hope. The morning session wasn’t the usual lecture followed by a personal account. Instead, all twenty-two attendees were forced into a large circle around Tim, who insisted that we share our deepest anxiety. I didn’t like the change in our typical pattern, but I played along. When it was my turn, I came up with something fitting of Alice Lexington’s current dilemmas. As was par for the course, Tim and the others each contributed some type of reassuring comment or helpful suggestion to minimize said anxiety. Luckily, he didn’t draw any overt attention to Jace’s absence, and since the session ran almost twice the normal length, those who had employment were in a rush to leave, providing a perfect means of escape.
To avoid more questions, I returned to the trailer and waited for confirmation from the surveillance team that Tim was on his way into town. Once he was gone, I went back to the main building. Sarah and Hannah had constructed an assembly line for the weekend’s bake sale, and I took a spot among the seven other women. Thankfully, the conversation remained light. After the group disbanded, I returned to the trailer, hoping to avoid running into Tim. Truthfully, I wanted to avoid his evening preaching, but I couldn’t decide if that was a good idea. Had I thought faster, I should have volunteered to check out the body and crime scene. Decker was only a DEA agent. What did he know about murders and crime scenes? Plus, I really could have used a break from the damsel in distress mentality and the sicko wolf in sheep’s clothing. Damn, now I was thinking in idioms. Didn’t that clearly indicate I needed a break?
Someone knocked on the trailer door, and I glanced at my phone, making sure I hadn’t missed Decker’s returning home text. Opening the door, I was confronted by the wolf. He didn’t bother to smile or hide behind any of his usual pleasantries. He just stared expectantly at me, waiting to be invited inside.
“Hi,” I said, stepping backward, thankful I’d spent most of the afternoon tidying up and hiding everything of importance, “what are you doing here?”
“After hearing your confession this morning, I thought it would be best to speak in private.” He stepped into the trailer, his eyes shifting throughout the room and to the opened bedroom. “Jace missed our morning tranquility ritual. Is there a problem? Are you two okay?”
“He wasn’t feeling well. His stomach kept him up most of the night. I told him to stay in bed and rest.” I entered the kitchenette and filled two glasses with water.
“What a shame. He really could have benefitted from hearing your fears this morning.” He took a seat at the table, diverting his eyes from my ass when I turned back around to place the glass in front of him. “Thanks.”
“Jace spends a lot of time hearing my fears. I’m sure he’s familiar with them by now.”
Tim took a long slow sip, turning the glass in his hand and studying it. “Is that so?”
“Yeah.” I shrugged. “When you two found me, I was pretty broken. I’m still not completely back together. My ankle’s still busted, just like my finances.”
“How’s that going?”
“The attorneys are hopeful that it’ll be resolved soon. They’ve been working to get this expedited. We’ll see what happens. Honestly, I think they’re in a bigger rush to see this thing through than I am.” I let out a cynical laugh. “I guess it’s because they don’t get paid until my assets are unfrozen.”
Tim’s brow furrowed. “Why do you always assume that the only possible motivation for helping out is self-serving?”
“Isn’t it true most of the time?” I snorted. “It’s sad that everyone isn’t like you.”
He nodded at the compliment. “You’ve doubted Jace lately.” It wasn’t a question, and I didn’t bother denying it. I didn’t believe for a second that he determined that from the crap I said this morning, but that was the game he wanted to play. And it probably worked with most of his other followers. To fall into line with his doctrine required a certain amount of naiveté and gullibility. Or maybe it was blissful hope and denial. At this point, I had no idea what motivated his followers to stick around and remain loyal, but his omnipotent commentary only solidified their resolve that he was in some form or fashion a savior. “Has he given you any such reason to reach those conclusions?”
“No. I’m just scared.”
“Of?”
I focused on the glass. “Falling for someone and depending on them. What would I do if things fall apart again, especially this time? I don’t have anywhere else to go. I like it here. If he realizes that I’m not a good person and that I’m not good enough, then what?”
Tim smirked, buying my story hook, line, and sinker. “That won’t happen because you are a good person and so is Jace. Regardless of any romantic entanglement or dissolution, you will always be welcomed here, and so will he.” Tim looked around the room. “Why don’t you join us for the evening meal since he’s at work?”
I shook my head. “Actually, I wanted to make him some soup and wait to eat with him.”
Tim nodded. “That’s a good girl.” He stood, holding out his arms for a hug. After a brief embrace, he left.
Closing the door, I watched from the window as Tim returned to the main building; then I scanned the trailer for any planted surveillance devices. Wilde had stopped by for a visit to feel me out. He must have known I had been upstairs, and he was hoping to determine if I posed a threat. With any luck, I passed with flying colors. However, the last thing I wanted to do was discuss this with Decker. I’d already been chewed out for nearly getting caught. If he heard about this, he’d probably pull me off the mission. I’d already invested a few months of my life. I wasn’t going home until the bastard was behind bars.
Deciding that I needed to actually make soup in the event Tim stopped by again, I ransacked the fridge and cabinets for ingredients. I just finished chopping some vegetables when the phone rang. A pit formed in my stomach. Decker shouldn’t be calling; he should be sending a courtesy text saying he was on his way inside.
“What’s wrong?” I asked in lieu of a greeting.
His exhale didn’t help calm my nerves. “It’s not her.” Although I could take a small amount of comfort from the fact that it wasn’t Anika’s body, I realized what the implications were. “It’s one of his other followers. I know it. I’m going to stay until we determine who
it is. There’ve been a dozen who have left, and she looks familiar. It shouldn’t take that long to run through those names. The ME is trying to salvage one of her fingers so we can perform a comparison. I should be back sometime tomorrow.”
“All right.”
“Is everything okay?” Decker asked, sensing my trepidation. “The surveillance team said that Tim was at the trailer a few minutes ago.”
“Damn, you’re dialed in,” I teased. “Yeah, he stopped by for a quickie while my old man was at work.”
“Alex,” he warned, waiting for me to be serious, “what did he want?”
“Nothing. He just wanted to know where you were this morning and make sure everything was okay. I said you were sick last night and slept in. When you don’t show up tomorrow morning, things might get a bit more interesting.”
“I want you to get out of there as soon as you can. Duck out after the morning ritual and go to the restaurant. It’s been a while. Touching base with your boss is a great excuse to avoid having to feed Tim more lies. I’ll make sure that a team stays on you in case any more goons with clubs decide to break your bones.”
“Thanks.” I held the phone for a moment, wanting to say something encouraging. “Now go get that ID. We’re going to nail this son of a bitch. I know it.”
The smile was in his voice when he said, “I do too.”
Thirty
The following evening, I was in the bedroom, surrounded by case notes. Decker hadn’t checked in today, and I couldn’t shake the bad feeling I had. Most of the day was spent outside the co-op, but upon my return, I’d been jittery and anxious. Putting that nervous energy to good use after pacing for thirty minutes and doing an hour long workout, I hooked the tablet to the satellite link, visited the list of sites Wilde frequented, and researched the previous six deaths. There were several similarities in the wound tracks and their toxicology reports.
