Desperate Measures (An Aspen Falls Novel)

by Melissa Pearl

  Miguel’s answer was immediate. “Then you bring him. No questions asked.”

  She smiled.

  This was the Miguel she knew.

  “You’re the best,” she said.

  “Wait, what’s going on? What are you not telling me?”

  Another house came into view.

  “I gotta go,” she said.

  “Cam.” His voice was thick with warning.

  “I’ll call you later, I promise.” She ended the call.

  Glancing at the screen, she noted the address for Travis Bingman. She looked out the windshield, squinting at the black stickers peeling off the mailbox.

  It was a match.

  She pulled into the dirt and gravel driveway and stared at the house in front of her. It was a doublewide trailer that had been prettied up at one point, with vinyl siding and window boxes and plantation shades framing the windows. But weather and neglect had taken its toll. The cream-colored siding was caked with dirt and dust, and the window boxes were filled with weeds, not flowers. An expansive lawn surrounded the property, and this was an oasis of lush green grass. The beauty of the lawn was a stark contrast to the condition of the house.

  Cam pulled the key out of the ignition and picked up her phone one more time. Quickly, she opened her web browser and typed Travis’s name into the search bar. She hit the Images button and a gallery of photos appeared. The first one was of a red-haired man in a police uniform.

  She smiled.

  That was her guy.

  She reached for the door handle to step out of her car just as a large German shepherd came bounding toward her. With its teeth bared, the dog snarled and barked at her and she made the decision to sit tight.

  The front door opened and a man stepped out onto the stoop. “Griswald, knock it off!”

  The dog turned to look at its owner, then slunk back toward the house. It gave her a couple of backward glances, but the barking stopped.

  Cam opened her door and took a cautious step onto the driveway.

  Travis Bingman had aged considerably from the photo she’d just looked at online. His thick mop of red hair had disappeared almost completely, and even from the distance she was at, she could tell he hadn’t shaved it intentionally. However, what hair he was missing from his head, he more than made up for with his thick beard and moustache.

  “Can I help you?” he called out.

  His expression was wary.

  She didn’t blame him. He lived on a mostly deserted country road. How many strangers randomly pulled into his driveway?

  She offered what she hoped was a friendly looking smile. “You’re Travis, right? Travis Bingman?”

  He folded his arms across his chest. He’d put on a significant amount of weight since the photo online. His face, once angular, was now jowly, and his stomach stretched the lower half of the Vikings T-shirt he was wearing.

  “Maybe,” he said noncommittally. “Who’s asking?”

  “Isabel.” She used the name she always used when she needed an alias. “I’m actually a friend of Alex’s. You remember him?”

  Travis cocked his head. “Castillo?”

  She nodded.

  He immediately straightened. “How do you know Alex?”

  “We were friends back in the city.”

  He was eyeing her with suspicion.

  Rightfully so, considering Alex’s line of work and how deeply undercover he operated.

  “I haven’t seen him in a long time.”

  Cam nodded. “I’m sure. You left the department last year, right?”

  Travis nodded.

  “I actually was hoping I could ask you a couple of questions about that,” Cam said.

  He frowned. “Why? What does that have to do with Alex?”

  “I don’t know that it does,” Cam admitted. It was the angle she was going to work, but she didn’t want to tell him that just yet. She didn’t want to put all her cards on the table, especially if she wasn’t sure he would cooperate.

  He readjusted his arms, puffing out his chest a little.

  She got the message.

  He was going to be a tough nut to crack.

  “You were let go?” she asked.

  His eyes narrowed. “I resigned.”

  “The harassment charge, right?”

  He stared stonily at her.

  “From what Alex told me, they were trumped-up charges.”

  Something flickered in his eyes, but he said nothing.

  “He said he thought you were set up.”

  “What the fuck are you doing here?” Travis growled. “And when was the last time you saw Castillo?”

  She ignored his last question. “Like I said, I have a couple of questions—”

  “Yeah, well I’m not answering them,” he barked. “So you better get the hell off my property before I take matters into my own hands. ’Cuz you are trespassing right now.”

  Her heart thudded against her chest. His reaction was one she’d considered but hoped she wouldn’t see.

  “What did you do to piss your sergeant off?” she asked. “Because he set you up, didn’t he?”

  Travis’s eyes bulged. “Are you with the department? They sent you out here, didn’t they?”

  Cam shook her head. “No. I swear, I have no connection to Bentley PD. I’m here because…because Alex is in trouble.”

  He stilled. “What?”

  She couldn’t tell him the truth. But she could give him a few nuggets and hope it would be enough to get some information from him.

  “He’s missing,” she told him.

  “Missing?” he repeated.

  She nodded. “I know he’s been involved with the gangs in Bentley. Undercover.”

  Travis maintained a good poker face. His expression gave away nothing.

  “I’ve tried to talk to the department, but I can’t get anywhere. I have a feeling they’re not telling me everything, and I’ve got a bad feeling about the sergeant.”

  Travis’s mouth tightened.

  “I remembered what Alex told me about your case, and I thought I could ask you some questions, see if you might know—”

  He cut her off. “I haven’t seen Alex.” His words were terse, but his tone wasn’t nearly as antagonistic.

  She tried to look dejected. “That’s sort of what I thought you might say.” She sighed. “I have one other lead. A person he mentioned a couple of times. A kid. Necco is his name, I think?”

  Travis offered a grim smile. “Yeah, Necco.”

  Hope blossomed in Cam’s chest. “You know him?”

  Travis shrugged. “Sure. Had a few run-ins with him, but Castillo always insisted he was a good kid.”

  Cam tried to keep her voice calm even though she was reeling with excitement. This was the break she needed; she could feel it.

  “Any idea what his real name is? What he looks like?”

  Travis unfolded his arms. “Name was Curtis…last name isn’t coming to me. Maybe Myron? Started with an M.”

  Curtis. He didn’t have a lock on the last name, but at least it was something.

  “What did he look like?”

  “Well, I haven’t seen him in a year,” Travis said. “Who knows what he looks like now? But he always wore a hat. Magic.”

  Cam nodded. She knew that much. “What do you remember?” she pressed. Because anything would be helpful compared to what she currently had—which was pretty much nothing.

  “He was tall and skinny,” Travis said. “A couple people called him Slim, but it never stuck. He was just Necco.”

  “Why? Why that nickname?”

  Travis chuckled. “That kid was always sucking down Necco candies. Nasty shit, if you ask me. But he was always lifting a few packages from the store. They’d last him a day or two, and then he’d be back for more.”

  “Did you ever arrest him for shoplifting?”

  “Owner never wanted to press charges.”

  “Why not?”

  “Guess he figured it w
as a small price to pay to stay on Necco’s good side. Especially since everyone knew he had ties to La Gente.”

  “Is he a member?”

  “Nah,” Travis said, shaking his head. “At least he wasn’t back then. Just a wannabe. He liked to pretend he was, loved to talk shit, but at the end of the day he was just a punk-ass kid.”

  A punk-ass kid who had saved Alex’s life.

  But Cam didn’t say that.

  “And you think he’s still in Bentley, right?”

  “No idea. I haven’t been in town in over a year.” He blew out a breath. “I avoid it like the plague.”

  She could understand why. A part of her wanted to stay and talk more with Travis. She wanted to dig a little deeper into his story, see just what she could unearth in regard to the harassment case that had ended his career.

  But finding Necco had to take priority.

  “I’d love to come by later today and chat more with you, if I could,” she told him.

  “About what?”

  “Just about what happened to you.”

  “Why?” His eyes raked over her, the suspicion back. “Who are you?”

  “No one,” she said simply. “But you were a friend to Alex. And any friend of Alex is a friend of mine.”

  He sucked in his cheeks, and she could tell he was mulling over her words.

  “Is it okay if I come by later?” she asked.

  He stared at her, eventually giving a slight nod.

  “I’ll do that,” she said. “Just as soon as I find Necco. I’ll be back.”

  She turned to go.

  “Hey, wait.”

  She spun around.

  Travis’s hands were shoved in the pockets of his baggy jeans. “What’s up with Alex?” He swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing up and down. “He in some sort of trouble?”

  “I don’t know.” It was another lie, but it was the only thing she could tell him. “But I intend to find out.”

  34

  Tuesday, September 11th

  10:00 am

  Alex threw his phone across the room.

  It landed with a soft thud on the unmade bed.

  He wanted to smash it through the television. Hurl the coffee table through the window. Scream at the top of his lungs. Break down doors as he hurtled outside. Haul the first person he saw out of their car so he could commandeer it and go hunt Cam down.

  He did none of those things.

  He just muttered a string of expletives, then grabbed his phone and pressed the Redial button. Again.

  He’d tried to reach her at least fifty times.

  And every time, her phone had rolled to voice mail.

  Where the fuck was she?

  It had been at least forty-five minutes since she’d left to see Isabel. Longer than that, actually.

  Alex hadn’t started to really worry until a half hour had gone by.

  He ran through the list of reasons why she wouldn’t be back yet. And he rationalized that there was nothing for her to hurry back to. It wasn’t as if they’d formulated any sort of plan.

  His jaw tightened.

  They hadn’t.

  But she clearly had.

  Alex paced the length of the small apartment, his pulse doing a frantic dance. Where would she have gone? He ran through the suggestions she’d made, of places to start investigating. Necco was a no-go. She had no way to contact him. She wouldn’t go to La Gente; as a seasoned detective, she knew the risks involved there. He doubted she’d go to the Bentley PD and ask questions. He was fairly certain that she believed his version of events, and she had to know that nosing around the station would set off all sorts of warning bells. Going to the feds wouldn’t be a much better option, considering she had no concrete evidence to give them.

  Which left one thing.

  She’d gone to her own department for help.

  He picked up his phone and punched the Redial button again. Her voice answered, and he listened to the beginning of the same voice mail message he’d already heard dozens of times.

  Alex knew he had to do something.

  He just didn’t know what.

  He had no car. And absolutely no definitive idea of where she’d gone.

  Uber. He wasn’t stranded. He could call an Uber.

  But where would he go?

  He opened the search engine on his burner phone.

  He’d figure that part out later.

  A knock at the door stopped him cold.

  Was that Cam? Why the hell was she knocking?

  He wrenched the door open, ready to give her the tongue-lashing she deserved.

  And stopped cold.

  Isabel Perez was standing in the hallway, leaning lightly on a cane. She wore a floral house robe over pajamas, and fuzzy pink slippers covered her feet. But her hair was brushed and styled, and even though she wasn’t dressed for the day, she looked fully awake.

  “I’ve been waiting for you and Cam for ages,” she complained.

  She pushed her way into the guest apartment, and Alex had no choice but to let her in.

  Isabel peered around the room. “Where is that granddaughter of mine?” Her eyes landed on the bed and she looked at him, a knowing twinkle in her eye. “Shared a bed with her, did you?”

  He sucked the inside of his cheek. This wasn’t a conversation he wanted to have right now. “She’s not here,” he said shortly.

  Isabel’s forehead creased with a frown. “What do you mean, she’s not here? We were going to have breakfast together. At least, I think that’s what she told me…”

  “She had somewhere she needed to be,” he clipped.

  To his surprise, Isabel accepted this explanation. She beamed a smile in his direction. “It’s so good to see you. Did I tell you that already?”

  He gave her a slight nod.

  “I’m glad the two of you are back together.”

  His eyebrows shot up.

  “That girl was never the same after you left,” Isabel continued.

  “What?”

  Isabel shook her head. “Oh, she was still Cam, but things were just…different. She didn’t date anymore.”

  Despite the anger and anxiety coursing through him, Alex felt a surge of satisfaction at that particular piece of news.

  “She just became more…goal-oriented.”

  As much as Alex wanted to hear more, he also knew that now wasn’t the time. Not with her gone. And not with him not knowing where the hell she was, or what the hell she was doing.

  “Goals are good,” he said. He glanced at the clock. “I hate to be rude, but I actually need to go run an errand myself.”

  But Isabel was blocking the doorway, her feet spread apart, leaning heavily on her cane now. “I don’t know all the details of her life—you know how tight-lipped Cam can be—but I don’t think she’s ever been sweet on another boy.” Isabel clucked her tongue. “A waste of time, if you ask me. She should be married by now. Having babies.”

  Alex nodded, trying to hurry her along.

  He wanted to go.

  Isabel gave him a wide smile. “Maybe all that will change now.”

  “Maybe,” he mumbled. “But right now, I need to take care of a few things.”

  “Oh?” Isabel gave him a curious look. “What kinds of things?”

  He gave her a noncommittal answer.

  But inside, he knew exactly what he needed to do.

  Berate Cam for leaving him there.

  And then figure out just what the hell he could do so he’d never lose her again.

  35

  Tuesday, September 11th

  11:00 am

  The streets of Bentley were mostly deserted.

  At least the part of town Cam was in.

  Before she left his house, Travis had given her a rough idea of where she might find Necco. Not that the town was big, but there were certain areas a kid like him tended to hang out.

  A kid like him.

  Cam made a face.

  She’d run aroun
d with plenty of kids like him.

  Bram, the guy now working at Lulu’s, had once been a kid like him.

  As had Alex.

  A person’s past didn’t define them—it only did if they let it. From what little she knew of Necco, she was thinking he might be the kind of kid who could break free from the stranglehold of his neighborhood. He just needed a way out.

  And Cam intended to offer him one.

  If she could find him.

  She turned right at the streetlight she’d just approached, rounding the corner where an abandoned building took up half a city block. The windows had been boarded up, and weeds sprouted from cracks in the parking lot. Graffiti decorated the only visible side of the building, most of it unrecognizable to her. Next door was an auto body shop that appeared to be closed. A bar sat next to the shop, a half-lit blinking neon sign indicating it was open. Two cars and a motorcycle filled the parking spaces alongside it, and a small sign parked outside the entrance advertised the specials for the day.

  Cam drove past as slowly as she dared. She didn’t want to bring any attention to herself, but she wanted to make sure she had the opportunity to really look for Necco.

  Next to her, her phone buzzed to life.

  She didn’t even glance at it. She knew who was calling.

  Alex.

  She tried not to feel too guilty about leaving him behind. She had no doubt he was probably furious with her. She couldn’t blame him. She’d be pissed, too.

  But she also knew they needed to act. They’d found a safe place to stay at her grandmother’s assisted living facility, but they couldn’t stay there forever. Alex had expressed zero interest—had outright objected, actually—to her suggestions of ways to move forward with his case.

  Sitting and doing nothing wasn’t an option. Someone would catch up with them eventually.

  Someone already had, she reminded herself with a frown. And if one of his enemies had tracked Alex to Aspen Falls, the other people who were looking for him wouldn’t be far behind.

  Cam didn’t want to play defense anymore. She didn’t want them to be sitting around waiting to see what might happen next.

  No, she’d decided. Better to get out in front and start asking questions. Start looking for new avenues, because the road they were currently traveling was bound to end in a dead end.