“So, killing an innocent person is the right thing to do?” I asked.
“No one is innocent. We are all sinners. Reverend Farley had a plan to rid Sunflower County of temptation and the source of sin. It would be a sign from God to rally people to the cause of righteousness.”
“You were okay with killing Koby Shaver, a decent man who did no harm to you or anyone else?”
She didn’t answer.
“Koby was gunned down in cold blood. He never had a chance.”
“It isn’t my place to question what I’m told.”
“Wanda, you’re facing a murder-one charge. That’s a death sentence.” Tinkie didn’t mince her words. “Did you know they meant to kill Koby?”
Her eyes were large and scared. “I didn’t.”
“What happened? You’d better tell us right now. If you were duped into this, I promise Sarah Booth and I will try to help you.”
“No one ever really helps me.” Another tear soaked her lap.
“You have my word,” Tinkie said. “It’s the only thing you have right now.”
Wanda used a shoulder to rub her eye. “Fred went in the club. He reported back that it was filled with sin. It was just like the reverend said. So he called Reverend Farley, who sent me in the truck with the shotgun. He told me to drive and give the gun to Fred. The security men had been paid off, so they let me in.”
“And you didn’t know what was going to happen?” Tinkie held out the slimmest hope. “If you didn’t know, you can help yourself.”
“I thought Fred intended to shoot the building. I didn’t know he meant to kill. It didn’t matter to him who, just the first person who walked out the door. It was the bartender. The second time I was told to drive, I couldn’t let him kill Mike. I liked Mike. His wife came up to the club and we talked. She was so excited about the baby coming. I couldn’t let Fred shoot him down in his front yard so I jerked the wheel. Fred missed his shot. He was really mad. I told him the wheel slipped.”
Danni had said the truck jerked as the shot was fired. Tatiana was telling the truth about that, at least.
“I don’t hold with sinning, but killing isn’t right,” she said.
“How did you know to say you were Koby’s girlfriend?” Tinkie asked.
“Fred said the club would be shorthanded for a bartender. I’d worked in bars before, so it was easy to pretend to be Koby’s girl. No one really knew him, so it wasn’t too much of a risk. We made some calls to the bar where he used to work, found out he was single.” She shrugged.
“Wanda, you are not a stupid girl.” Pink stained Tinkie’s cheeks. “How could you fall for all of this? How could you give your life over to men who treated you like a cow?”
Wanda pulled her shoulders back. “Because I had a place where I belonged. A place where no one hurt me, and they said I was good and one day a man would take me for his wife and I would have a home forever.”
Never underestimate the power of belonging—the secret weapon of the cult.
“What role does Mason Britt play in all of this?” I asked.
“He’s the enforcer. He punishes those who fall by the wayside. Farley gives the orders and Mason enforces them. He goes with Farley to his big meetings. Sometimes Fred goes too.”
“And Jaytee?” I would make that weasel pay.
She finally looked up. “I don’t know about him.”
She’d never been part of the inner circle. Always an outsider, she hadn’t a clue what it was all about. After all, she was just a woman.
“What about Bijou LaRoche?” Tinkie asked.
Wanda avoided eye contact, but not before I saw her features harden. “She is a vile creature. She tempted Jebediah and Mason. She flaunted herself before them. She called them to her home and offered them sex. She is a Jezebel.”
“Bijou never does anything unless she gains something. What did she want?”
“Ask Jebediah. She was his friend. She gave Mason a job so he could work in the community. He grew up around here and knew all the old farms and the barns. They had a real thing about those old buildings and moving the food shipments out there so the small planes could pick them up.”
Tinkie and I exchanged glances. “Food? What kind of food?”
“Who knows? Reverend Farley and Mason would go off at night to meet people. It was secret stuff, not for women. Sometimes they would come to the church and get us up to go and unload food boxes into the farm sheds.” Her eyebrows rose. “Reverend Farley told me once he was involved in changing the world order. God touched him! He told us all about it, how he was up early writing his sermon and God spoke to him and gave him an important role to play. He’s a special man. And he said I had a role to play as well. Reverend Farley said God had marked me as special, too. We were gladiators and we would change the world.”
This was a girl who’d never had a moment where she felt like she was important or valuable until she joined a cult. Jebediah Farley had exploited her fear, self-loathing, lack of confidence—he’d played on every negative thing that made her life a misery.
“Was Farley interested in Bijou’s buildings?” Tinkie asked.
Wanda shrugged. “Fred told me Farley was shocked when they got the invitation to move to Bijou’s place, but the women were excited. They’d have houses to live in, even if it was an old slave shack and we were only staying a week or two. It would have been so much better than what we had. Those tents get cold and winter is coming. The men meet in the lodge, but women aren’t allowed there.”
I had more questions, but Coleman arrived with two other men. It took a moment for me to recognize Jaytee and Mason Britt. Mason wasn’t wearing handcuffs, and Jaytee had a lot of nerve showing up here. I jumped down from the back of the EMT van just as the paramedics came to close the door
Coleman arrested Wanda, read her her rights, and sent her on to the hospital. DeWayne would meet her there so she could be treated for her burns, and then taken into custody. When she was well enough, she’d be transferred to the Sunflower County jail. I did feel a little sorry for her. She’d been the dupe, and I certainly knew how that felt. Not pleasant.
I might be in jail beside her too because I intended to hurt Mason Britt and Jaytee. The only weapon I had was Harold’s camera, and I grabbed it by the strap with the intention of swinging it directly into Mason Britt’s face. I was almost on him when strong arms encircled me and pulled into a giant bear hug that immobilized me.
“Hold on, Sarah Booth,” Coleman said.
I struggled like a wild thing. “You have no idea what he did to me. He—” Words failed me. I wanted action, and I wanted to hurt him. Then I remembered Mason wasn’t cuffed. “Why isn’t he under arrest?”
“If you will stop acting like a pissed-off grizzly, I’ll tell you.”
His tone was so reasonable it settled me more than anything else. “Tell me what?”
“Yeah, you’d better start talking.” Tinkie was unrestrained, and she was eyeing Mason and Jaytee with anger. “Coleman can’t control both of us at the same time.”
Coleman pulled us aside, out of hearing from the firemen, who were putting their hoses away. They’d finished spraying the outside of the building with water to dilute the gasoline. Their work was complete.
Mason and Jaytee wisely hung back, and I had to wonder at the way they stood, so casual and at ease with each other. It made me want to hurt them more. They’d abused and humiliated women and gotten away with it, and if Jaytee wasn’t in it up to his hairline, he was still a jackass for not calling Cece to say he wasn’t hurt.
“Sarah Booth, Mason is an undercover agent from the ATF.”
I stared at Coleman. “Say that again.”
He did, and I read his lips because I didn’t trust my ears.
“Are you saying he’s a fed?”
“That’s exactly what he’s saying,” Mason said, stepping forward. “I’m sorry for roughing you up, but I had to be convincing. Fred Doleman was waiting on the porch,
listening to everything I said to you. So much was at stake. There was to be a big meeting tonight, and at last I was going to be allowed to attend. I’ve worked undercover two years for that moment. If I hadn’t been so harsh, Sarah Booth, Fred would have suspected. Doleman is the one who clocked you from behind, though. I couldn’t react to protect you.”
“And you!” I turned on Jaytee. “I told you if you hurt my friend, I’d make you pay. You’re in this—”
“He’s working for Mason,” Coleman explained.
“I’m sure he’s undercover, too.” Tinkie was as mad as I was.
“Liaison with the FBI,” Jaytee said, “but only for this case.”
“Very freaking clever.” I was pissed. “How is it I got beat up, tied up, tossed around, and he walks around like Caesar?”
“You were poking around where you didn’t belong,” Mason said. “You could have blown my cover.”
If Mason was trying to be obnoxious, he had succeeded.
“How does Bijou figure into this?” Tinkie asked.
Coleman put a hand on my shoulder. “Let’s go inside the club. I called Scott. He’s on the way. He was with Harold so they’re both coming. And they’re bringing Cece.”
“If she forgives you, you’re a lucky man,” I said to Jaytee as I walked past him and followed Coleman into the club. I was still angry. It had been a long, hard day, and the Johnny-come-lately facts I was receiving only served to frustrate me more.
I’d risked my life. The club had almost been burned down. Koby Shaver was dead. Mike Hawkins was shot. Curtis Hebert was beaten. Ned Gaston’s house was burned to the ground. All of this had happened with federal agents right in the middle of it. How had they failed to stop it?
Coleman had a key to the club and opened the door. We filed in. Tinkie and I sat at the end of the bar, away from Jaytee and Mason. Coleman went behind the bar and quickly poured a round of drinks.
When he served me and Tinkie, I grabbed his wrist. “How can you let them get away with this? Did you know?”
“I did not,” he said. “And I’m angry. But it’s the system, not the fault of these guys. The feds often don’t clue in the locals. It’s a serious problem, and this time I believe people were hurt because of the lack of communication. But this is something to address tomorrow. Tonight,” he increased the volume of his voice, “I raise a glass to Sarah Booth and Tinkie, who saved the club from being torched.”
A flash went off at the door, followed by a squeal of delight as Cece dropped her camera to a tabletop and rushed into Jaytee’s arms. His kiss appeared to be the real thing, but I wouldn’t bet good money on it. He was a deceptive man. Cece would hear the truth from me, and then she could make up her own mind. Witness protection, double agent, spy, James Freaking Bond—I wasn’t impressed with a man who would lie to his beloved.
Before Coleman could pour Cece a drink, Harold and Oscar came in the door, followed by thundering dogs. Petite Chablis nipped Sweetie and Roscoe on the back legs as she chased them around the bar. It seemed everyone had forgiven everyone else, except me and Pluto. I was angry at Mason and Jaytee, and Pluto was angry at me. He jumped on the bar and came toward me. His green gaze zeroed in on me like a heat-seeking missile. His black paw knocked my drink into my lap.
“Uh-oh,” Coleman said. “Someone is pissy.”
“Indeed we are.”
“Love the new hairdo, dah-link,” Cece said as she sauntered over, leading Jaytee by the hand. “I never realized you had such a big head, Sarah Booth. You know when the West was being settled, men would advertise for brides. Often they included the measurements of their heads in the advertisement. A big head was much sought after.”
“Now, now. She sacrificed her hair to save the club,” Jaytee said.
“Fascinating.” I burned him with a glare.
“Dah-link, we can have seams tattooed on her head and nickname her Spalding.”
It was funny, but instead of laughing I shot a death-ray at Jaytee. “Fess up now,” I told him.
“What’s the matter with her?” Cece asked her boyfriend.
“There are things we have to tell you, and chances are you’re about to become extremely mad, too,” Jaytee said. “We’re waiting for Scott and Zeb to get here. We’ll tell it all once and be done with it.”
* * *
The dogs had settled down and Pluto had allowed me to hold him in my soggy lap when Mason and Jaytee began the story.
“There are a lot of things I’m not proud of in this case,” Mason said. “Koby Shaver and I served together in the marines. Koby signed on as bartender for the club because he was helping me work this case. In that respect, he’s dead because I asked for his help. I will point out that Koby believed in what we were doing. I regret I didn’t take this threat more seriously. If I had, Koby might be alive right now.”
“What case?” Tinkie interrupted.
“We were investigating the Midnight Templars, a national organization with a focus on isolationism, a church-based state, and a hatred of the federal government, which they intend to overthrow. They’re involved in weapons, drugs, and counterfeiting,” Mason said. “Their goal is to take down the U.S. government and drugs are their weapon of choice. To that end, they bring in heroin from Mexico and the Middle East. They sell it to buy guns to arm their survivalist militia. The Delta, because of the isolation and the numerous small landing strips on the farms, has become a hub of the operation.”
“The boxes of food.” I suddenly saw the bigger picture. “It isn’t food.”
“That’s right,” Mason said. “They launder drug money through legitimate businesses. They also move weapons, using local farm buildings to store the guns and drugs until they can fly them out from the farms’ landing strips. They use local isolationist groups like Jebediah Farley’s because they’re cultish, and the cult members obey without question and are easily manipulated.”
“You know all of this and you didn’t stop it?” Fury pounded in my head. “Koby is dead and Mike is shot.”
“I had no idea anyone would be hurt,” Mason said. “Attacking the blues club was a way to rally the church members. It was a ploy, and Farley intended it to work as motivation, not bring about serious injury. That’s standard for cults. To unite the congregation, Farley needed a symbol of sin and evil. I never thought he’d send assassins to kill folks associated with the club.”
“Then you thought wrong.”
Coleman put a hand on my arm and Scott grasped my shoulder.
“What’s the bottom line?” I demanded. “Who’s headed to jail? And don’t tell me Wanda is going to take the fall for all of this.”
“Farley, Fred Doleman, Wanda Tatum, or Tatiana, as you knew her, and that’s just the beginning, are in custody. We’ll clean up this local cell of the Midnight Templars, but I had hoped to infiltrate the top financial ring.” Mason’s jaw clenched. “That’s why I pulled Jaytee into this. And why I didn’t act before now. Farley is the local level. This involves powerful people. Very powerful. But my plan didn’t happen, and my cover is blown. In a rather spectacular way.”
“My part is done,” Jaytee said. “I didn’t really get off the ground as a spy. It’s just as well. I can go back to being a musician. And be with my gal.” He put his arm around Cece and led her over to me and Tinkie. “I didn’t want to be involved in this, but Mason needed my help. He’d hoped to introduce me to Farley, and through Farley get to the big money. I would reveal my background in finance, my past history and hatred of the government, and offer to help launder the money. My role wasn’t that big, and I certainly didn’t mean to hurt Cece. I do love her. I know it’s fast and impetuous and all the things our parents warned us against. Here we are, nonetheless, and I intend to love and care for her for as long as she’ll let me.”
I had to admit, it was hard to stay mad at him when Cece looked so happy. “Couldn’t you have called her and reassured her you were okay?”
“He wanted to, but they were watching
him so closely,” Mason answered the question. “I would have called Cece, but I didn’t dare do anything to tip our hand. We were so damn close to infiltrating the top rung of the Midnight Templars. The meeting was set for tonight. Obviously, it’s been canceled.”
“Who was attending?” I had a sudden suspicion.
“We’d enlisted Bijou LaRoche to help us,” Mason said. “Which is how I ended up as her foreman.”
“I can’t believe Bijou volunteered to help you.”
“She didn’t exactly volunteer,” Mason said. “She needed money.”
“And yet you took a dog captive, mistreated him, and—” I got off the barstool. Just thinking about poor Roscoe, who appeared no worse for the wear, actually, refueled my anger.
“Hold on a minute,” Mason said. “Roscoe showed up at Bijou’s. He went out in the pasture and was chasing one of the bulls. He got kicked. I picked him up and confined him, and to be honest, I meant to drop him off at Harold’s, but you came after him before I got the chance.”
He had an answer for everything, but I didn’t believe him. It was all too convenient. “And Bijou is a federal agent, too?”
“Not exactly.” Mason said. “She’ll be charged with tax fraud and drug sales. It seems Ms. LaRoche has been cooking her books for a long time where the farm is concerned. Lots of expenses, none of them legit. She owes the IRS at least half a million dollars.”
For the first time, I thought I might be able to forgive Mason for tying me up, pushing me onto the floor, leading me to think I was going to die, and forcing me to worry that my friend’s future happiness would be shattered. Not! I drew back and slugged him in the jaw. The shock slammed from my knuckles to my elbow and up to my shoulder.
Mason rubbed his jaw, and I thought my arm would fall off.
“That’s enough,” Coleman said, but I could tell he sort of wanted to slug Mason, too.
“Can I take a swing?” Tinkie asked.
“No!” Coleman grabbed her wrist. “Don’t force Oscar to keep you in line. You need to learn your place.”
Bone to Be Wild Page 28
