by E. E. Borton
“You won’t need to make those calls.”
Chapter 26
Hair of the Dog
Grey eased out of bed to avoid waking Abby. He stood over her and watched her breathe. A smile crept across his face when she snorted and rolled over. There was no time of the day for him when she wasn’t beautiful.
He scooped his running gear off of the dresser and changed clothes in the spare bathroom downstairs. It was dark outside, but the sky was glowing blue. Before his early morning run, he started the coffee for whomever would wake after him. The pot was untouched when he returned with the sunrise. After his shower, he poured two cups.
“Good morning, sunshine,” said Grey, sitting on the edge of the bed as Abby stretched.
“You’re a lifesaver,” said Abby, pulling her hair back into a ponytail. “Chief was on a roll last night.”
“He was trying to ease the tension,” said Grey. “It was good to see Dawson and Tyler having a few beers together.”
“How did we get sucked into his plan?” asked Abby. “My head is pounding. How was your run?”
“I could taste the booze in my sweat,” said Grey. “I thought I was going to hurl.”
“You seemed a little tense as well,” said Abby, taking a sip.
Grey put his cup on the nightstand and undressed. He eased back into the bed. Abby took another shot of caffeine before setting her cup down and resting her head on his chest.
“This never gets old,” said Grey, pulling her in tight.
“No, it doesn’t. Are you going to tell me what’s on your mind?”
“I think you know,” said Grey. “You’re getting better at this.”
“Is it time for the speech?” asked Abby, raising her head with a smile.
“You’re lucky you’re cute,” said Grey. “No speeches, just awareness.”
“Aw,” said Abby. “I love your speeches.”
“Okay, then. Here you go. We’ve been a nuisance so far. A curious group of outsiders who haven’t crossed any lines. We’re about to cross those lines, and on the other side of it is a federal judge who loves her son and her job. We’re going to end up taking both from her.
“She doesn’t seem like the type to go down easy. In fact, she seems like the type who would protect both at all costs. The way I see it, we’re going to leave her with only two options. Scare us out of town and make sure we never come back, or make us disappear like she did Emily.”
“You think she killed her?” asked Abby, sitting up in bed.
“I doubt she’s the type to get her hands dirty,” said Grey. “But she probably made the call.”
“To who?”
“That’s the next question we need to answer. We need to know who’s going to be coming for us before they do. I have a feeling we’ll have a name or two by the end of breakfast.”
“Ooo, I love it when you get all cryptic and mysterious,” said Abby.
“Are you still drunk?”
“A little.”
They made their way downstairs to find Chief in the kitchen and Kate sitting at the table sipping coffee. It always baffled Grey how Chief could knock off a six-pack and a pint of whiskey, but would wake up cheerful and full of energy. Kate joined the group on the deck the night before, but limited herself to two glasses of wine. She preferred to watch the team unwind from a safe distance.
“Good day, ladies,” said Chief, flipping bacon. “Did you run in your skirt this morning, Grey?”
“That’s funny coming from a man wearing a pink apron,” said Grey.
“Ha,” said Chief, pointing his spatula, “you know I make this look good.”
“Why do I let you do that to me every time?” asked Evan, walking into the kitchen and rubbing his eyes.
“Because I’m irresistible, kid,” said Chief.
“You look pretty,” said Evan, taking a seat.
“I feel pretty.”
“Are Tyler and Dawson still alive?” asked Abby, trying to smooth down Evan’s hair.
“No,” said Evan, laying his head on the table. “They didn’t make it.”
“We’re fine,” said Dawson, walking in with Tyler.
“About the only thing to do in this town is drink and shoot stuff,” said Tyler, pulling out a chair. “I have to admit, it was kind of cool being underage and getting drunk with a cop and a FBI agent. That doesn’t happen every day around these parts.”
“You had a couple of wine coolers, son,” said Chief. “Don’t get cocky.”
“We went beer for beer and you kept feeding me shots, Chief,” said Tyler.
“Whatever.”
Kate sat back in her chair and smiled at their exchanges. She let them finish their breakfast before altering the mood. There were questions Tyler needed to answer before they took him to the airport. With fresh cups of coffee, they all made their way to the deck.
“There’s a big piece of this puzzle we need to figure out,” said Kate, making the change. “We’re going to need your help with that, Tyler.”
“I knew this was coming,” said Tyler, lowering his head.
“Remember what I told you,” said Dawson. “This is how you make it right.”
“I remember,” said Tyler, lifting his head and looking at Kate.
“Emily was arrested a few times for drug possession and prostitution,” said Kate. “Everyone involved seems to believe she was truly an addict. Knowing Emily, how did that happen?”
“I’m not sure,” said Tyler, turning to face his brother. “I’m not. I can only tell you what I think happened. I don’t have any proof.”
“That’s okay,” said Grey. “We’ll find the proof.”
“She really did become addicted to heroin,” said Tyler. “I saw her shoot up once.”
“No way, Tyler,” said Dawson, leaning forward. “There’s no way Emily was a junkie. How could you say that about her?”
“Because it’s true, Dawson. You told me to tell the truth, and I am!”
“Okay, okay,” said Chief. “We believe you. Let your brother speak, Dawson. If you can’t handle what he has to say, feel free to go inside.”
“You don’t know her like I do,” said Dawson.
“I’m getting tired of hearing that,” said Grey. “I know her well enough to understand why you’re having a hard time believing your brother. But Chief is right. If you can’t handle this, leave the room. We need to know.”
“Brit didn’t come out and say it,” said Tyler, “but everything changed after Judge Hall came to the hospital. The original plan was for Brittany to disconnect from Emily once the photos made their way around school. She was going to make up some kind of excuse that her parents didn’t want them to hang out anymore.
“At some point down the road when Emily hit rock bottom, that’s when Brit was going to tell her everything she did. You know, so Emily would know who was responsible for destroying her life. Brit figured nobody would care after they graduated from high school and she was with Conner up at LSU.”
“But she didn’t disconnect,” said Kate. “She stayed friends with her.”
“Yes,” said Tyler. “Like I said, everything about our plan changed. I had a key to Emily’s house from when Dawson and I were fixing it up. Brit told me to make her a bunch of copies. I don’t know who she gave them to, but shortly after Emily got arrested for possession. They found heroin and cocaine in her backpack at school.”
“Is that when she dropped out?” asked Kate.
“Yeah,” said Tyler. “It just got worse from there.”
“How so?”
“Em was scared all the time,” said Tyler. “She said she heard voices outside of her window calling her name. She’d hear strange noises at all hours of the night and swore people were following her. She stopped eating and looked exhausted all the time.”
“They were wearing her down,” said Chief.
“About two weeks after that started, she disappeared for three days,” said Tyler. “I asked Brit if she kn
ew where she was. She said she didn’t know where, but knew she’d be back. She told me to stop looking for her or they would take me too.”
“Who would take you?” asked Kate.
“I had no idea who she was talking about, but I believed her. It wasn’t the last time Em disappeared for days. That’s when I started coming around the house more often to check on Ms. Karla. I’d make sure she had groceries, and I’d clean up the house. The funny thing is, Ms. Karla never asked me where Em was. Most times she’d be on the couch sleeping, but when she wasn’t, she never asked.”
“You said you don’t have proof,” said Kate. “Proof of what?”
“I saw two older guys bring Em home,” said Tyler, looking at the floor. “They were pretty wasted, but she was out cold. They dragged her to the front porch and put her in a chair. They thought I was her brother or something. All they said to me was that she knew how to party. About a week later, I saw the same two guys with Billy Simmons. I think they’re his brothers.”
“Jesus Christ,” said Dawson, shaking his head and gritting his teeth.
“He’s a drug dealer,” said Tyler.
“He’s more than a drug dealer,” said Dawson, staring at Tyler. “He’s a fucking animal. They call him Bullet.”
“You know him?” asked Chief.
“I know of him,” said Dawson. “I’ve seen him around, but I mainly hear about what he does. He always has a group of assholes with him. If you look at him funny, they’ll beat you bloody.”
“Evan,” said Grey.
“I’m on it,” said Evan, standing before the request was made. “Give me a few minutes.”
“Do you have any idea how Emily ended up running with a drug dealer named Bullet?” asked Chief. “This is the first time we’ve heard his name.”
“I have no clue,” said Tyler. “I never actually saw her with him, just his guys.”
“You said you saw her using,” said Kate.
“I did,” said Tyler. “I walked into her room, and she was sitting on her bed. It was if I wasn’t even there. She just wrapped the band around her arm and stuck the needle in.”
“What did you do?” asked Dawson. “Why didn’t you stop her?”
“I’d never seen that before in my life,” said Tyler. “It took me a second to figure out what was going on. She dropped the needle on the floor and fell back onto the bed. No, I didn’t try to stop her, Dawson. I didn’t do anything. Is that what you wanted to hear me say? I let Em shoot up heroin, and I didn’t do a goddamned thing but turn around and walk out.”
“It’s okay, Tyler,” said Kate. “I know you were scared for her.”
“It’s not okay,” said Dawson. “None of this is okay.”
“Easy,” said Chief. “There’s nothing we can do to change what has already happened. This information is going to help us change what happens next.”
“What is going to happen next?” said Dawson. “I’d really like to know.”
“You will,” said Chief, “eventually. I’ll make sure of it, but for now we need to get you both out of town so we can do our jobs.”
“Speaking of which,” said Grey, “Tyler, you need to get moving. Your plane will be here in thirty minutes. If we need to ask you anything else, we’ll call you after you land.”
“I’m sorry,” said Tyler, blinking away tears. “I’m sorry I was such a coward. I guess hearing all those words come out of my mouth makes all of this more real. It makes me more ashamed of what I did. I’m sorry you all have to be here for Emily now because I wasn’t when she needed me.”
“Go on now, son,” said Chief. “Go get your things. I’ll wait for you outside.”
“I’ll be taking you to New Orleans,” said Grey, waiting for Tyler to leave the room. “Your plane leaves in four hours. We need to head out soon to beat traffic.”
“I’m not going anywhere,” said Dawson.
Chapter 27
Untouchable
(December 14th, 2012)
There were few residents of Boudreaux who knew more about the bayous, swamps, and marshes than Bullet and his two brothers. It wasn’t because his descendants preferred living in the largely uninhabited wetlands. It was because it was rarely patrolled and offered the perfect camouflage for his various criminal enterprises.
His career started at a young age with smuggling moonshine out of the bayou for his father. When his father was killed by a rival family, Bullet sought revenge with a level of violence and brutality that exceeded most nightmares. He tortured then shot and killed the three men responsible for his father’s death, earning his nickname. Unsatisfied with the payback, he stalked and terrorized their families for months.
There was no retaliation and the police were never called. Neither family wanted attention from law enforcement. The Cajuns of South Louisiana preferred to handle their problems their own way. At the age of twenty-three, Bullet became the king of the swamp. He used his elevated status and smuggling routes to move out of the moonshine business and into the drug business.
In the swamps, he was king. In town, he was an uneducated nobody. His reputation as violent and confrontational kept him from moving up in the ranks of the drug dealers. They preferred that he stay in the shadows of the bayou and just bring them the shipments coming in from the Gulf of Mexico.
He grew impatient with his status and started dealing out of a few local dive bars. Whoever was inside selling would leave and give up their territory without a fight. They’d return when they knew he was gone. He wasn’t respected: he was feared.
Bullet never went into Boudreaux alone. His brothers were always with him, along with a few other undesirables from the swamp. When they went into the bars, even his best customers wouldn’t linger. He’d offer to buy them drinks, but they always had an excuse to leave after the transaction. He wanted to be accepted into the social scene of Boudreaux, but Boudreaux kept denying his wish. When one of his best customers invited him to a house party, he thought his patience was paying off. He didn’t hesitate to accept the invitation in spite of the request that he come alone.
“Hey, Bullet. Glad you could make it.”
“What’s up, man?” asked Bullet, noticing the lack of cars and music. “Thought this was a party?”
“It will be a little later. Come on inside and grab a beer. I wanted you to come early so I could introduce you to a lady friend of mine. She’s been wanting to meet you, but she’s kind of shy.”
“Is she hot?” asked Bullet, smiling.
“Very.”
They walked inside and made their way to the kitchen. They both downed their beers and opened another. Bullet was brought to the back porch where she was waiting. It took a moment for his eyes to adjust to the low light. When they did, they grew wide after he recognized her as Judge Cassandra Hall.
“Do you remember me?”
“What the hell is this?” asked Bullet, turning around to find his friend walking away. “Hey, man!”
“Please sit down.”
“I don’t think so, lady,” said Bullet, taking a step back.
“Most people call me Judge, but you can call me Cassandra. We’ll make this an informal meeting. Please sit down. My son is in trouble and I need your help.”
“I ain’t no snitch.”
“I’m not asking you to snitch. I’m asking you sit down for a moment and listen to what I have to say. Think of it as a business proposition. If you agree to help me, I’ll help you in ways you never thought possible.”
“A business proposition?” asked Bullet, looking around.
“It’s just you and me here,” said Cassandra. “I don’t want anyone to know what we’re talking about. That includes my son, Mark.”
“How do I know you’re not wearing a wire or have a room full of cops upstairs?”
“Go ahead and frisk me.” said Cassandra, standing. “Check upstairs or any other room here.”
“Take off your shirt,” said Bullet.
“Excuse me?”
“You heard me,” said Bullet, grinning. “Take off your shirt so I know you’re not wearing a wire. Bra too. You do that, and I’ll listen to what you gotta say. You don’t, I’m outta here.”
“Fine,” said Cassandra, unbuttoning her blouse.
“Damn, I didn’t think you’d do it,” said Bullet, staring at her chest. “You must love your boy.”
“I do,” said Cassandra. “Can I put my shirt back on now? It’s cold.”
“I don’t know,” said Bullet, rubbing the front of his pants. “You may have to show me just how far you’re willing to go for him.”
“Enough,” said Cassandra, putting on her shirt. “Don’t push your luck.”
“All right, all right” said Bullet, sitting down. “What can I do for you, Judge?”
“I need you to ruin a life,” said Cassandra. “Her name is Emily Pierce, and I need you to make the sheriff and this town believe she’s a junkie, a whore, and a liar. I need you to do it quickly.”
“Well, that explains why your boy wanted GHB and coke,” said Bullet. “Not that he got it from me, of course.”
“Of course.”
“Is that the girl he wanted to dose?”
“None of that matters now,” said Cassandra. “She’s trying to convince the sheriff that she was drugged and raped by my son and another boy. I need you make her look like a slut so nobody will believe her story.”
“How do I do that?”
“By following my instructions,” said Cassandra, “to the letter.”
“What’s in it for me?”
“For starters, your record will be wiped clean. Your most recent arrests for possession and assault will disappear.”
“That’s a good start,” said Bullet. “But I’m gonna need more than that.”
“Like what?”
“A house,” said Bullet, leaning back in his chair, waiting for her rejection.
