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“Pleasure to meet you both,” I say and note a fresh scratch running up Patty’s right forearm. Judging by the color, the seam of blood has just congealed.
“I’ve got cats,” she says, laughing it off once she spots me looking. “It’s nice to meet you. What’s going on? Is there a problem?” Her eyes widen, alerting us to the fact there is one. She’s just not sure we’ve discovered it yet.
“There was a body found not far from here,” Nikki tells them. “A woman in her twenties, Emily Gannon. We wondered if you might know of her.” Nikki pulls out her phone. “Here’s a picture of her in better times.”
It’s the one from the frame Emily’s mother showed us. Nikki and I decided we’d leave all mention of intentional communities out of the conversation. If we weren’t spooking them already, that might just do it.
“Oh wow.” Malcolm gives a mournful smile. “I’m sorry to hear she was lost so soon. But I don’t recognize her.”
“Me either.” Patty blinks as if her lashes were about to morph into moths and fly away.
She’s lying. I’m betting they both are, but she’s not as good at it.
Nikki’s jaw tenses and I can tell she’s not buying it either. “Her body was dismembered. Her head was carted off to Cheyenne.”
The two of them exchange a look as if this news was unexpected. Funny they weren’t that surprised she was dead to begin with.
I’m betting the dismemberment is the true jolt of reality here.
“What kind of a monster…” Patty shudders. “I guess we’d better keep an eye out.”
“Here’s my card.” I fish one out and land it in each of their hands. “If you see anything out of the ordinary, feel free to give me a call.” I nod at the compound behind them. “So how does this work? Looks like a playground of some sort.”
The two of them share a laugh as the tension melts right off them.
“It’s utopia, my brother,” Malcolm assures me with a grin taking up the majority of his face. “We’ve got men and women at every age and stage of their lives who have come together to enjoy a rich community. I can assure you, we’re not breaking any laws.”
“But we’re baking bread with the best of them,” Patty chirps and the two of them share a warm laugh. It seems genuine. Patty seems happy. No signs of abuse, no faraway vacant look in her eyes. If anyone is getting abused around here, odds are she’s either doling it out or looking the other way.
“Sounds wonderful,” Nikki says it lackluster and that dark look she’s shooting to the compound in the distance lets them know she doesn’t mean it. “In fact, I’m getting hungry. Can either of you recommend somewhere my partner and I might stop off at?”
“Oh, there’s Roy’s Smokehouse just off Timberline out in Sky Valley,” Patty rattles off quickly. “Such good food. It’s the best smoked brisket you’ll ever have. We sneak out that way at least once a week.” She pats her belly to prove it.
And now I know exactly why Nikki asked for suggestions. Someone there is bound to know something. Or in the least we eat the best smoked brisket we’ll ever have.
We thank them and Malcolm unlocks the gate so we can leave the proper way. We take off and I watch them glaring at us in the rearview mirror until they disappear out of sight.
We head straight for Roy’s Smokehouse, and true to Patty’s word, indulge in some of the best smoked brisket we’ve ever tasted.
We ask around with both the waitstaff and the locals glued to the counter about the people in Paradise, and every last one of them echoes the sentiment that it’s an outright cult. But we don’t yield anything else.
We’re halfway to my truck when someone calls out for us to wait, a young blonde, the waitress that brought us our drinks.
“You were asking about Paradise,” she pants, glancing over her shoulder briefly. “There was a girl who used to work here. She used to be a part of that place. Her name is Heather Smiley. Goofy last name, right?” She wrinkles her nose. “That’s why I remember it. She’s dancing now at Boulder Beauties. She goes by Scarlett Blaze. Her hair is like blood red. You can’t miss her. She might be able to help you out with whatever you’re looking for.” She nods at the two of us. “You’re cops or something, right?”
“Or something,” Nikki says, pulling a twenty-dollar bill out of her purse and handing it to the woman. “Thank you.”
“Oh honey.” The blonde laughs. “Thank you.”
“Steer clear of those people,” Nikki tells her.
“Are you kidding?” She shakes her head. “We’ve got a run on weirdos in the event you didn’t notice. I don’t need any more trouble in my life.”
She takes off and we do the same.
Nikki does a little digging, then makes a phone call and finds out Scarlett Blaze is up at bat tomorrow night.
“Looks like I’m headed to the strip club.” A lazy grin slides up my cheek as we get back on the highway. “Can’t say I won’t enjoy it. Duty calls and I’m there to answer.”
