“Yeah, deviously so.It implies a certain level of psychological intelligence.Discovering you are a cop, realizing you’d likely never stop looking for them if they killed your son, may have been enough of a deterrent.”
“Lucky me.”
I say it bitterly, because there are two other single mothers who are suffering with the loss of their sons.I could have easily been one of them.
“However,” Jason continues soberly.“Let’s not get complacent.In fact, realizing we might be dealing with more than just a gang of juvenile delinquents convinces me we need to be more cautious.This investigation is starting to heat up, and I think the information Remi is sitting on may be the catalyst.”
I already know what’s coming before he suggests it.
“With your permission, I’d like to take him with me.Place him somewhere safe, give me a better chance to build some trust with him, and maybe get him to talk.In addition, it would free up Stanton and Laliberté, and take pressure off you.”
I snort.It may take immediate pressure off me, but I already know the guilt will weigh just as heavily.
I don’t feel I have a choice though.Mancuso’s valid reasons trump my emotional dilemma.
“Okay.I’ll go help him pack.”
Clem
“If you could bringit by around noon, that’d be great.”
Hanging up the phone, I lean back in my chair, glancing over at the remaining agents still milling about the shop, occasionally brushing that damn fingerprint powder on a surface.
They said they were finishing up, but I’m sure it’ll take me a while to clean up after them.Which is why I already notified Kyle and Manuel to stay home, and have been trying to reschedule customers to tomorrow or Monday.
I allow myself a moment to think about last night with Tessa.It puts an immediate smile on my face.What an amazing woman she is.Gives as good as she gets in every possible way, and it was good last night.
Very good.
Her body is like a fucking dream.Soft, generous, and unapologetically responsive.But also very real, and she made no attempt to hide anything.It made me forget any hesitations I might have had exposing my imperfections.She didn’t seem to care.
The fact I was a little quick on the trigger didn’t even faze her, because she was right there with me.Going off like fireworks at the same fucking time.Not only that, but she was right alongside me, lazily exploring our way into round two, which left me feeling drained in a way I hadn’t been in forever.
Even the simple act of sleeping with this woman in my arms was a fantastic experience.I look forward to the day when we can wake up and can take our time, rather than scramble to get up and out before her boys wake up.
“Can you sign this receipt for the seat we took out?”
“Sure.”
I wave the guy into my office and glance over the paper he hands me before signing on the dotted line.
A few agents had been removing the rear bench seat from the Chevy when I got here this morning.According to Jason Mancuso, who’d been watching them do it, they’d found some additional evidence and wanted to take the seat to the lab.
“Does that mean you’re done?”I ask the young agent.
“Yes, sir.We’ll be out of your hair in a few minutes.”
I haven’t even been upstairs yet, and almost dread finding the black dust covering everything up there as well.It’s going to be a bitch to clean.
Fifteen minutes later, I watch the last of the FBI vehicles drive away.About to head upstairs to check out the damage done up there, I notice a pickup with a Gaines Construction logo on the door pull into the lot.
Nate Gaines is a local contractor and married to Savvy Colter, our sheriff.
“Surprised to see you out and about,” I call when he gets out of the truck.
“Was back at work after two weeks.”
Nate and Savvy’s son, Magnus, was born last month.Nate already had a teenage daughter, Tatum, when he returned to Silence last year, but Magnus is Savvy’s first child.Haven’t met the baby yet, but Brant Colter couldn’t shut up about him when he picked up his Bronco a couple of weeks ago.If he’s to be believed, his pint-sized grandson—who doesn’t do much more than poop and sleep yet—is a genius.He swore the kid smiled at him.I didn’t have the heart to suggest it was probably just gas, so I let him blabber on.
