It’s a foot in the door.
A possibility.
That’s all I can ask for at this point.
“I’m fourish hours away. I can leave first thing tomorrow morning.”
“I’ll be here.”
He ends the call abruptly, but there isn’t anything left to say.
It takes a second for my victory to click. I toss my phone onto the counter and fist pump.
“Yes, yes, yes!”
My cry echoes through my living room, sounding a little deranged…but I don’t even care.
After months of searching for Barry using every resource I have, making hundreds of desperate calls, calling in dozens of favors to track him down, I finally have it—the last piece to the puzzle.
All I have to do is convince him to talk.
And when I’m sitting across from him, when I explain what I’m doing and how important it is, he’ll understand and he’ll cave. I have to believe that.
I snag my phone again and dial a familiar number.
He answers on the second ring. “Miss Perry, I hope you’re not calling to have the same conversation we’ve been having for weeks.”
I scowl, even though the man on the other end can’t see it. He knows exactly what I look like when I’m annoyed because he’s been on the receiving end of it many times over the last few months. “I just want you to know that I have Barry Laird.”
The line goes deathly quiet. “What do you mean, ‘you have him’?”
“I found him.”
He mutters something unintelligible under his breath that sounds an awful lot like a string of curse words. “How the hell did you manage that? We’ve been looking for him for two years.”
I grin. “I know. I’m just very good at my job.”
“Apparently.”
“I’m going to meet with him tomorrow, and I’m going to convince him to talk.”
Just saying those words has me almost believing I’ll succeed.
“Miss Perry, we’ve already discussed this. When the hornets are sleeping, you don’t fucking poke the nest.”
“But are they really sleeping?” I let the question permeate the air over the phone line for a moment before I continue. “We both know they’re not; they’re just regrouping, to reengage, to attack, to sting and cause pain wherever they can, to sink their poison into everything and everyone they touch. Including the people I love and this mountain.”
A heavy sigh hits my ears. “You know I appreciate your tenacity, Miss Perry, I always have, and your…discretion in this matter. But I had hoped you would understand how important it is to let sleeping dogs lie.”
“Well, these dogs have rabies, are sleeping with one eye open, and their teeth are bared.”
“Beautiful analogy, I can tell you’re a writer.”
I snort. “I’ll let you know what I find out from Laird…”
Hopefully, it will be exactly what I need and what the man on the other end of line does, too. If I’m right, and Barry opens up to me tomorrow, it will change everything. This is so much bigger than just McBride Mountain…
“It’s a dangerous game you’re playing, Miss Perry.”
