Page 42 of Red, White, and BearCat Blue

“Can I have your names, please?”

“Sure. I’m Beth Michaels and this is my roommate, Kindness.” There were footsteps and then finally, Beth spoke again. “She went to get someone.”

I unmuted my earpiece and cleared my throat. “Hi…uh…this is Cam Demarco…um…Ms. Guerra is nice. She really likes my mom,” I said.

“It’s nice to speak to you, Mr. Demarco. It would’ve been nice to meet you earlier, but the soonest we could get to Vegas was this morning. We came straight from the airport.”

I cleared my throat again. “Um, yeah, thanks for doing this, Special Agent Michaels.”

“Please, call me Beth.”

“Okay, Beth,” I said.

“It’s our pleasure,” the other agent said. “I’m Kindness, and it’s nice to meet you, Mr. Demarco.”

“Nice to meet you too,” I said. “I really hope this works.” I was getting nervous, hoping Josiah’s guys wouldn’t turn up and make trouble before the agents got my mom out of there. “How long do you think this will take?” I asked.

Mars turned around in his seat to look at me. He offered an encouraging smile. “Won’t take long if the charge nurse cooperates.”

I nodded, feeling like there was a lump in my throat. “She will as long as she doesn’t smell anything wrong about a sudden sister I haven’t mentioned.” I gnawed on my lower lip. “You don’t think I should just go in and—” I stopped talking when Mickey turned around in his seat. Both men shook their heads.

“Beth’s already said you’re away,” Mickey said.

I nodded quickly. “And there is that.”

Mars frowned just a bit. “Don’t fuss, Cam. It’s gonna be all right.”

I leaned back in the seat trying to relax, realizing I’d been tense as a bowstring. “Yeah, okay.”

“She’s coming back and another woman is with her,” Beth said, quieter this time.

Mars and Mickey turned back around but not before Mars gave me an encouraging smile. I listened to the receptionist introducing the two agents. As they explained why they were there, I briefly wondered why they were using their real names. As FBI agents, I figured when they went undercover they changed all that. I balled my hands into fists in the backseat as they exchanged pleasantries and Bernice Guerra asked them to come back to her office where she could make a copy of their IDs for her files. It was hard not to bounce my knee with nervous energy and just stay put.

I listened intently as the agents explained how I was out of town even though I wished I could be there for a short visit with my mom. When Guerra asked how long we expected to have my mom out of the facility, I held my breath.

“No more than a week,” Beth replied. “We have relatives visiting and Cam and I wanted Mom to take a little break to see family rather than have the whole big family come to see her.” She gave an overly modest, little chuckle.

“A week?” Nurse Guerra’s voice rose alarmingly, and I prayed this wouldn’t be a problem.

“Yes, that shouldn’t be a problem, should it?”

There was a pause. “This should have been arranged with your brother ahead of time. I’d really feel better if I could speak to him since I don’t know you personally. Until ten minutes ago, I wasn’t even aware that Mary Demarco had a daughter and I have no way of checking the legality of it all on a Sunday. I hope you’ll understand.”

“That’s no problem. I have no idea who he said he talked to about this but you should have Cam’s phone number. I’m happy to give it to you if you don’t,” Beth replied.

“I’d feel better if I looked it up in our files. Thank you.”

Mars turned around to look at me. “Get ready for a call and make sure your com’s muted.”

I nodded, pulling the earpieces out of both ears and yanking my phone out of my jacket pocket when it began ringing. “Hello?”

“Hello, Mr. Demarco. This is Bernice Guerra, the charge nurse at Shady Grove.”

“Is everything okay with my mom?”

“Yes. Nothing to worry about. I’m very sorry to bother you when you’re out of town, but I have your sister here.”

“Oh, Beth. Yes, I’m glad she made it.”