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“No. I only stepped outside to listen for the plane. When I didn’t hear it, I came back in where it was warmer.”
“I’m going to need to get everyone’s whereabouts,” I say. “I can track them down, one by one, but I’d rather call a meeting, under the guise of updating everyone on Penny and Bruno, and then hold them up for interviews afterward. I know that’ll make everyone late for work, and you’re under a time crunch. Obviously, Émilie will extend the bonus deadline, all things considered.”
“She already has. We can announce that as well. Just understand that while the bonus is a big deal for some of them, most of them just want to go home. Sticking to the schedule for the sake of the bonus was an excuse.”
“What about Bruno?” I say, remembering our interview. “He said that’s what you argued about the other evening. He wanted to cut corners to make the deadline. He figured the new owners wouldn’t notice anyway.”
Her lips quirk in a humorless smile. “Failed to mention that youarethe new owners?”
“It didn’t come up.”
“Yes, well, in Bruno’s case, I think it was half about the bonus and half about getting back to his wife. Just be prepared for complaints about the delay. People want to get out of here, and at some point, promising them extra money isn’t going to matter.”
“Then they’ll have every incentive to talk to me and get this over with.”
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
I hold the meeting in the town square, and it feels like old times. We’ve even had a wooden podium stage made for exactly this purpose, along with the bell from Rockton. By seven thirty, everyone is gathered. Dalton, Storm, and I get a few curious glances. We’ve been here for two days, but we haven’t exactly been hanging out in the common areas, and while I recognize most faces, there are some that I haven’t seen before.
Yolanda provides the introduction. We’re security for the mining operation that’s going in here, and we’ve been brought in to find Penny and Bruno. That situation has become more complicated, and so the mining operation owners have agreed to extend the bonus deadline by two weeks.
“What?” a woman in the back says. “You mean we’re not going home next month?”
“We were already running behind,” Yolanda says. “Everyone was aware of that.”
“No, everyone was aware that the assholes who own this place set unreasonable expectations, dangling the carrot of a bonus we weren’t ever going to collect.”
“I set the schedule,” Yolanda says. “Not the owners. And now you will meet that date, and you will get your bonus. They are being exceedingly fair.”
The woman snorts. “Fair would have been giving us the extra staff we needed to get this shit done.”
“We are being delayed because two of our people went missing,” Kendra says. “If it was you, you’d expect the same.”
“I wouldn’tgomissing, because I’m not foolish enough to go into the forest.”
“On that note…” I say, raising my voice as I step forward. “Let me update you on the situation. Penny is still missing, so we continue to search for her, which will not impact your work. Bruno, as most of you are probably aware, was found yesterday. He’d suffered a fall, and we rushed in emergency medical help, who were able to stabilize his condition.”
“Great.” It’s the same woman, petite and white haired. “Now that we’ve all been called away from work to get an unnecessary update on his condition, can we go? Some of us have families to get home to.”
“Seriously, Mary?” Kendra turns on her. “Either shut up and listen, or you’re going to lose extra time attending mandatory therapy for that concerning lack of empathy.”
“If my lack of empathy becomes more concerning, can I get sent home?”
“Mary?” Yolanda cuts in. “Go to your quarters. Pack your things. After Detective Butler interviews you, you’ll be taking the flight out with Bruno.”
“What?”
“You heard me. You’re off this job. You’ll be paid up until today, with no bonus—”
“I was kidding, okay? It was a joke.” Mary waves at me. “Go on, Detective Whatever. Finish your story.”
“Mystoryis that, at some point last night, Bruno left the clinic. We do not know whether it was of his own volition or not, but given his condition, we suspect it was not.” Yes, that’s a lie, but it serves my purpose. “This person took him into the forest, where he was more severely injured and is now in critical condition.”
“What?” someone says, echoing a half dozen others.
“You’re saying someone forced Bruno from the med clinic and attacked him?”
I peer at the speaker and recognize him instantly. Gunnar.
