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Chapter 28
Getting Ellison toleave was almost as hard as convincing Brooklyn she wasn’t being sent to a new foster mom.
As they finally got Ellison out the door, Rye looked back at Travis and Miles with pure disgust in his eyes. “Old man, if you weren’t dying, I just might hate you for doing this to me. That woman is a menace.”
“I’m not looking forward to it, either, you prick,” Ellison snarled at him.
Rye ignored the petite form at his side as he held his hand out to Travis. “In case I don’t see you again when this is all said and done, man. It’s been an honor.”
“Same.” Travis gripped Rye’s hand, held tight. “Thanks for helping me out with this. I know it’s not your normal milieu.”
“Don’t use them fancy five-dollar words on me, Hollywood.” Rye winked at him. “Highfaluting Hollywood, damn. Yeah, I should have guessed it, though. Always were being sent into those fancy-ass spots while we were there in the muck ready to pull you out if things went to shit.”
“Oh, kiss my ass.” Travis laughed. He couldn’t help it. More than once, Rye had been one of theotherpretty boy types Miles would send in, because he, unlike too many federal agents, knew how to move and blend with those in high society. “I saved your ass a time or two, if I recall correctly.”
Rye grinned at him. Then his smile faded and he shook his head. “Don’t thank me. This kind of job ... it’s a nice break. Get to spend some time around some nice kids. At the end of it, I know they’ll be in good hands—and the bad guys ain’t going to winthisone. You’ll take him down or put him back where he belongs. I know that much.”
After one last smile, Rye turned and gave Ellison a curt nod.
Strangely, Ellison had been quiet throughout the interaction and she further surprised Travis by turning away with only one last pithy look.
After watching to make sure they all cleared out, Travis cast a look at the darkened windows of the house across the street, then at the only other home along the narrow road.
Those windows, too, were dark.
“Neighbors?” he asked, turning to look at Marie Jung, the agent who would be succeeding Miles. Travis had met her several times and liked her well enough. Right now, though, looking at her only reminded him that his mentor and friend was dying, and although that wasn’t her fault, it made him irrationally angry.
She seemed to understand and she kept their exchanges short.
“We’ve relocated the couple that lives there, telling them there’s a problem with the main electrical line leading to this road that will take approximately seventy-two hours to repair.” She offered a politely bland smile. “They were happy to take a paid trip to Bangor. They did ask not to be placed in the same hotel as the Brimley family. Apparently, the father is unpleasant.”
“That’s the understatement of the century.”
“It’s likely moot. We were able to contact Bridgette Brimley at her place of employment—she apparentlycan’ttake a few days off. She works for a nursing home and the staffing shortage is too severe to allow it, but she agreed to stay at a home on the other side of town that we arranged. My man handling those aspects reiterated several times that it would be dangerous to be in the house while the work was being done and she seemed to understand, and came home to pack some clothes for her and her son.” She pursed her lips. “When I asked about her husband, she said he’s been off looking for work. I don’t think she’s lying, but I don’t believe she really thinks he’s off looking for work, either. He may be a problem.”
“He alreadyisa fucking problem,” Travis muttered. “We need somebody over there in case he shows up. And it needs to be somebody who can handle him because hewillget ... testy.”
