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“Absolutely,” I say with a little too much enthusiasm. “I’m a natural salesperson. My grandmother used to say I could sell a bucket of snow to Santa.” I give a thoughtful pause. “Hey, can I build my own team, like you?” I feign delight at the thought of working mercilessly long hours in hopes of ensnaring the desperate and the hopeless.
“Of course,” she says, matching my enthusiasm. “And the best part is, they will never make more than you because we get a trickle of sales from everyone in our downline. The more people you have under you, the more powerful you are. I think you’re a natural already.”
“Oh wow. Thank you so much. I mean, I’ll have to work around my day job. And the hostel doesn’t have the best internet, but I’m sure I can?—”
“No way,” she says, swilling her coffee my way. “No downline of mine is living in a hostel, just scraping by. It’s a bad look. The owners of Quantum Success have a ranch out in Ironwood Springs. They let a bunch of us live there for free.”
“What?” I slam my hand down on the table, trying to sound as if I just hit the lottery. And in a strange way, I have.
“It’s true.” She laughs. “And everyone at Quantum—well, we’re just like one big family. And since you’re lacking in both the friends and family department, you’re going to fit right in. Everyone is just going to love you.” The smile glides from her face as she tracks my features with her eyes. “So do you mind if I get personal in another way?”
“Ask me anything,” I say, hiking my shoulders a notch. “Chastity Jones has nothing to hide.” Mostly because she doesn’t exist.
“What’s cookin’ in the romance department?” She licks the side of her cup before taking a careful sip and it’s off-putting.
“I’ve been with a few men. I’ll be honest, though. I just can’t commit. I mean, I wanted to date my high school boyfriend and this new guy I met in college at the same time.” I laugh at the thought. “And well, that sort of killed both relationships. The last few years I’ve just been bouncing around from bed buddy to bed buddy. I don’t know. I don’t think I’m cut out for that whole white picket fence thing. I’m not looking for Romeo. I just want to have a good time. Is that such a crime?”
“No.” Her voice hikes unnaturally. “It sure is not.” She laughs. “And I get it. I’m the same way. In fact, back at the ranch, we have more than our fair share of handsome men and none of us girls have a problem sharing.” She gravels out a laugh and I join along.
“Sounds like my kind of place. Where do I sign?”
“No signing necessary.” She chews on her bottom lip for a moment. “Actually, we have a welcome ceremony coming up this Saturday. It’s not just for newcomers. It’s sort of the way we run our community meetings.” She clams up for a second. “We do have a few little, let’s say rituals, to indoctrinate newcomers. It’s just for fun. Dress up kind of stuff. It’s sort of our way of making a spectacle out of nothing.”
“Ooh, did I hear the word ritual?” I wiggle my shoulders. “I freaking love the occult and anything to do with it—one of my exes used to LARP. All fantasies are welcome in my book. The darker the better.” I nod. “Count me in. You’re lucky I’m not running there now.”
She belts out a hearty guffaw. “Oh dear, Chastity. Why do I feel as if I’ve just met a lifelong friend? No, a sister. I’ve just met a long-lost sister.” She comes at me with her arms and we exchange a heartfelt hug once again.
We chat away for the next solid hour before she gives me directions to my new home at the ranch.
“The meeting starts Saturday night at nine,” she tells me. “The roads will be dark, but drive slowly and you’ll be just fine. Come around eight-thirty and I’ll meet you by the gate.” She takes up my hands once again, her fingers suddenly hot and sweaty. “I think this is a match made in heaven. And who knows? You might just end up in paradise yet.”
She takes off and I do the same. I catch Jack and Nikki watching me as I head to my truck, but that’s about as far as I’m willing to let them into my meeting. I shoot them a quick text and tell them it went well.
I make sure Sloan is long gone before I ever turn on the ignition.
Ponzi scheme.
Cult.
Malcolm and Patty Lewis are checking off all the boxes. It makes me wonder what other nefarious boxes we’re dealing with.
Come Saturday night, I’m about to find out.
My phone pings as I’m about to turn onto the road and it’s a message from Grant Hale.
Two more bodies have been discovered.
21
Special Agent Jack Stone
We hightail back to the field office and I race to get inside because somehow Fallon managed to beat us here.
“All Hale the chief,” I say, mock saluting our SAC as Nikki and I storm the office. I shoot a look to Fallon. “How did it go?”
“Wonderful,” she says, looking stiff and stoic. “She’s comping me another course. I’ll get a chance to go over it in depth this weekend.” Her eyes linger over mine a moment too long and it feels as if I’ve just been fed a line. “I was just filling Hale in.” She nods past me. “Nikki, thanks for covering me today. I appreciate that.”
“You’re a team. That’s what you do,” Hale says, looking at her sternly before offering Nikki and me the same dark expression. “Sheriff Reed contacted the office and let me know there were two more bodies discovered in the woods last night. A man and a woman. The bodies were not buried. Both discovered by hikers. Forensics was able to move quickly. They’re both being processed at the morgue.”
