The keeper redemption ri.., p.18
The Keeper (Redemption Ridge Book Five), page 18
“On it, sir,” Daniels said.
“What would you like me to do?” Sherry asked.
Seth took a few steps forward to look inside Mick’s open cell door. The older man lay on his back, his sightless eyes looking up at the ceiling. The bluish skin suggested a cardiac event, but it wouldn’t serve Seth well to speculate on the cause of death. He’d just have to turn over every stone to ensure there was no foul play on the part of his jail staff. There were ways to kill people to make it look like a natural death, and Mick Carson wasn’t in the best of health. He mentally recited the notes in the file from Mick’s first stay in their jail. He turned to Lawson, who stood silently in the hallway. “Carson has a severe peanut allergy, right?”
“Yes, sir,” Daniels said. “There are very strict rules about his food. It can’t come into contact with the nut or its byproducts.”
“Could someone have given him an unauthorized candy bar or something?”
“Doubtful, sir. We can review footage from the security cameras in the hallways.”
That was already on Seth’s to-do list. He closed the cell door to reduce the risk of further contamination. “No one gets in or out except for the medical examiner,” he told Lawson.
“You have my word, sir.”
“Do you need anything else from me, or may I return to charting?” Sherry asked.
“You can go back to your station. We’ll let you know if we have questions,” Seth replied. He was on his way to Daniels’ office to commandeer it when his phone rang. FBI Agent Riley Johansen’s name appeared on the screen. “Fuck.” Seth debated letting his call go to voicemail, but it was unprofessional, cowardly, and would only delay the inevitable. He blew out a frustrated breath and accepted the call on the next ring. “Agent Johansen.”
“What the fuck have you backwoods hillbillies done now?” Before Seth could even answer, the agent continued spewing a streak of vitriol that turned his ears red. “Don’t touch anything. Don’t move anything. I have federal marshals coming to collect Quinton Carson before you guys kill him too, and we will take possession of Mick Carson’s body.” Seth had known this was going to happen, and he was powerless to stop it. Better to play nice and save face than fight a losing battle.
“Understood. Our medical examiner is already on the way,” Seth said. “She can take Mick to the county morgue until your people arrive.”
“Fine. But they don’t touch a single hair on his head. I’m on my way to take lead on the investigation.” Then he rattled off a list of things he wanted from Seth.
“You’ve got it. Anything else I can do?” A slight hint of annoyance might’ve slipped out in his tone, but who could blame him?
“I think you’ve done enough,” Riley snarled before disconnecting.
Seth stared down at his phone. “Well, fuck you too.” He’d do everything in his power to assist the federal agents with their investigation, and that meant rounding up every single person who could’ve had a hand in Mick’s death. He found Lyndhurst and Daniels in the lieutenant’s office. Tony paced the small area in front of the desk while Daniels spoke to someone on the phone. Neither of them looked at Seth as he entered, which showed how lost in thought they were.
“Thank you for your help, ma’am,” Daniels said, then set the receiver in the cradle.
“No luck?” Tony asked.
“No.” Daniels noticed Seth for the first time. “I called every number in Jasper Odell’s file, including his emergency contact. His mama hasn’t heard from him, and she’s worried because he never misses her pot roast.”
“What excuse did you give her for calling?” Seth asked.
“I told her I thought Odell left his cell phone here when his shift ended, so it wouldn’t do any good to call and leave a message there.”
The excuse would work for now, but they’d better come up with a backup in case Odell didn’t turn up and they needed to make contact again. Seth relayed everything he knew to that point while Daniels scowled and Tony paced.
The prosecutor stopped suddenly and squared off against Seth. “We’re fucked! Fucked, you hear?”
Christ, people three counties over could hear him. Seth was just as furious as Lyndhurst, but he would not lose his cool. The feds were on the way to retrieve Quinton and Mick’s body. A teeny tiny part of him hoped they would transport both in the same vehicle, but his snarky thoughts didn’t linger. Mick’s body was secured for the moment, and Quinton was as safe as he could be. Seth tucked Odell’s file under his arm and told Daniels what Agent Johansen wanted from them. “Make sure the medical examiner knows not to do anything with the body. I would say the cavalry will be here in three hours or less, depending on the severity of the storms. I want to find Odell before they get here.” Seth instructed Daniels to get the kitchen staff back in and interview them. Of all the employees at the jail, the kitchen and janitorial staff had been there the longest. If something hinky happened, Seth didn’t think it came from any of them.
“Where the hell are you going?” Tony snapped.
Seth bit back a frustrated response and said, “I’m going out to find Odell.”
“I’m coming with you.”
Seth planned to take advantage of Tony’s grandstanding tendencies to keep the prosecutor at the jail to oversee everything. “Shouldn’t you stay here and—”
“I am coming with you, Seth. We both know this isn’t an accident or a natural death.”
“We don’t know much right now,” Seth reminded him. “But I suspect foul play. The FBI has ordered me away from the investigation, but I’m sure they’ll appreciate it if I find the last person known to interact with Mick Carson.”
“I’m coming with you, so deal with it.” Tony shouldered past him and headed into the hallway.
Seth held up his cell phone. “Keep me posted on everything.”
Daniels nodded. “Will do, sir.”
The rain had let up by the time Seth stepped outside the county jail. Normally, he’d appreciate the scent of fresh rain and damp earth, but it wasn’t the right moment to stop and appreciate nature.
“Where’s your SUV?” Lyndhurst asked.
“I’m in my personal vehicle.”
“Why?”
“Because I was out doing personal things. I don’t drive my county vehicle during my downtime.”
“A sheriff doesn’t get downtime. You’re on call twenty-four seven.”
“Well, we can take a detour to my place and collect my SUV, head to the sheriff’s department and borrow a cruiser from the motor pool, or just use my personal truck.”
Lyndhurst considered it. “Might be less intimidating and obvious if we use your personal vehicle, but I think you need to be armed just in case shit goes sideways.”
Seth figured he was right but said, “Shit has already gone sideways.”
“Yeah, and our entire world is about to get turned upside down.”
They made a quick stop by Seth’s house for him to retrieve his gun and badge from his safe and swap vehicles. It turned out to be on the way to the address Odell listed as his home. The corrections officer lived in a small house on a quiet road. The lights were out, and no cars were in the driveway. Seth parked but left the engine running. True to his word, Tony trailed alongside him to the house. They knocked on the front door, then walked around to the back to rap on the sliding glass door. Curtains covered the windows and doors, so they couldn’t detect signs of activity inside, but the property felt empty.
“He’s not here,” Seth said.
“Where to now? His mother’s?”
“We don’t want to alarm her or tip anyone off. Let’s drive by there and see if Odell’s vehicle is in the driveway. I won’t stop and knock yet. The file said he drives a silver Nissan pickup truck. Plate number is in there too.” The jail wanted to know a lot about the people in charge of inmates, including the vehicles they drove onto the correctional site. Jasper Odell was a newer employee, and Seth now questioned if there were holes in their hiring process. “After that, we’ll check out the places our county and city cops like to hang out.”
A bolt of lightning streaked through the sky, propelling them to walk faster. Of all the times for the meteorologists to be right. A vicious storm unleashed Mother Nature’s fury on them, which only amplified the growing frustration Seth felt with every passing second that Odell eluded him. His car wasn’t at his mom’s house when they drove by, and they didn’t find him at any of the bars. They drove around Last Chance Creek and Hart’s Creek and saved the Feisty Bull for last. Seth pulled into a parking spot and put the SUV in park.
“What the hell are you doing?” Tony asked.
“I’m going in to see if my cousin Kerry is working behind the bar. His rescue crews are familiar with all the people in law enforcement, and the corrections guys often pal around with the patrol officers in their downtime. He might be able to tell me which of my deputies hangs around with Odell.” That would be much faster than calling all of them individually, but Seth wouldn’t hesitate to do that next if necessary.
“The longer this guy is in the wind, the more I think he did something to Mick’s food,” Tony said as he removed his seat belt.
“I don’t disagree.”
The restaurant was hopping as usual, and Seth saw Kerry interacting with two guys sitting at the bar. The fellas seemed to be completely enthralled with the brawny bartender, but his cousin seemed impervious to their flirtations. Seth caught Kerry’s eye and gestured for his cousin to meet him at the end of the bar.
“What’s wrong?” Kerry asked.
Seth couldn’t tell him anything that had happened at the jail, and Kerry didn’t ask, but that was only because Tony was there. Kerry would be all over Seth otherwise. Instead, he rattled off the names of a few deputies and corrections officers who hung out with Odell. Seth thanked him for his help, and they headed back to his SUV.
“Where to next?” Tony asked.
Seth’s cell phone rang before he could respond. “Daniels is calling.”
“Put him on speaker,” Tony said.
Seth accepted the call but didn’t have a chance to greet Daniels before the man spoke.
“The ME is pretty sure Carson died of anaphylactic shock,” his lieutenant said.
“Based on what?” Tony pressed.
“His tongue is severely swollen,” Daniels said. “I’ve talked to the head cook and every single person on her staff. There are no peanuts or byproducts on the premises. No nuts of any kind. We searched the kitchen and the staff’s vehicles. We found nothing, sir.”
“Has the ME taken Carson to the morgue?” Tony asked.
“Yes, sir,” Daniels replied. “We secured the cell again so the feds can collect evidence as they see fit. Carson only ate a small portion of his dinner, so they’ll be able to test it for peanuts.”
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. He needed to find Odell. “Thanks for the updates. Let me know if the feds arrive before I do.”
“Will do, sir.”
“This was no accident,” Tony said. “Do you think Quinton shut him up before he could talk?”
“It’s possible.” Maybe even probable. There were still two members of the cult that had eluded their capture. Cain and Abel were described as loyal followers, and they were key weapons in Mick’s terrorizing. Keegan might be able to fill in some more gaps. He’d reacted viscerally to their names when Seth interviewed him nine months ago, and he hadn’t pressed since to avoid causing trauma. The time to revisit the pair with Keegan was near, but he wanted to find Odell first.
Seth tracked down the deputies and corrections officers Kerry provided. He reached most of them by phone and visited the others at home. No one had much to say about Odell. He kind of appeared out of nowhere six or seven months ago. He was friendly enough but kept to himself a lot. They didn’t think he had a girlfriend or dated much.
“Where the hell did this guy go?” Tony asked.
“It’s time to speak to his mother,” Seth said.
Janice Odell’s house was still bustling with people when they returned. It seemed Odell wasn’t the only one who loved his mama’s pot roast. The woman who answered the door was petite and frail. It looked like a good wind would blow her over, and Seth was grateful the storm had subsided for the moment. She took one look at Seth and covered her heart. “What’s happened to my Jasper?”
Seth tried to dance around the truth, but Mrs. Odell wasn’t having it. He kept his answers as vague as possible, but he had to give her something to get her talking. Mrs. Odell didn’t take a direct approach to giving up information about her son. She talked about his military service and the toll it had taken on him. Jasper hadn’t been able to hold down a job after his service ended, and then he’d gone on a spiritual journey for over a year. Afterward, he was more like the son she remembered and got so excited when he landed the job at the county jail. Seth’s Spidey sense went off again at the mention of a spiritual journey. He searched for an unoffensive way to approach a sensitive subject when Tony took the bull-in-a-china-shop approach.
“Do you mean he was a member of Salvation Anew?”
Mrs. Odell’s shoulders went rigid, and Seth knew Tony had fucked up. He wished he could kick the shit out of him. “Jasper said the media portrayal wasn’t fair. He promised me it wasn’t a cult.”
Son of a bitch. Jasper Odell was likely Cain or Abel, and he’d been right under their noses the entire time. The rest of the conversation became stilted when Mrs. Odell refused to accept vague answers to her questions. She eventually got fed up and told them to leave her property.
“What the fuck are we going to say to the feds?” Tony asked when they got back in the SUV.
“Right now, we suspect a lot, but we don’t know anything. They don’t even want us investigating what happened. Let’s head back to the jail and wait for the transport team and Agent Johansen to arrive.”
The marshals who’d brought the Carsons to Last Chance Creek were the same ones to pick Quinton up. They made snide remarks about the jail’s shitty hospitality before they secured Quinton and took him out to a van. The younger Carson gave an Academy Award–winning performance, crying and trembling with fear as he mourned his uncle and claimed someone wanted him dead too. Seth caught a hint of a smirk on the asshole’s face when the marshal secured him in the back of the transport vehicle.
“Do you guys want an escort?” Seth asked.
The marshal who opened the driver’s door scoffed. “I think you guys have done enough, Sheriff, but thanks. We’ll take it from here.”
Seth, Tony, and Daniels returned to the lieutenant’s office and discussed everything they knew up to that point, which wasn’t much. They reviewed every documented detail throughout Odell’s hiring process, and nothing looked out of order. He hadn’t admitted to being a part of Salvation Anew, and all his references had checked out.
“I wonder if any of these references are from the other missing cult member,” Seth said out loud. “If they’ve been planning this for a while, they could’ve gone to great lengths to make sure they got someone on the inside.”
“The press is going to slaughter us,” Tony said.
And the bigoted candidate for sheriff might not look so bad to the constituents. “We need to keep looking for any kind of clue that might tell us where to find Odell.”
“Could they be hiding at the abandoned compound?” Tony asked.
“Possibly, but it’s not likely. Odell’s been living in plain sight. The other guy probably is too. I’ve got security measures to keep nosy people from snooping around back there. Nothing has tripped the security cameras.”
“Where the hell do we look next?” Daniels asked.
They continued interviewing the jail staff and put a BOLO out on Jasper’s vehicle. Seth’s phone rang, and the noise seemed loud and ominous in the small room.
“It’s one of my deputies. Maybe he has some news about Odell.” Seth accepted the call and greeted him.
“Sheriff,” Deputy Smithson said breathlessly. “Dispatch just took a 9-1-1 call. Armed assailants ambushed the transport vehicle. The marshals exchanged fire with the gunmen. We’ve got one fatality reported, and Quinton Carson escaped.”
Rueben glanced at the clock hanging on the living room wall and was surprised to see it was ten o’clock already. He guessed that’s what happened when he put his nervous energy to good use. Rueben had cleaned every room in the small cabin from top to bottom, then reorganized every closet and storage space. Seth had left nearly five hours ago, and Rueben didn’t have a clue what was going on. His burner phone ran out of juice, and Rueben had left the charger at home. His ranch phone was in the truck, but he didn’t feel like dodging lightning bolts to get it. A large clap of thunder rattled the cabin as if Mother Nature was privy to his thoughts and seconded his opinion.
Seth would return as quickly as he could, and Rueben had needed to entertain himself the best he could until then. Music was his first love, but the batteries in the radio were dead. Rueben had looked in a junk drawer in the kitchen for replacements, but the only available size went to the flashlight. A power outage was highly probable, so knowing he had a light source was more important than music. The cabin didn’t have cable or satellite, and the powerful storm interfered too much with the antennae signal used for local channels, so he’d raided the DVDs kept in the same closet with the games. The storage space was small and poorly utilized, and that’s when the cleaning bug had bitten Rueben. He’d hooked up the DVD, started Raiders of the Lost Ark, and took a few moments to appreciate a young, sexy Harrison Ford. When the first movie ended, Rueben put the next one in the player. It was entertaining background noise to keep him from overthinking as he worked.
With nothing left to clean, he surveyed the cabin and said, “Now what?” The lights flickered, and another clap of thunder rumbled overhead. Rueben looked up and said, “I wasn’t talking to you.”
