Cam hated to lose the staring contest when he had to break contact to search for his driver’s license and VA card. The last was all he had on him for proof he was a vet.
Ole shifted his big feet.
“Square?” Forbes asked, whisking the barest glance at Cam’s ID. “Miss Masters, can you tell us where Findley might be?”
Cam cut in. “Blood sample?”
“I don’t get involved in local matters,” Forbes replied in a tone that he probably reserved for children and persons of compromised IQ. Cam had used it himself, but that didn’t make it any sweeter.
She shook her head. “He didn’t hurt me. What are you going to—”
“Nothing.” Forbes shook his head impatiently. “I only want to know his whereabouts. Did anyone check upstairs?”
“No, we just got here,” Sven replied.
“If that pot-smoking nutjub…” Ole started for the staircase.
“Wait for backup!” Forbes barked.
A gust of cold air whooshed in when the front door opened. They all turned to see another sharp-eyed, fed-dressed man scan them then focus on Forbes. “Found hi—” He slid his eyes to Lily. “Something.” He jerked his head in the direction he’d come from and left.
The adrenaline rushed out as quickly as it came on Cam, leaving him drained and aching, and sorely in need of breaking something. He studied Ole, who was comparing knives with Sven while they waited on the others.
“Stay put,” he muttered, echoing Forbes’s ridiculous order while he paced.
“It’ll work out,” Lily said softly when he came near.
He opened his mouth, ready to refute, when he realized he didn’t want to. He did want things to work out. In a lot of ways.
“I didn’t hurt you when I took the sample, did I?” Forbes’s partner had brought in a lab kit, and Cam stuck Lily for a blood sample while the agent took pictures and apparently a lot of things from the kitchen, judging by the size of the box.
“Of course not,” she said.
“How are your hands and feet?”
“Sting a bit.” She shrugged but smiled. “You can fix it when we get home.”
She’d spoken without guile, as if it were the natural thing to do, go home with him. But it wasn’t. “Lily—”
“I confess I like that better than Rosalind.”
“You didn’t have to be her, you know.”
Her gaze shifted to the brothers.
“Hey, Cam, lemme take a gander at that Camo blade of yours. Honest-to-goodness Boker? What that thing set you back?”
Cam hauled it out and presented it, handle side, to Ole. He rolled his eyes for Lily’s sake, and she stifled a giggle. Good, maybe that meant she was feeling better. He’d still like to haul off and pop Findley. Whatever was left of the sucker after the twins got him. He looked out of the window, a black rectangle of night, at the bobbing lights moving around one of the outbuildings. A squad, lights flashing, had pulled in. Another wail blatted in the distance.
Ole’s whistle made him turn back. “See, this here, little brother. Best blade ever.”
“Said the man who’s carrying a Gerber. Like the baby food.” Sven chortled at his joke and poked his brother in the ribs, dancing out of the way when Ole hefted the Boker.
“Hey!” Cam frowned.
“I got mine at Bass Pro Shops,” Ole said.
“Mine’s a Puma—oh, sheesh, Ole. They called in the unit from Grenfield, ’cuz we weren’t on duty. Man, we’ll never hear the end of it.”
A wailing squad car accompanied a boxy ambulance into the yard. The men crowded around the open door of the cabin, peering out, not daring to disobey Forbes’s directive. Ole called back descriptions of the events to Lily, who complained she couldn’t see for all the butts in the way.
Sven winked lewdly and opened his mouth when Cam finally rounded on him. “Knock it off!”
Two figures exited the ambulance.
“Hey, it’s Shorty—didn’t know he was off disability—” This from Sven, as they watched the emergency medical technicians hurry a rolling gurney into a large shed and three minutes later roll out with a sheet-covered figure they hustled into the ambulance.
“Aw, nuts, I didn’t mean I hated him,” Ole whispered. “He wasn’t that bad.”
“What’s happening?” Lily called in a throaty voice.
“Could be they found Findley,” Cam said.
“Is he going to be okay?” she asked.
“I don’t know,” Cam said.
“I doubt it,” Sven cut in. “He was bagged.”
“People.” Forbes stood in the door, appearing as if from nowhere. Sven coughed a high note, thinly disguised from a manly shriek.
“Let’s not jump to conclusions,” Forbes said. “We don’t have an ID on the victim.”
“Vi-victim?” Lily said. The color in her cheeks had vanished, and she looked cold and exhausted again. Cam hurt for her.
“Male, in the one-sixty, one-seventy range. About six-foot-four, near as we could tell,” Forbes said.
Cam shot him a look. What did that mean?
“Kingston is tall,” Lily said.
“Not that tall. What do you mean, ‘near as we could tell’?” Cam asked.
“Can’t you get his fingerprints and get an ID that way?” Sven asked.
“We could. If there had been any fingers to get a print from.”
Cam’s instincts growled they were going to have the same problem getting dental records, but he had to ask anyway. “What about hair color? Findley’s got long brown hair.”
“Yes,” Forbes said. His color shifted to slightly pasty as well. “But we don’t know what color hair this man might have had on his head.”
THIRTY-EIGHT
“Might have had…might have had?” Lily wanted to scream at Forbes. She’d woken to a circus and was no closer now to finding answers. Where was Kingston? And what had he done? A quick, surreptitious check said all her clothes were in place, and she didn’t think anyone had…touched her while she was out of it. No, she was sure of it.
Why were Sven and Ole acting stupider than usual? And Cameron…his stillness, his tense posture said he wasn’t really happy to be here, either. Was it because of her? Had he felt some misguided obligation because she’d be staying at his house? It was only the place she could imagine going, even without indoor plumbing. She probably could use a shower, though.
Listen to the twins talk…how in the world had those two jokers gotten involved…
At least that body hadn’t been Kingston’s.
He’d left her with a killer headache, but it was fading. If only Ole wasn’t so close…
“I really want to take you to the hospital, Lil. You should be there right now. In fact, you—”
“No, thanks, Ole. I’m okay.”
“You look terrible, trust me. I think you should go. Me and Sven, we aren’t driving the ambulance, but we can get you there.”
“Thanks a lot, buddy.”
“Come on, Lily. Who knows what happened while you were out, right?” Good old Sven, adding his nickel.
“No,” she told him.
“Are you sure?” Ole said, sending a glare to his brother.
* * *
Cam listened to Lily repeat to Ole.
“Yes, I’m sure I don’t want to go to the hospital,” she said.
Cam had yet to tell her about the children she might see at the hospital, or the morgue. Although he suspected at least Sven knew too, the others didn’t seem as though they had more than her physical well-being on their minds. Forbes sent his partner on ahead with the body, staying back maybe to find out if there were any other tidbits to pick at. Cam still couldn’t figure out why he was here at all, much less involved. The agent watched them now, a slight smirk on his face as if he were watching some specious Greek tragedy where they all ended up as spirits trying to advise each other.
Ole was not a happy camper at hearing Lily’s insistence she didn’t want to
go back to her brother’s house.
“Not even to get your clothes?” Ole was like a puppy with a favorite toy, alternating between growls at Cam and begging whines at Lily. He couldn’t really blame the guy, because he’d rather be doing something—anything—besides standing around in a probable dead guy’s house.
Cam stayed quiet, though he hadn’t exactly invited Lily back home with him. Until he had a working vehicle, he wasn’t sure if being stuck out in the woods alone was the best place for her, anyway. He sent a speculative glance at Forbes, who was pacing and checking his watch and radio, and decided to try one last time to get a bead on the scenario.
“So, Forbes, what’s the FBI doing out here in the woods?”
Forbes spared him a sideways look. “I’m not FBI.”
“And I’m not interested in guessing games. You’re some kind of government agent, and I want to know what my tax dollars are doing.”
He laughed. “From one man on the roll to another?” He checked the noise level of the others, then seemed to come to a decision. “Let’s step over here.”
It wasn’t out of the room, but not so far out of range of the others. Caesar plotted like this. Talk within sight of people so as not to raise suspicion. “I’m working on a special task force appointed by the attorney general. Human trafficking.”
Cam unzipped his inner sweatshirt. “Go on.”
“You’re not too surprised, are you?”
“Let’s say I’m intrigued.”
“What do you know about your neighbors, Mr. Taylor?”
“They’re not too friendly to outsiders. Or those of mixed race. I haven’t seen any local native people in town, for that matter, either.”
“Give you trouble?” Now his expression developed some sympathy. Maybe even concern.
“I’ve experienced my share of unfriendliness.” He thought about his car. “And vandalism. Mostly kid stuff.”
“What kind of vandalism?”
“I thought we were talking about you,” Cam said.
Forbes suddenly looked a million years old as he rubbed his forehead and brushed his hand through his short dark hair. “For thirty months I’ve been working this case. Every time I get close, somebody tips them off and they move. Oh, we got some of them. But trafficking is only the tip of the iceberg.”
“Them who?”
“I thought initially it was one group, but the deeper I got, I realize it’s a whole village, with tentacles so deep and wide…” He kicked at the floor. “Like, every time I slice off an arm, six more grow in its place. And more people disappear every month.” Forbes turned to Lily, helplessness written on his face.
Cam followed his lead. “I found her in the woods by my place. She wouldn’t talk at all at first. Later, she said she didn’t want to involve me.” He snorted. “She only wanted to get here, because she believed Findley was some sort of hero.”
“What was she running from?”
“She wouldn’t say exactly, but she’s desperate to find her nephew. I learned earlier today he and another boy went missing, but—”
“Domestic violence?”
“There’s more to it. She’s afraid of her brother who works in the prison. That’s one reason she doesn’t want to go home. He’s trying to convince her to do something.”
Forbes grimaced. “And she thought Findley could help her, way out here with the big bad wolves running loose, which she obviously has no idea about… And this nephew?”
Cam wasn’t sure he understood but decided Forbes was for real. His passion spoke volumes. “Like I said,” Cam told him, “there’s more to it. She needs to trust someone with the whole truth.”
“Someone like me?”
“There’s more to you, too, isn’t there?”
The agent flashed a grin. “I have a specific assignment, which you don’t need to know, but it’s not community project-based domestic issues.”
“Oh, I have a feeling we taxpayers will get our money’s worth if you stick around and hear her out. Only…”
“What?”
“Only, I don’t think her nephew’s missing anymore. And I have to tell her.”
Forbes didn’t seem terribly shaken by this news, and Cam again wanted to hit something in his frustration. All this secret agent spy stuff was getting nowhere. He’d thought it was cool when it had been Dad and no one needed to know the things Dad couldn’t talk about. Now, “need to know” Big Brother malarkey might cost lives.
Maybe Dad thought the same way.
They turned toward the brothers still hashing out Lily’s future with her. Sounded like they were losing.
“Human trafficking makes a sick sort of sense,” Cam whispered. “I heard something else while I was in town, too, that you may want to stick in your file, about jobs that aren’t really jobs.” He tuned in to the other conversation.
Lily rose in full mutiny. “No, I’m not going to tell Berta anything, and I’m definitely not going to her trailer.”
Cam gave the “cut” sign to Sven, who put his hand on his brother’s arm. “Let’s blow this joint,” Cam said. “What say we all head back to my house”—he raised his brows at Ole—“for now, and talk.” He nodded at Forbes. “I think we can all help each other. This place gives me the creeps.”
“What about Kingston?” Lily asked. “Where is he if he’s not here? He wouldn’t bring me here and then just dump me. If that body isn’t his, where—”
Ole made a grunting growl.
“I put a quiet word out at the local police department,” Forbes said, with a frown at Ole. “For now, that’s all we can do. Wait.”
“Wait for what?” she said. “Cam, I want to know what you two were whispering about. Did it have anything to do with what you heard in town today?”
* * *
When they returned to the cabin, Iago met them at the door, ducking his head and thumping his tail weakly as if embarrassed.
“Hey, boy, you look good. You okay? Good boy,” Sven told him. They were best buddies now. Cam took off his jacket, gathered those of the others, and hung them on pegs by the door. He’d managed to avoid answering Lily’s question for the time being, but not for much longer, according to the number of times her glare killed him.
Iago licked Lily’s face, once Ole deposited her on the sofa. Cam immediately lit two lamps, then stoked the stove, leaving the door open to adjust the draw, which should be working extremely well due to the bone-chilling cold outside. Smoke curled into the room while he fiddled.
“Need some help?” Sven squatted next to him in front of the box.
“Dunno. Never had this happen.”
“Maybe it needs a cleaning.”
“I have been using it non-stop.” Cam knocked the pipe, and a little soot and ash fell down. He pushed coals away from the draft. It seemed to draw better after that, and he filled the box and closed the door while Sven adjusted the damper with the care of a neurosurgeon.
Lear took up his usual position near the door, while Iago lay in front of Lily, as though he’d let her down earlier and was doing his best to make it up to her. Ole parked himself on the floor nearby. Cam waved his hand around. “Make yourselves comfortable. I’ll get a couple of chairs from the kitchen.”
That same tickle he had earlier, that something was wrong in his kitchen, assaulted him as soon as the doors swung behind him. He swiveled. There were two mugs in the drain, washed…but one wasn’t his from earlier in the morning. His was the navy one with the joke about the hyphen and the colon that still sat by his chair in the living room. He reached for the cups in the drain, thought again, walked to the door, and beckoned to Forbes.
“These might be the mugs Findley used to serve the drugs to Lily,” Cam told the agent. “Findley did something to Iago, too, my dog, but he looks all right now.”
“I can’t get involved in local disputes,” Forbes said, putting his hands behind his back. “Best to call the local police.”
“Look, you were on to Findley ab
out something. Either he’s involved in your investigation, or not…but if he is…was…then Lily Masters is, too.”
“Oh, Findley was involved, but not the way you might think.”
Cam’s phone vibrated. He pulled it out to check caller ID. Matt. He held it up, and Forbes backed away.
“Yeah, Matt? Anything new?”
“Besides the fact that Art Townsend was arrested for hitting a cop, and the whole town is crawling with FBI, some of whom are hauling computers out of the library right now as I’m watching, not much. How about for you?”
Cam turned slowly to watch Forbes. “Uh, same old, same old.”
“Did you get ahold of the aunt of that kid yet? Whichever one it is, somebody has to be there.”
“I’m getting ready to do that now.”
“Good.”
“You didn’t get any more reports yet? You know, about their…names? Status?”
Forbes watched him openly, not bothering to hide it.
“Apparently they’re still waiting on family.”
“Oh, right. And, uh, the other thing? At the library?”
The agent cocked an eyebrow.
“Don’t know much. Just seized property they claim is evidence of a possible crime. Full police cooperation.”
“Okay. I’ll call you later. I may have something.” He clicked off. “So, what’s with your buddies and library computers? Don’t your people have ways of checking records without taking the whole computer?”
“That’s not my case.”
“But you’re aware whose it is.”
“Can’t talk about it. Technically, I’m not even supposed to know about it.”
“Seriously? What brings the whole federal government down on little old Barter Valley, Wisconsin?”
The agent leaned casually against the door and crossed his arms. “We’re only from two departments out of dozens. There are thousands of agents, working across the country every day. Wisconsin has—”
“Cut the baloney, Forbes. You’re in my house, and you—”
“Hey, Cam! Better get out here quick!” Sven pushed the door and the agent forward. “Where’s your fire extinguisher?”
Understory Page 17