“You have a mean streak when you team up with Thistle,” Landon said. “I think you should give Clove a break.”
“I agree,” I said.
This time Landon shot me an odd look. “Why do you care about Clove?”
“Because she was really upset about Bigfoot,” I lied. “I don’t think scaring someone to the point where they’re legitimately afraid of a mythical dogman attacking them is fun, no matter how you look at it.”
“Fine,” Bay said. “I’ll apologize first thing when we get home.”
“That can wait until morning,” Landon said. “I want to see that book.”
“What is it with you two?” I asked, frustrated. I couldn’t even work up the courage to kiss my almost-girlfriend and these two were practically fornicating in front of me.
“Hey, I’m out here because of you,” Landon reminded me. “You’re the reason I don’t know what’s in that book.”
“Ugh. I feel like I’m in high school again and the popular kids are speaking a language I don’t understand.”
“Well, if that’s the way you feel, don’t make me give you a wedgie for being a kvetch. Get moving,” Landon prodded. “I have a book waiting and a girlfriend to … cuddle.”
“Nice save,” Bay intoned.
“Thank you,” Landon said.
I led the duo back toward the small bonfire. Everyone lapsed into silence once we crossed into the woods. I watched Landon from the corner of my eye. His weapon remained holstered on his hip, but he was alert. He kept one hand on Bay’s back as he maneuvered her in front of him. He instinctively protected her. It was fairly impressive, especially because I’d forced Clove to hide behind a tree with me an hour earlier.
Once the bonfire popped into view, Landon pressed his finger to his lips and shifted Bay so she was between the two of us. For some reason I felt better knowing that he considered me a viable protection alternative for Bay should things go south.
The teenagers continued chattering, but the conversation had turned to mundane topics like their soccer season and a litany of complaints regarding the lack of cheerleaders for spring sports.
“I’m just saying that I think the soccer team should get cheerleaders, too,” Andy said. “I need something to look at between halfs.”
“That sounds like a fabulous idea,” Landon said, stepping into the clearing and offering the assembled boys a flat smile. “I think that all women should wear cheerleading uniforms every chance they get. Write that down, Bay.”
“I think I’ll remember it without a physical reminder,” Bay said, rolling her eyes as she moved to Landon’s side.
Landon’s fortitude took me by surprise as I loitered in the shadows behind him. It took me a moment to realize that Bay also was braver than me, which didn’t feel very good. I reluctantly moved to Landon’s other side and pressed my lips together.
“Oh, man, I should’ve known,” Andy said. “It’s the lighthouse douche.”
“Hey! I am not a douche,” I argued. “I am … a concerned property owner. Show some respect.”
“That’s probably why he thinks you’re a douche,” Landon offered.
“You’re a concerned property owner?” Bay asked, arching a dubious eyebrow. “That’s definitely a douche way to explain something.”
“Oh, really? Why don’t you tell them about your dirty book?”
“Let’s go back to talking about cheerleaders,” Landon suggested. “I love talking about cheerleaders.”
“You’re sleeping alone tonight,” Bay threatened.
“Not when you have a dirty book, I’m not,” Landon shot back.
“I want to hear more about this dirty book,” Andy said. “What kind of book are we talking about? Does it have photos?”
“Don’t worry about the book,” Bay said. “I’m going to burn the book.”
“Yes, let’s move on from the book,” Landon agreed. “Well, wait … does the book have photos?”
“I can’t believe you’re actually an FBI agent,” I said. “Just how do you solve cases if this is the way you approach them?”
“You’re definitely a kvetch,” Landon supplied.
“I agree,” Bay said.
“I have no idea what a kvetch is, but if it’s something like a douche I agree with the cop and the hot chick,” Andy offered.
Landon decided to shift gears. “I’m not a cop, but I am working in an official capacity,” he said. “What are you guys doing out here?”
“We’re lost,” Andy replied, not missing a beat. “We were taking a hike and lost our bearings.”
“And decided to start a fire?” Landon asked.
“We needed it for warmth.”
Andy was a gifted liar. I had to give him that. He didn’t seem nervous in the face of Landon’s questions, although his two friends were another story. They couldn’t distance themselves from Andy fast enough. Landon noticed their furtive movements, too.
“If you two take off running in the woods, I’ll be really ticked off,” Landon warned. “Not only will I arrest you once I track you down, I’ll also throw your parents in jail for good measure.”
“You can’t do that,” Andy argued.
“I can do whatever I want,” Landon said. “I work for the federal government.”
“That was really impressive,” Bay deadpanned.
“I know,” Landon said, smirking.
“You don’t even know who we are,” Andy challenged. “You’re an outsider.”
“You’re Andy Hodgins,” Bay supplied. “That’s Jack Dunham. The third boy hiding by that tree is … can you look at me?”
The boy shook his head.
“Look at her or I’ll shoot you in the foot,” Landon threatened.
The boy reluctantly lifted his head.
“Oh, that’s Matt Barnes,” Bay said. “His mother works at the diner.”
“Thank you, Ms. Winchester,” Landon said. “You’ve proven to be an invaluable asset this evening … and we haven’t even read the book yet.”
“I’m really close to throwing up,” I said.
“No one cares,” Landon said, his eyes locked on Andy’s defiant gaze. “What are you doing out here?”
“I told you that we were lost,” Andy said. “Why don’t you believe me?”
“Because I have trouble believing anyone could get lost twice in the same week,” Landon replied. “In the same woods, no less. That would mean you’re some kind of idiot. Are you an idiot, Andy?”
“I don’t have to answer your questions,” Andy charged. “I’m a minor, and you can’t question me without a parent or lawyer present. I know my rights.”
“That’s pretty good,” Landon said, his face unreadable. “There are exceptions to that rule, like when I catch you breaking the law, for example.”
“And what law am I breaking?”
“Trespassing, for one.”
“I got lost,” Andy said, holding his hands palms up and pasting an “I’m innocent and you can’t possibly suspect me of doing anything nefarious” look on his face.
“Where is Tess Britton?” Landon asked, unmoved by Andy’s act.
“How should I know?” Andy asked.
“Because you were out here with her the night she disappeared,” Landon supplied.
“You can’t prove that,” Andy argued.
“He saw you out here with Tess Britton,” Landon said, pointing at me for emphasis. “What else have you got?”
“I told you he was a narc,” Jack said, causing me to scowl.
“I am not a narc!”
“Shh, you’re starting to sound like a woman,” Landon said.
“Hey!” Bay shot Landon a dark look.
“Not a woman like you,” Landon clarified. “More like a … whiny woman. You’re not whiny.”
“Nice one, man,” Andy offered. “You should teach lessons on how to get hot chicks.”
“I’ll take it under consideration,” Landon said. “Now, where is Tess Britto
n?”
“I have no idea where Tess is,” Andy replied. “I haven’t seen her since the last bonfire.”
“I thought you were lost?” Landon challenged.
“I … .” Andy was flummoxed.
“That’s what I thought,” Landon said, glancing at Bay. “Okay, here’s what’s going to happen: The three of you are going to put out that fire and walk back to the lighthouse with me. Then I’m going to take you to the police station, where you can call your parents. Then we’re going to get some answers.”
“And what if I don’t want to go with you?” Andy asked.
“Then I’ll arrest you, and we’ll do things the hard way.”
It was a pretty impressive threat. I could tell Jack and Matt were immediately swayed. Andy took longer, but he finally came to the same realization as his friends.
“Fine,” Andy said. “When my father shows up, though, you’ll regret messing with me.”
“Because you’re making me miss a night with my girl and her dirty book, your father will be full of regret,” Landon said. “Now … get moving.”
Ten
“You look terrible.”
Clove found me sitting on one of the patio lawn chairs the next morning, a mug of coffee clutched in my hand as I debated the merits of working in the garden versus going to bed for the rest of the day.
“Thank you, Clove,” I said, forcing a smile for her benefit. “You look … pretty.” She did. She was dressed in simple cargo pants and a T-shirt, but she always looked beautiful. It was effortless for her. That was one of the things I liked best about her.
“Did you get any sleep?” Clove asked, shuffling to my side. “You look … .”
“Terrible,” I interjected. “You’ve already told me.”
“You look handsome,” Clove clarified. “Only you look like a handsome man who could use some sleep.”
“I got about three hours of sleep after the state police cleared out,” I supplied. “I wanted to sleep longer, but my internal clock kind of fought it. They had dogs and a search team out here for hours, but they didn’t find a thing.”
“Bay and Landon looked tired this morning, too,” Clove said. “They got up for breakfast and then immediately climbed back in bed. They didn’t say a lot about what happened last night.”
“What did they say?”
“They said that Andy Hodgins is in custody for theft and pot possession, but that they didn’t find Tess,” Clove replied. “I think they’re worried that she’s dead.”
“I’m worried that she’s dead, too,” I admitted. “If she is dead, we may never find her. This area is huge, and we have no way of knowing where they dumped her body. They had dogs out here, but it rained two nights ago, and they didn’t find anything.”
“Do you really think Andy is a murderer?” Clove asked, sitting in the second chair and fixing me with a sympathetic look. “It sounds like he’s up to something, but I have trouble believing he could kill Tess.”
“I don’t know what to think,” I said, rubbing my forehead. “My brain doesn’t seem to be firing on all cylinders this morning. Andy is a real pain in the ass, but I’m not sure he’s a murderer. He doesn’t act like a murderer.”
“What does Landon think?”
“Landon can’t stand him,” I replied. “He called his father, and when Andrew Senior showed up at the station he got into a screaming match with Landon that almost came to blows. I give Landon credit, though; he didn’t back down.”
“He never does,” Clove said. “All Bay would say is that Andy is acting as if he’s hiding something. I don’t think she wants to believe Tess is dead, so she keeps trying to think of a different scenario that allows Tess to be alive.”
“Can you think of a scenario that allows Tess to be alive?”
“I have no idea what Andy is doing in the woods, but I do have one idea about where Tess could be hiding,” Clove offered.
“I’m officially intrigued.”
“Where did human traffickers hide an entire boat without anyone being able to see it?” Clove asked. “Where is the one place in this area that we know things go missing?”
“The cove.”
Clove nodded. “The cove.”
“Give me twenty minutes to take a shower,” I said. “Let’s check out that cove.”
“I HAVE a theory about what’s going on,” Clove offered a half hour later as we navigated the dense underbrush and pushed closer to the water. I’d only been to the cove once before, and I wasn’t sure I could find it again. I was impressed that Clove seemed to know exactly where she was going.
“What’s your theory?”
“I think Andy, Jack and Matt were doing something illegal, but probably not what we think they were doing,” Clove answered. “You said you smelled pot that first night. Have we considered they were dealing it and that’s what they’re trying to cover up?”
“I guess that’s possible,” I conceded. “What does that have to do with Tess?”
“Her mother works on Andy’s father’s farm,” Clove supplied. “People have been gossiping about Andrew Hodgins for years. They say that he’s not just growing corn out there.”
“If people are gossiping about it, why wouldn’t the police arrest him?”
“This whole town is inundated with gossip – some of it true and some absurd,” Clove said. “People think Aunt Tillie has her own pot field, too. In fact, if the rumors are to be believed, at least five people have pot fields.”
“Why would this area have so many pot growers?”
“It’s open and the police presence is minimal,” Clove answered. “Pot isn’t a big deal these days when you have meth and cocaine to worry about. Aunt Tillie claims her field is medicinal.”
I stilled. Did she just admit her great-aunt illegally grew pot? “Um … .”
“I mean, if she did have a field she would claim it was medicinal,” Clove offered hurriedly. “I … oh, crap. There’s a reason Bay and Thistle keep secrets from me. I do have a big mouth.”
“I don’t care about Aunt Tillie’s pot field,” I said. “I’m just … stunned. She’s a tiny old woman.”
“Her field isn’t very big,” Clove clarified. “And, trust me, you don’t want to ever call her an ‘old woman’ when she’s in hearing distance. In fact, you might want to erase that phrase from your memory.”
“I heard rumors that she grows pot, but … I didn’t think they were true,” I said. “Brian was convinced they were, but … wow.”
“Don’t tell anyone,” Clove pleaded. “I … please don’t tell anyone.”
“I won’t tell anyone,” I said, holding up my hands. “I promise. Go back to Andy’s father, though. Even if he was growing pot, what would Tess have to do with that? According to Andy, they weren’t dating. How did she get involved?”
“That’s a very good question,” Clove said, screwing her face up in concentration. “What if Tess was visiting her mother and stumbled on the pot field?”
“So what?”
“You said that Andy was mean to Tess that first night out at the Dandridge,” Clove said. “Tess never struck me as one of the popular kids.”
“And Andy is one of the popular kids,” I surmised. “You think Tess blackmailed Andy into including her in group outings by threatening to tell the police about the pot field. That’s an interesting thought, but … .”
“It was his father’s field,” Clove finished, already seeing the hole in her logic. “We don’t even know that Andrew Hodgins had a pot field. I’m just assuming he did because I have pot on the brain because of Aunt Tillie. That’s probably a mistake. I would make a terrible cop.”
“I think you’re probably good at whatever you do,” I countered, tilting my head when I caught a hint of movement in the cove. I narrowed my eyes and smiled when I realized what I saw. “In fact, I think you’re so good you just found a missing girl.”
Clove followed my gaze, focusing on the disheveled figure leaning against a
tree. “It’s Tess. What should we do?”
“We’re going back to the Dandridge and calling Chief Terry,” I said. “We’re not police officers and we don’t want to risk her running. Come on.”
“You know I’m going to have to leave again, right?” Clove asked, scampering behind me as I strode toward the lighthouse. “I’m not ready to admit we’re dating yet. I need time to prepare for that.”
“I know.”
“I … do you want to tell people we’re dating?”
“Not today,” I answered. “Soon, though. Come on, Clove. Let’s solve the case of the missing teenager and then talk about our relationship.”
“Can I call you my boyfriend yet?”
I smirked. “You can in a few hours. One thing at a time.”
BY THE time darkness descended I was officially exhausted. Clove made her escape moments before Landon and Chief Terry arrived to collect Tess. They found her in the cove, and she was a sobbing mess when they reappeared with her shaking frame corralled between them.
It seems Clove’s pot theory was way off. I accompanied Landon and Chief Terry to the police station. I wanted to see the things through so I could put the past where it belonged and look toward the future.
Andy’s bravado slipped when Tess walked into the station, and then it became a finger-pointing extravaganza. I couldn’t wait to catch Clove up, which was why I hurried toward the parking lot when I heard a car door slam.
Clove jumped when I appeared in front of her, gasping as she caught her breath. “You frightened me!”
“I’m sorry,” I said, offering a small smile. “It feels like I’ve been waiting for you forever.” I realized the words could have a double meaning, but I was okay with that.
“Dinner took longer than I expected,” Clove said. “We waited for Bay and Landon as long as we could, but finally we ate without them. Landon is going to be upset when he realizes he missed pot roast and chocolate cake. I was hoping to hear what happened from them.”
“Why did you want to hear the story from Bay and Landon instead of me?” I hoped I didn’t sound too whiny.
“Because now I’ll have to listen to them tell the story a second time and act like I haven’t heard it a first time,” Clove replied. “This whole ‘hiding our relationship thing’ is starting to get difficult.”
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