Page 45 of The Keeper

“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?”

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