Page 24 of To Die For

The bedroom door opened. Odom was in the gray sweats from last night, and her hair was back down around her shoulders.

“The names of the two guys who were following us last night? Nate Shore and Korey Rose. Nate is the Black guy. Built like a truck. Korey is super nice and a really great cook.”

Saxby stabbed out her smoke on the table and said, “What guys following you!” She whirled on Devine. “What the hell game are you trying to play?”

“Sorry, slipped my mind.” He looked at Odom. “What else can you tell me about them?”

“They had drug problems, and my parents were helping them out.”

“How?” asked Devine.

“I know they gave them some money. And they stayed over at our place a lot. Before, at our apartment. And after we got our own place. And they helped around the house. Korey would cook meals. And Nate would fix stuff. And my parents would drive them to their jobs and their rehab stuff.”

“Did you talk to thisdynamic duolast night, Devine?” barked Saxby.

“I did. And they told me that the Odoms were not drug users and anyone or anything that says they were, including police reports, is wrong.”

“Same thing I told you,” said Odom angrily.

“So what can we do about it?” asked Devine, looking squarely at Saxby.

“Do… do about what?” she said, looking tired and defeated.

Devine glanced at Odom. “Betsy, can you give us a sec here? Agent Saxby and I have some ‘government’ things to discuss.”

“But this is stuff about me,” retorted Odom. “I should be able to hear it, too.”

“And you will, just not right this minute,” replied Devine. “Please,” he added.

She skulked off to her room and slammed the door.

Devine turned to Saxby. “Okay, we need to find out how they really died.”

“That is not my jurisdiction. Ifyouwant to take it up with the locals, feel free.”

“So the parents of someone of potential value to the Bureau are killed and their reported cause of death may be a lie and the Bureau wants nothing to do with it?” said Devine incredulously.

“Those men could be lying,” pointed out Saxby.

“But I don’t think Betsy is. What would be her motive?”

Saxby glanced at the remains of her cigarette. “I don’t know what to tell you.”

“How about you report this up the line and request the Bureau take a look?” suggested Devine in a sharp tone.

“Two secondhand accounts from admitted drug users? I’d be laughed out of a career.”

Odom burst out of the bedroom, where she had clearly been listening to this encounter. She put her hands on her hips. “Are you fuckin’ deaf?I’mtellin’ you the same thing.”

“You’re a child. And you watch your mouth! If you were my kid, I’d stuff a bar of soap down your damn throat.”

Odom’s small chest started to rise and fall fast. Before Devine could react, she had picked up an empty glass Coke bottle off a table and thrown it at Saxby. Luckily her aim was off and the bottle shattered against the wall.

The FBI agent was so astonished, she could only sit there trembling with rage. Finally, she found her voice. “How dare you, you little piece of shit!”

“Took the words right out of my mouth, you old bitch!”

Odom stormed back into the bedroom and slammed the door behind her.

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