Page 76 of See How They Hide

Calliope walked out of the jail, Banjo right behind her.

The final pieces of Calliope’s plan began to form.

She smiled. It would work.

It had to work.

THURSDAY

28

South Fork, Colorado

Kara ordered room service for her, Sloane, and Riley. The less Riley was seen in public, the better.

Riley didn’t talk much. It was like the stories she shared yesterday about the weeks surrounding her grandmother’s death had drained her. She’d slept well, though, which Kara took as a sign of trust.

When Riley was in the shower, Kara poured her third cup of coffee and picked at the food remaining on her plate. She wondered what Dean Montero was going to contribute here. He’d sent her a long email outlining how he wanted to approach the interview with Riley when he arrived, that he planned to steer the conversation based on his experience, but for her to “jump in” at any point she felt was beneficial.

Kara rarely second-guessed herself, but Dean was a high-ranking fed and she was a cop—did he really want her to speak her mind? Or was she there simply to give Riley comfort because she’d developed a rapport with the young woman? Getting more information wasn’t going to be easy, not because Riley didn’t want to help—though Kara sensed her pulling back several times yesterday—but because there might be some things she really didn’t know, or events that were twisted in her head. Kara might not be an expert on cults and brainwashing, but she understood childhood trauma.

Based on how Riley told her story, Kara suspected that she may have been drugged. Riley didn’t come out and say it, but it was implied. Did Riley know or suspect that she had been drugged? Maybe not hard illegals, but something mild to induce a state of euphoria? It was just a thought she’d had that Kara wanted to explore.

Sloane brought over her own cup of coffee to the small table in the suite of rooms. “Did you read Matt’s memo?”

“Yep.” Matt had put together everyone’s reports so they all had the same information. Ryder usually did it, but he must be swamped.

A text message came in from Michael.

On my way to interview Andrew Gardner. Let me know if you learn anything from Riley that I can use to convince him to talk.

She responded with a thumbs-up emoji.

Kara sipped her coffee and said to Sloane, “Maybe I don’t understand cult mentality, but I still don’t understand why none of the people who left went to the authorities.Not one.I understand domestic violence—and from what Riley described, she suffered some sort of abuse—and I understand how some people won’t go to the authorities for any reason, but not one of the eleven Riley rescued? Not one person said, ‘Hey, someone needs to stop this cult.’”

Sloane was nodding as Kara spoke, made a few notes on her phone. “Maybe AD Montero has some insight.”

“Maybe,” Kara said.

“Wasn’t he helpful yesterday? Didn’t you talk to him before interviewing Riley?”

Kara shrugged. “We didn’t have a lot of time, but he had some interesting observations. I don’t know why he’s coming out and what he brings to the investigation, but I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt.”

Sloane smiled, but didn’t look at her.

“Okay, maybe I won’t. I don’t like people coming in and messing with our team rhythm.”

“I’m new, and you didn’t seem to hold that against me.”

“Because I’d already worked with you, I knew you were a good cop.”

“I think he’ll be helpful,” Sloane said. “Your points are valid. It’s surprising that no one has heard of this group all these years.”

Riley stepped out of the bathroom. “We sold handmade goods at craft fairs, every spring and summer. Four or five fairs a year, all over the west. But after my grandmother died, only my mother’s inner circle was allowed to leave. We had a small counsel, a group of people who made decisions, who appointed the Fair Committee. I didn’t know why then, but now I do—the year my grandmother died, two people slipped away at one of the fairs. Just disappeared. My mother was livid. According to her, she had given them everything and they betrayed her.”

“Do you know who they are?”

Riley shrugged. “Meg and Paul. They’d been there since I was little, but like I said yesterday, we didn’t use last names. There was no need.”

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