Page 61 of Bad Seed

Miss Banks, This is Tip Crossley, Wilhem’s son. I’m just now catching up on everything that’s been happening while I was gone. I got your number from Dad, and I want to offer you private security until this is all straightened out. Let me know your location, and I’ll get you some protection.

The hair was standing up on her arms, and her heart was pounding. This didn’t feel like an offer of protection. It felt like a fishing expedition. The call unsettled her enough that even after she went back to work, she couldn’t focus. The urge to run was huge, but she suspected that would be playing into their hands. Frustration was at an all-time high, and the more she thought about it, the angrier she became.

And just as that thought was born, her phone rang again, and this time when she saw caller ID, she answered.

“Hello, this is Harley.”

“Nice to meet you, Harley. I’m Rusty Pope. You are in something of a mess, aren’t you? Talk to me.”

“You don’t know how much I appreciate this,” Harley said. “I don’t know how much Brendan told you.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Rusty said. “Start from your beginning. I’m just going to listen, and then we’ll go from there.”

Harley was too hyped up to stay still and began pacing the floor as she unloaded, beginning with why Wilhem Crossley had contacted her, to the phone call she’d just received from Tipton Crossley.

“And that’s where I’m at,” Harley said. “I either need to clear Tip Crossley’s involvement or nail his ass to the wall.”

“I’ve been taking notes. I can help,” Rusty said. “I’ve been doing some consulting work with the agency again, so I’m back in the loop, so to speak. Giveme a couple of days to see what I can find out, and if something new ensues, call me. The last case I worked before I retired was human trafficking happening right here in Jubilee. They were using the influx of single young women here on holidays as a shopping cart. We finally took down the cell operating out of here, but never found the source. It’s impossible to eradicate this, but at the same time, it’s imperative that we never stop trying.”

“This is new for me,” Harley said. “Most of my work involved white-collar crime within corporations. I’ve never been on a hit list before.”

The slight edge of panic in Harley Banks’s voice resonated personally with Rusty. She’d lived through many hairy incidents during her undercover work.

“I empathize, believe me,” Rusty said. “Just pay attention to everything. If something feels off, then it probably is. Instinct is our self-preservation button. I’ll be in touch.”

Harley’s sense of relief was huge as the call ended. Nothing was resolved yet, but now she had someone on her side who could help. The longer she was here, the more impressed she was by the tight-knit community on Pope Mountain. She’d only seen it from the air, but now she wanted to see it from the ground, to stand in a place where lives and secrets were sacred to the people who lived there.

***

Rusty went looking for Cameron and found him in the living room on the floor with their daughter, Ella, sitting up between his long legs; their son, Mikey, was building a Lego block tower for Ella to knock over; and Cameron’s dog, Ghost, lay nearby, keeping an eye on his people.

“What a perfectly beautiful sight,” she said, as she entered the room.

Cameron looked up at the daring redhead who’d long ago captured his heart and smiled.

“Yes, you are,” he countered. “So can you help?”

She nodded. “You know what’s a little weird about this?”

“What?” he asked.

She eyed Mikey, trying to figure out how to say what she wanted, without her little “big ears” sharing it all over Jubilee.

“That other trafficking thing we worked on, right before I retired… We lost the trail in the same city where Harley uncovered the new one.”

Cameron stilled. “Big coincidence at the least,” he finally said.

She nodded. “So, are you guys okay here for a bit? I need to make some calls.”

“We’re good,” Cameron said, and at the same moment, Mikey threw up his hands and yelled.

“Your turn, Ella!”

Ella leaped to her feet and karate-kicked the tower block Mikey had just built.

Blocks went flying.

Startled, Ghost jumped up with awoofand then nosed the back of Cameron’s neck, making sure all was well.

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