Page 67 of High Density

Then she appears to pull herself together, sitting up straighter and squaring her shoulders.

“I know it’s late,” she starts, “but tonight’s developments blow this case wide open, and we are in a hurry to piece it together. As soon as word gets out, the rest of the players along this drug pipeline will be scrambling to cover their tracks. That’ll make it so much harder—if not impossible—to wrap up this case. I need to know exactly what happened, and what was said.”

“I’m guessing Mackey is not talking?” JD asks.

“Nothing useful so far,” the agent admits, focusing on JD. “But since you bring up Mackey, you wouldn’t happen to knowhow his face came to look like someone used it as a punching bag, do you?”

JD quietly stares her down for a moment before holding out his hands, showing her both sides. There are no marks, nor is any swelling visible as you might expect, given the beating Mackey received.

Stephanie nods. “I had to ask. The only thing he was willing to talk about was how you assaulted him.”

“Mackey already looked like that when he approached me in the barn,” I defend JD.

I shoot a glance at him, noting the tension in the careful way he holds himself. I vaguely recall him kicking at Mackey, but that was mild compared to what I might’ve been tempted to inflict on the man, had I not been hurt myself. Not so much for Mackey’s actions tonight, but for the despicable way he treats animals. It’s no wonder poor Red had been trembling in his stall; I’m willing to bet that had more to do with his fear of his former owner than of thunderstorms.

“Why don’t you tell me how that came about?” Special Agent Kramer smoothly redirects her focus.

I try to relay events to the best of my recollection. Every so often she asks for clarification or poses a question that triggers my memory. She’s particularly interested in everything Mackey said, and I try my best to remember the exact words he used.

JD ends up adding his perspective once I get to the part where I thought I heard him driving up to the barn. I wasn’t aware it was actually Jackson who showed up first. Something I’m very grateful for, since he was able to alert JD before Mackey took a potshot at him as well, and maybe not missing that time.

He finally takes over, recounting everything happening outside the barn I hadn’t been privy to, and what happened in those final moments after Mackey shot me.

“Is this not a good time?” Ama says as she pokes her head around the door.

I’d almost forgotten she promised to be back.

“It’s fine,” Stephanie is the one to respond, as she gets to her feet. “I have everything I need for now and should get going. You two should get some rest with your matching concussions.”

She pauses at the door, waiting for Ama to pass her inside, before adding, “I’ll be in touch.”

“Matching concussions?” Ama asks, looking pointedly at her son as she sets down a large cooler and a bag on the floor by the window.

“I got knocked over the head earlier this week,” he clarifies.

“That was only yesterday,” I correct him, glancing at the clock over the door that shows a few minutes before midnight.

“No one told me about that,” Ama grumbles.

“I’m fine, Ma. Just a couple of stitches.”

His mother huffs audibly. “Just like your father. You Watike men all think you’re invincible.”

JD glances at me, his dark eyes amused. He doesn’t respond, which would seem wise in my humble opinion.

Ama asks me what the outcome of the surgeon’s visit was so I fill her in, as she opens the cooler and pulls out two containers. She hands me one of them and the smell of rich spices wafting up has my mouth water.

“Tortilla pie. Quick and not too heavy. Eat.”

She shoves a fork in my hand before giving JD the other container.

“Iced tea and bottled water in the cooler, and I’ve packed some clean clothes for both of you.”

“You didn’t have to go to all the trouble, Ama.”

She turns to look at me sternly. “It’s what I do. Now I’ll be able to sleep.” Then she drops my keys on the bedside table.“Jackson asked me to let you know he’ll stay at your house and look after your animals.”

“I appreciate that, and thank you.”

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