Chapter 21 #2
Rafe looked grim. “That may be the reason why your room was broken into at the motel, Ally. Someone was looking for the bears they thought you had.”
“I’m going with you.” As he started to protest, she smiled sweetly. “I’m in this all the way, Rafe.”
He gave her a level look. “Even if we find out your sister is involved?”
Allison swallowed past the fear rising in her throat. “As long as I find her and she’s still alive. And safe.”
His expression tightened. “Fine. Follow my lead and do exactly as I say, or I swear, for your own good, I’ll drive you to the nearest gas station and make you wait there.”
“I promise,” she said.
As she dismounted, Allison had a bad feeling. Empty parking lot.
All the window shades were pulled down. The bar looked deserted. Yet they had been here earlier today and Raine said the place was open for lunch.
He caught her arm. “You’re staying here. Raine may be armed.”
She noticed the handgun at his waist. Allison bristled. “I’m going with you, Rafe. You’re not doing this alone.”
Another motorcycle pulled into the parking lot. The rider dismounted and pulled off his helmet. Sam.
“I’m with you,” Sam said
She and Rafe exchanged glances. “How did you...?” Rafe began.
“Jase called me and thought you’d need backup until the other agents could get here. He told me where you were going.”
Sam gave her a level look. “Stay here, Allison.”
They both looked menacing and serious, but she was in this all the way. “I’m going in. I’ll be behind you, but you can’t stop me.”
Ever the cowboy, Sam muttered, “Yeehaw. Do you have any idea what fentanyl does, even a little dust?”
“You need to minimize skin contact if investigating a possible case of fentanyl.”
“It doesn’t get absorbed through the skin,” Sam countered.
Allison rolled her eyes. “You’re not likely to get sick from it touching your skin, but if you touch it, you need to wash your hands immediately.
Don’t rub your eyes or nose or mouth to avoid getting it into your mucus membranes.
Dust can be dangerous as well. Even tiny amounts may become airborne.
Always better as a first responder not to take chances. ”
She fished three N95 masks out of her backpack and handed two to each of them. “Here. I always travel with extras. They aren’t as efficient as respirators but offer some protection at least.”
Rafe studied the pack. “What else do you have in there, Mary Poppins? Got any Narcan?”
“Naloxone in my first aid kit.”
When he and Sam exchanged puzzled looks, she bristled. “I’m a traveling trauma nurse. When you’ve seen as much crap as I have, you learn to pack drugs that can treat overdoses. Especially going to a large event like this, chances are it might be needed.”
Rafe’s gaze narrowed, but he nodded.
They took the masks, but put them into their pockets. Allison did the same. Maybe it wasn’t fentanyl in those bears. Maybe it was a one-time deal.
She hoped. Surely her sister couldn’t be involved in any of this, either.
“Stay behind us,” Rafe told her again, this time his voice deep and stern.
Right. As if I’d listen to you. If this jerk is holding my sister prisoner for some reason, I’m headed inside.
They headed for the entrance. The door opened to a dimly-lit interior. It was quiet inside. Too quiet.
Allison’s breath hitched. She had a bad feeling about this.
Silence greeted them as they advanced into the bar. Her nose wrinkled at the stench of sour beer and old food. And Di had eaten here?
Maybe she should check the hospitals again, see if Di was laid up with a virulent case of food poisoning.
Before she saw it, Allison knew. She’d dealt with enough death and blood to know exactly what they would find.
The bar’s interior was dark, but enough sunshine poked through the slanted window blinds. Sam went to a dirt-riddled light switch on the wall and flipped it on.
Blood splattered the cardboard box where Allison had spotted the tan teddy bears. Lying next to it was Andrew Raine, the bar’s proprietor. Blood pooled near his body, a round hole piercing his forehead. His eyes stared sightlessly at the worn ceiling tiles.
She licked her lips. “Guess we won’t need that Narcan in my pack.”
Automatically she crouched down to check for a pulse. Rafe grabbed her hand. “I’m wearing gloves. I’ll do it.”
When he straightened, he shook his head.
Sam was already speeding to the hallway. He returned with a frown. “Nothing. But the office is a mess as if someone went through it, looking for something, and the cash box is open, with nothing inside.”
Rafe peered into the box. “The bears are missing as well. The open cash box may be a decoy to convince the police that this was a robbery gone wrong.”
“We have to call the cops,” Allison insisted.
Sam and Rafe exchanged glances. “Yeah,” Rafe said, holstering his gun. “But not here. And we can’t risk getting involved, not right now. Let the local cops handle it.”
“I don’t understand. You can’t tell them you found the body?”
He gave her an even look. “Ally, there’s too much at stake here. Your sister is missing. We think some of the bears transported for the run contain drugs. Until we know we can trust the local police, we can’t risk getting involved.”
Outside, Sam made a call to 911, telling the dispatcher something was off about The Dive Bar and the police should check it out.
They left on the motorcycles. But instead of riding back to the cabin, Rafe and Sam pulled into the parking lot of a grocery store. They parked far from other vehicles.
Rafe palmed his cell phone. “Signal’s strong here. I need to make a few calls.”
He walked away. When he returned, the grim set of his jaw warned it hadn’t gone well. She didn’t ask.
“I have sandwiches and cold drinks at the cabin. Late lunch?” she asked them.
Sam nodded. Rafe seemed distracted.
Back at the cabin, Allison told the guys to sit while she rustled out three cold sodas and made ham sandwiches. They ate on the deck.
“I checked with a guy I know who knows the town well. Raine owed money. Could be a reason why someone killed him,” Rafe told them.
“So we’re no closer to finding my sister than we were before,” she mused aloud.
“But you’re in the clear to keep your investigation under wraps.” She started to see the threads holding all this together.
“It’s best not to involve the police until it’s absolutely necessary. I don’t know the locals. Right now the local LEOs could think it was a hit because the guy owed money, which is a good thing,” Rafe said.
Allison’s stomach churned. “And that’s good how? Di is still missing.”
Sam polished off his sandwich in four quick bites. “If the locals get involved, they could blow everything wide, even if they don’t call the media. We’ll bring them in when the time is right.”
“Which is a matter that requires delicacy,” Rafe muttered. “I’m good at diplomacy, but I’ve been ordered by my supervisor to stand down and let the task force investigate this new lead.”
Sam and Allison stared at him. “Rafe, you’re the lead agent on this,” Sam protested.
“Tell me about it. If this case is linked to Hernandez, and I’m certain it is, I’m the one who needs to bring him down.”
He was single-minded in his pursuit of Hernandez. Her temper began to rise. What about her sister? Diana was innocent and still missing.
She took a long pull of soda. “I don’t care about your damn investigation, Rafael. I care about finding my sister. Every minute we’re sitting here means she could be in horrible danger.”
Rafe set his plate down on the side table and turned to her. “Ally, I still think Diana is involved in all this somehow. Either intentionally or unintentionally. There’re too many coincidences.”
“That’s your answer? My sister is still under suspicion? Terrific. Paul is getting here tomorrow. Maybe he’ll have answers since you can’t provide any.”
She expected anger, chastisement, not the guarded look on his face. He glanced at Sam.
“Can you give us a minute?”
The other man nodded. “Think I’ll head into town, check on things. I plan to still ride in the Teddy Bear Run, unless you need me elsewhere. Thank you for the sandwich and soda, Ally.”
Rafe glanced at his cell. “It’s nearly one thirty.
Sam, get your bear and ride into town for the photo op at three.
When the bears are dropped off, I need you to see if any are tan or if all of them are dark brown.
Coordinate with Chuck, who’s arranging for the bears to be picked up at all the drop points.
If any of the tan bears are still around.
..leave them, but put surveillance on how they’re picking them up and who is transporting. ”
“Got it. I’ll be in touch.” He walked off, then roared off on his motorcycle.
Rafe turned to her. “Tell me exactly what Paul said and when he’s arriving.”
She debated telling him. Would it be another reason to deter him from helping to find her sister?
“Ally, you have to trust me on this. You’re a professional and so am I. I trusted you with my tita to save her life, now I’m asking you to trust me. What did Paul say?”
She sighed. He was right.
“He’s worried. Really worried. He planned to fly up Sunday and changed his flight to earlier. Tonight. He and Di were getting married Sunday. Eloping. Di still wanted a big party for the wedding.
“Paul said he never wanted the wedding at his uncle’s house.
Tried to talk Di out of it, but she wanted a huge, extravagant wedding.
” Allison blew out a breath. “Paul had been estranged from his uncle until the day Hector discovered he was marrying and insisted on paying for everything. Paul was going to refuse, but Di insisted.”
Standing up, he began to pace. “I need to talk to Paul. Give me his number.”
“I thought you were ordered to stay out of the investigation.”
“I am staying out. I need to question Paul about where he thinks Diana may have fled.”
Allison’s heart fluttered. “So you’re not going to abandon the search for my sister?”