Chapter 14
“What are you trying to say?” Myrna stared at him in confusion. “What does my job have to do with the reason Randy beat me, and Gus stole Sally?”
“Hear me out,” Pedro said as he rose to his feet and paced before the couch. “Correct me if I’m wrong at any point, please. I might be grasping at straws, but it’s all we have right now.”
“I’m listening.”
“Again, correct me if I’m wrong, but don’t Randy and Gus own and operate a garage? Or something to do with cars? Specifically, automobile parts?”
“Yes. What about it?”
“What if Randy hooked up with you because of your job? I’m not saying that you’re not a great catch, you are, and I’m happy with what we have now, but I’m going to take it deeper once this threat hanging over your head is gone. How did you meet Randy?”
She frowned as she looked off into space, then looked at him in shock. “Grocery shopping. His cart hit mine, and he apologized, then he was in every aisle I was in. He joked that we had to stop meeting like that. I laughed it off, walked around him, and finished my shopping. Huh.”
“What?”
“It took three months of us meeting in the grocery store before he asked me out the first time. Another two before I agreed.”
“Just the grocery store?”
“Yes, I worked and spent time with Sally. The grocery store was located at one end of a gigantic parking lot, the other end held the store where I purchased her feed, tack, and anything else I needed to keep Sally.”
“Okay, again, I don’t blame him for targeting you, you’re a beautiful woman, but the clear question is, why did he target you?”
“I have no clue,” Myrna said, confused.
“What if?” Pedro stopped suddenly and whipped around to stare at her in shock. “Again, hypothetical, but what if he targeted you to see if you knew anything.”
“Like what? What was I supposed to know?”
“What if he thought you inspected the outgoing packages against the paperwork. What if he and or Gus had someone at your factory stealing parts from work and those singular boxes was shipped to them?”
“Shit, and you think he targeted me because he wanted to know if I knew what was going on?”
“Like I said, it’s grasping at straws, but it could be a possibility.” He looked at her and saw her thinking. “I’m sure if we tell Agent Wilson, and whoever will be staying with us at your home can look further into it. My next question, what type of automotive parts did you sell?”
“Have you ever gone into one of those national chain stores that sells automotive parts?”
“Of course, everyone has.”
“Okay, those stores are our biggest customers. We would be like the bulk warehouse for them.”
“Ah, but there are other things you sold, right?”
“Of course, motors, doors, trunk lids, we just sent to the chain stores. People didn’t walk in off the street to get our products.”
“Wow, okay, then this makes more sense. At least it does to me.” He paced some more, then looked at her with wide eyes. “How long have you worked there?”
“Thirty years, but…” she started then looked at him with shock, and jumped to her feet and paced herself. She whipped around and ran her hands in her hair and gently pulled it, shocked by what she remembered. “Holy shit.”
“What?” Pedro walked toward her and took her hands in his to ground her. “What did you remember?”
“As I said, I worked there for thirty years, however, I was a picker from day one. For twenty-six years I walked and stood at the packing tables on concrete. Around year twenty, I started having pain in my hips. I thought it was just because I was getting older. I would take over the counter pain medication, but when that stopped helping, I finally went to my doctor. That’s when she diagnosed the arthritis.
She said that if I didn’t get off that concrete, I might be in a wheelchair by the age of sixty. ”
“Jesus, it’s that bad?”
“It was, but I can control the pain with the pills, special shoes, and watch what I do. I can ride Sally, but not for the three days I did when I took her from Gus. An hour here or there is fine.”
“Okay, so how did you go from picker to shipping clerk?”
“After what the doctor told me, I had her write it in a report. I didn’t want to quit, so I went to HR and gave them that report.
She called in the plant manager, and that’s when I learned the shipping clerk I replaced was looking at retirement.
It took a year and a half, but when he retired, I was offered the job. I took it.”
“Shit, so the previous shipping clerk might have been in on it?”
“No clue if there is even an ‘it’, and I don’t know about that. I never interacted with them. I had no need to go into that office. I got my orders from the floor manager.”
“Okay,” he said as he squeezed her hands again. They stayed silent for several minutes then he sighed heavily, and dropped her hands. “Do you think what I suggested might be a possibility?”
“I would say on a scale of one to ten, you might be at an eight. There’s only one thing that we could have the FBI look into to make it a ten.”
“What’s that?”
“If your hypothetical scenario is correct, then the FBI would have to go to that company and ask them about their inventory.”
“Why?”
“Because inventory was taken only once a year. If there were any discrepancies of what was brought in to what went out, and you add in what was already there, then your theory might hold water. I helped with inventory all thirty years, but I was never privy to the final numbers afterward. That was for the salaried members of management.”
“Ah, but you think it might be a possibility?”
“It could. I do recall that just before I took over as the shipping clerk, there were rumors flying around that something was off in the inventory.” She frowned and looked off to the side. “Shit.”
“What?”
“First, the concussion messed up with my memory. I have long-term memories, no problem, but there are some things missing from a few months before Randy’s attack on me.”
“Okay, but what did you remember?”
“Those rumors I heard might not have been rumors.”
“Why do you say that?”
“Because we had to do the inventory all over again a week later. There were different people doing it instead of us. Like upper management brought in an outside team that specialized in taking inventories. Each employee had to work with one of these people and explain exactly what we counted on inventory day.” She wrinkled her nose, and shuddered.
“Do you know how frustrating it is to count nuts, bolts, screws, and fuses?”
“I can only imagine.” He grinned and gathered her into a hug.
They stayed wrapped in each other’s arms for several minutes.
Pedro looked down at her, took her chin in his fingers, and bent his head to hers.
“If you don’t want this, let me know, and I’ll back away.
” He didn’t have a chance to say anything more because she reached up, laid her hand on the back of his neck, and brought his mouth down to hers.
Just before they kissed, she whispered, “Let’s use my bed this time.” He smiled as his lips touched hers. It was several moments before they lifted their heads, both breathing hard. He laid his forehead on hers, and smiled.
“It’s getting late, how do you feel about locking up, then going to bed?”
“Great, how do you feel about grabbing some condoms?”
“I’ll meet you in your room.” He kissed the tip of her nose, and turned on his heel to go over and double check that the front door was locked.
He entered his side of the bunktel, when she fixed the coffee machine for the next morning.
They met at the doorway to her side, and held hands as they entered her room.
Neither of them wasted any time as they went into each other’s arms before they fell onto the bed together. After they had removed their tops, Myrna paused, and rose up on her elbows to stare at him.
“Promise me something.”
“What?” He had paused to give her a cautious look.
“Don’t get pissed at me tomorrow?”
“I won’t,” he smiled. “As long as you stay put during the night.”
“As long as we’re in my bed, I won’t be moving.” She grinned. “Once we’re done, and you settle onto that mattress, you’ll understand.”
“I’ll take your word for it. All I know is that when I wake up, I want to wake up to your beautiful face.
” He put a hand on each side of her jaw, holding her gently as he bent down and kissed her.
The gentle kisses turned hot in seconds.
By the time they came up for air, they had stripped the other of their clothes, and he was poised above her, ready to enter. ”
“Are you ready?”
“Condom?”
“On.”
“Yes.”
Pedro leaned down and kissed her again, and slowly entered her, they both held their breath until he was fully seated, then they released a sigh together.
Their lovemaking felt like they were coming home to each other after a long time away.
It wasn’t hot and heavy, it was gentle and perfect.
They both had their release at the same time, and sighed in contentment.
After he took care of the condom, he climbed into the bed behind her, sighed heavily as he gathered her in his arms, and they were both asleep in seconds.
Yvonne Wilson looked over at Erin Riceman with an intense stare.
“Ask,” Erin said as she cradled her two fingers of bourbon that she had every night. “You look like you have something to say.”
Yvonne sighed as she set her glass of bourbon to the side. It was just the two of them in Erin’s office. They had dinner together, and Reid was out at the barns showing the other federal agents the horses.
“Are you hiring?”
“Come again?” Erin looked at her in shock. “Out of everything you could have asked, I never expected that. Don’t you have a great job at the FBI?”
“I do, and I wouldn’t change it for anything, however, I have about five years left before I’m replaced. I know that seems like a long way away, but I’m looking at options.” She remained silent as Erin frowned as she studied her.
“Shit, does that mean you’re going to age out?”
“Yeah, I take it that Manchester said something?”
“He did, he’s Scott’s brother-in-law, and that’s how I got to know him.” At Yvonne’s confused look, Erin smiled. “Duane’s ex is Scott’s sister.”
“Ah, I had heard that he was divorced. But like I said, I’m looking for options now.”
Erin still held onto her glass when she rose and walked over to the wall, and lifted several colored films. “Come closer,” she said, then, “Stop.”
Yvonne did, and frowned as she looked at Erin, and the entire map of Colorado. As she did, Erin explained what she owned, and with each new ranch, a colored film was lowered. With only one film left up, Erin slowly dropped it, and Yvonne looked at her in confusion.
“What’s that?”
“That is five thousand acres across the road from here.” Erin went back to her seat and pointed out the window. She told Yvonne how she had come into possession of it, and then finished her bourbon.
“He wasn’t at the meeting earlier, but I have a man, named Patrick Clemmons, he’s out going to rodeos looking for people that want to be around horses, but can’t afford the entrance fees.
The land across the street will take two years to be totally built, but I’m looking at starting a rodeo ranch.
People in the rodeo can board their animals here, come to the arena we have yet to build and practice, then I want to hire some stock contractors to breed broncs and bulls.
There’s enough room to house them on that land, in different areas of course. ”
“Of course. So, what are you saying?”
“I’m saying that when Clem finds people that we’re looking for, he’s going to call with their information. I have Duane right now, and Jake Cogburn from Brotherhood Protectors, but I have been working on a plan.”
“Which is?”
“Where Duane is my security guard here, I would like to hire someone for New Double, and for RRR.”
“What about Broken Wheel and Broken Two?”
“For Broken Wheel, you have to drive by here to get to it. There is no outside road. As for Broken Two, you have to go through a compound that has two buildings that hold our doctor’s office.
The only way to get to Broken is a complicated road of twists and turns that will take you past bunktels and cabins that are lived in. ”
“Ah, how did you come up with something like that?”
Erin grinned. “I had the idea, and Clark, my brother brought it to fruition. When he retired from the SEALs, he was a Lieutenant. He was the one that took my idea and made it into what it is now. Strategic placement, is what he called it.”
“I would love to see it in person.”
“Maybe some other time, I know you have this case with Myrna. However, to answer your question from earlier, yes. Yes, I’m looking to hire more security.
I want someone at New Double. If Clem is successful in getting people to come work for us until RRR is up and running, then there will have to be background checks made, and with someone at the entrance, there will be checks made on people coming and going.
” She looked at Yvonne with a grin. “Where Erin’s Way does studs, Broken Wheel is rehabilitated horses, RRR will be rodeo animals, and New Double deals with racehorses.
Eventually, when the horses are ready, buyers, trainers, and jockeys will be arriving to check out the horses. ”
“Okay, and what would your security person do?”
“Run background checks on the incoming rodeo people, because they will be working at New Double before they move over to RRR. Also, I’m going to want background checks done on the buyers, trainers, and jockeys.
That information will be for our records, but if there are any red flags, then it will be pointed out to Cole and Naomi. ”
“Why them?”
“I own the land, and buildings, Naomi owns the horses, and Cole is the ranch manager.” She explained how they had brought the horses to Colorado. After several minutes Erin looked at her directly.
“Yes, when you’re ready to leave the FBI, reach out. I’m not saying you won’t have to share the duties, but I am saying that the person I know who is looking to relocate here will be hired when he’s ready to quit his current job.”
“Which is?”
“Homicide detective in Seattle. He’s Caleb’s father.”
“Oh, wow, so if anything happens, you’ll have two former FBI agents, and one police detective.”
“I like to staff my ranches with people who know what they’re doing.
” They stayed silent until they called it a night.
When Yvonne settled into the guest room, she thought of everything she should start to do in order to retire with dignity, and start a new role in the near future.
She just needed to figure out what the hell was going on with Myrna’s case first before she could think of leaving.
She wanted to leave the Bureau on a high note.