Chapter 4
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On the drive back to the farm in midafternoon, Joe was upbeat. When he arrived at the entrance, he tried hard not to check out Scarlet’s place, but as usual his eyes drifted across the road.
He stopped the car. She was poetry in motion as she sat astride Stanley and galloped around the property with that flaming red hair blowing free in the wind.
If he concentrated real hard, he could feel its silkiness on his fingers. So caught up in that, he didn’t realize she was coming toward him.
He looked up at her. “Hi.”
“Hi. I saw you stop.”
“I was watching you.”
“I know. I could feel it.”
“Damn it, Scarlet.”
“Yeah, I cursed for a full five minutes while I was riding.” She arched a brow. “My language was more colorful than yours.”
She moved the horse back a few feet and dismounted. She looked cute in stirrup pants, a white blouse and a red vest.
He got out of the car.
“Did Seth get off to school?”
“Yeah. Third grade. How did that happen?”
“I’ll bet it was hard for you.”
“Every single year it is. I love that little tyke.”
“Me, too.” Her eyes widened. “I shouldn’t have said that.”
“No, it’s fine.” He turned and leaned into the car. When he pulled back out, he handed her the box.
“What’s this?”
“I went to the farm market co-op I’m planning to join. It was for sale at a booth, your favorite, chocolate walnut fudge.”
“Joe.”
“I tried not to buy it.” He shrugged. “I failed.”
“We shouldn’t be seen together.”
“I know. I miss you so much.”
Before she started to cry, she stepped back. “We’ll be better about casual meetings. Hopefully, if we’re being spied on now, this’ll seem casual.” With that, she hiked herself up on the horse and rode away.
Scarlet breathed in and out to calm herself as she put distance between them. But it wasn’t easy. Finally, though, she was able to blank her mind. When she returned to her barn, she dismounted in front of it.
Roman came around the side. “Scarlet, we had something happen.”
“Tell me.”
“A guy came here asking for you. He wanted to know if Stanley was for sale.”
“What? Of course he isn’t.”
“He didn’t say he knew you. In fact, he was really odd.”
“What did he look like?”
“Dark hair. Blue eyes. A funny color. Dressed in a suit, cowboy boots and hat. But instead of a string tie, he had this odd medallion on him.”
“You seem worried.”
“I am. I’d like you to meet with the investigator who’s in charge of the happenings at the collective. It’s why you’re here.”
“Sure, I’ll meet with him.”
“I’ll call the other members to come out.”
“Let me know when you want me again.”
“Thanks, Roman.”
“I’d do a lot more for you if you’d let me.”
She faked a smile and went into the house.
* * *
Captain Jeff Marshall was spinning his wheels.
Nothing bad had taken place at the collective for three weeks and the investigation had stalled.
But now Scarlet Smith had an issue and since her horse was tranqued, he took her call seriously and requested all the practitioners to come to her farm after work.
He drove up to the property and parked in front next to her sporty yellow Camero—he made a point to know what cars they all drove. He got out and shaded his eyes against the bright sun. This was some spread she’d inherited from her grandfather, entrepreneur Henson Smith.
Another car pulled in next to his. Juliet Sullivan got out of her SUV, looking like a delicate flower in a yellow dress. Her hair fell down her back. She was the easiest to like and he had an unexpected urge to protect her.
“Hi, Captain Marshall.”
“Hi, Juliet. And it’s Jeff, remember.”
“Of course.” She turned when a Prius swerved in. “The guys are here.”
Finn and Oliver exited the car. These two were the closest of the group.
Scarlet came out and called to them. “Come on in.”
Jeff just reached the door when Heath arrived. His vehicle, of course, was a luxury black Lexus.
He trundled up the steps.
They went in through the foyer and into the living room. The home was lavish, worthy of a billionaire.
Heath said, “Hey everybody.”
They greeted him and Jeff.
“Bottled water’s over there at the bar,” Scarlet said. “If you want a cocktail, help yourself.”
Jeff would love a stiff Scotch but of course he couldn’t indulge. Heath poured a whiskey and the rest chose water. “So, Scarlet, you called the meeting. Why?”
“I hope I’m not overreacting, because this might not mean anything, but it was odd and hasn’t happened before.
A guy drove up here and asked one of the guards I hired, Roman Krause from Kirland Security, if I was selling Stanley.
Roman said he was dressed up as a cowboy.
He looked weird. Acted arrogant. And he wore an odd medallion. ”
Juliet gasped.
“What?” Jeff asked.
“Someone new came to my yoga class and acted strangely. He had odd eyes. And he wore a medallion, too. I told him he couldn’t have it on in class and he said, “You’ll never see this again.”
“Why didn’t you call me?” Jeff asked.
“It seemed like nothing.”
“Scarlet, can you phone Krause and ask him to come here?”
She clicked into her cell. While they waited for the guard, Jeff asked Juliet what the man looked like.
“Blonde hair. Expensive outfit. An average body, I guess. As I said, he had odd green eyes.”
When there was a knock on the door, Scarlet answered and walked in with Krause. “Hi, all. What’s up?”
“First, do you know Captain Marshall?”
“Yes, through my job.”
Scarlet added, “He’s in charge of our investigation. The FBI is helping out too. Where are they, by the way?”
“On standby and doing some investigation under the radar.” Jeff greeted the guard. Roman dropped down into a chair.
“We understand Scarlet had a visitor while she was out.” He reiterated what Scarlet had told him about the man. “Can you describe him in more detail for us?”
“Sure. He had a lot of brown hair and blue eyes, but a funny blue. And the medallion was odd.”
“The physical descriptions don’t match. But anybody can create a disguise. Did you get the make, model and license plate of the car?”
“I did. I’ll give it to you. But I already called my contacts and found out it was a rental.”
“Damn it,” Heath said.
The tension in the room was palpable.
“We have the medallion,” Juliet put in, probably trying to be optimistic for the others. “That’s a lead, right?”
Jeff cocked his head. “I guess it’s as good of a clue as anything we’ve had so far.”
Heath asked, “Why would he let everybody see the thing if it was important?”
“Thrills, I’d guess.” Jeff thought for a second. “We’ll have you two describe it for a sketch artist. Then I’ll send it to the FBI.”
“Juliet’s an artist,” Finn said. “An excellent one. Could you sketch it with Roman’s input?”
“Yeah, sure.”
Scarlet got up, went to a desk, drew out a couple sheets of paper and a pencil and handed them to Juliet. Finn rose so Roman could sit next to her.
Juliet smiled. “Let me get down what I remember and then give me your input.”
“Let’s do it.”
Brows furrowed, she sketched the medallion.
After ten minutes, while the others made small talk, she asked Roman for input.
He had helpful suggestions as he was a trained observer.
When they finished, Juliet held up the drawing for them all to see.
The base was made of heavy gold. A snake’s tail functioned as the hook to the chain, then its body slithered down from top to bottom.
Other elements consisted of a small sun icon at the top, a diamond in the middle and a triangle at the left bottom.
“Holy shit,” Heath said. “It seems threatening to me.” That Heath was so vocal about his concern was a big deal. He was usually calm and rational.
“It gives me the creeps.” This from Daisy.
Finn had taken out his phone. “I’ve got something. I clicked into the meaning of a snake medallion. This website says snake medallions carry diverse and powerful meanings across various cultures and throughout history. Most common among them are transformation, rebirth, immortality and protection.”
Heath frowned. “So it’s not as threatening as it appears?”
“That depends,” Jeff said. “If it’s associated with a group, the wearer might see he has protection from the forces of good.”
Heath added, “Especially if it’s associated with the Dark Web.”
“What’s that?” Juliet asked.
“A hidden, encrypted part of the internet requiring special software to access. It’s known for its anonymity and used for illicit purposes and the circumvention of censorship.”
“How the hell do you know about the site?” Jeff asked.
“I read a lot. From what I can tell that place is dangerous.”
Finn said. “I hope you haven’t been there.”
“I haven’t.”
“The FBI will know a lot about the Dark Web, if it did come from there.”
That news deflated all of them. “Hell,” Oliver finally spoke up. “What are we up against? And why?”
* * *
The next morning, Oliver picked up Finn at his home on the canal because his car was in for repairs. When his friend got inside, Oliver said, “I envy you.”
“Does Anabelle know you covet my wife?” Finn was trying to keep things light.
“No. But she knows I covet this place. I love it out here.”
“There’s always property for sale on the canal. Why are you hesitating?”
“Anabelle loves her home. Our home. The canal’s further from the hospital and the preschool she wants the girls to go to when they’re ready.”
“Can you afford a second home?” Finn asked.
“I think so. Maybe that’s the answer.”
They drove for a while. “I dread work these days,” Finn admitted. We have to go in pairs or threes. We never know if something bad is going to happen.”
Oliver sighed. “I feel you. But what’s the choice? I’m not letting some bastard scare me away.”
“I guess. How many sessions do you have today?”
“Four. You?”
“Five. At least we’ll be busy.”
They swerved into the collective’s parking lot. Heath was sitting in his car and got out when they parked. The guards were in place, too.