Chapter 18
SARGE
“Are the handcuffs really necessary?” I asked calmly. An instant later, the agent slammed me against the side of his vehicle and wrenched my arm behind my back. “I promise I’ll be a good boy. I’ll even pinky swear.”
“I told you that crooked lawyer couldn’t get that ticket dismissed, Graham!
” Ma shouted. I bit my lip to keep from laughing at her worried tone.
It made her sound helpless and oblivious at the same time, and anyone who knew Ma would struggle to keep a straight face at the thought of either word applying to her.
“He won’t speed on that road again, officer! I’ll make sure of it!”
“That’s a complete lie. Everyone knows the speed limit on that stretch of road is bullshit,” I said as I frowned over my shoulder at the agent. “You probably went at least ten over getting here too.”
“You and I both know this isn’t about a speeding ticket.”
“Actually, I’m not sure why you’ve come onto my property and decided to cuff me, so I’d appreciate it if you’d clue me in.”
“Is this because of the well you were going to dig? I told you we’d need more than just the equipment you were using!” Ma yelled.
The agent behind me tensed. With a loud sigh, I let my head fall forward, thumping it against the SUV window.
“Isn’t that interesting, Mr. Brick?” the agent asked. “I’m sure you’ve already got plenty of water on this farm, so why would you be trying to dig a new well?
“I was thirsty, so it seemed like the thing to do.”
“Hey! Why the hell do you want me in cuffs?” Duke yelled. “Alright! Fine! You don’t have to be rude about it. Shit, man!”
I glanced over my shoulder and scowled at the agent walking Starla toward the third SUV. I was terrified she’d hate me for dragging her into this, but I wasn’t worried about her telling tales. She wouldn’t give the feds more than they already had.
Truthfully, I was just as curious about what they had on me as Starla had to be, considering there wasn’t a shred of evidence of a crime on the Brick property.
There had to be a reason they'd brought in the cavalry, but I couldn’t imagine what they thought they had, especially since my brothers had made sure no one followed them when they brought Lurk in that night.
Then it hit me that I was in cuffs again, and my heart started to race. I knew Starla and Duke had to be feeling the same way, and I was grateful Frog and Lurk had managed to get away–or had they?
◆◆◆
STARLA
“I have never met that person,” I said again, staring down at yet another picture of some thug who probably deserved whatever had happened to him. “I have no idea who that is.”
“When did you move to Leavenworth?”
“It’s been about two months.”
“Be more specific,” the agent ordered. They were clearly trying to play good cop and bad cop, but right now they were both vying for Asshole of the Year.
“Am I under arrest?” I asked.
“You’re here for questioning, Miss Ready.”
“Obviously, because you’ve been asking me the same questions over and over. So it’s my turn to ask one. Am. I. Under. Arrest?”
“Obviously, as a twice-convicted felon, you understand the difference between being brought in for questioning and being taken into custody.”
“Yes, I do, and that’s why I’m leaving now,” I said as I stood. I pushed my chair back under the table and smiled at both agents. “If you think of any other questions you’d like to ask, I’ll make sure to have a lawyer on standby so they can be present.
You know, since I’m a two-time convicted felon and all.”
“If you keep associating with riff-raff like Graham Brick and his friends, you’ll soon become a three -time convicted felon,” the agent boasted.
“Respectfully, you have no idea what the fuck you’re talking about, sir. I’ve been considered riff-raff all my life, but when I’m with the Brick family, I’m just a regular person doing a regular job, surrounded by a regular, hardworking, family.”
“I guess we’ll see about that, won’t we?”
“You’ve really gotta work on your approach, you two, because I can’t figure out which of you is the bigger asshole. The good cop, bad cop routine isn’t really working for you.”
“When we find out you were involved in the murder and disposal of four men, it won’t matter who is good or bad, because you’ll spend the rest of your life in prison.”
“Good luck with that, buddy.”
◆◆◆
When I walked outside, I was surprised to see it was still early evening. The sun hovered just over the horizon, and it would stay light for at least an hour, maybe more. That was good news, considering I was about to walk home.
I’d been out of prison long enough to develop the phone habit everyone else had, and I was rarely without mine. However, most people weren’t cuffed and stuffed into a nondescript SUV by federal officers while sitting on the porch snapping green beans after dinner.
Not that it was a competition, but I’d have to tell my friends about this so we could all reminisce about old times that we’d rather forget. Incidents like this dragged those memories right back to the forefront, especially for people like us.
And now, since my phone was probably still sitting beside the bowls on the porch, I had to hoof it home because I couldn’t tell you a single person’s number. Not one. Hell, at this point I was so flustered I wasn’t sure I could even remember my own.
I was two blocks away from the unassuming building I’d wondered about every time I passed it when I heard a motorcycle in the distance.
I’d been with Sarge long enough to recognize the rumble of his pipes.
It didn’t make sense, though, since he was probably still being grilled by his own version of Dumb and Dumber.
But when the bike got closer, I recognized the rider. He barely had time to stop at the curb before I hopped onto the back. Without a word, he tore off toward the farm.
It wasn’t just the farm anymore. It was my home. A home I was willing to fight tooth and nail for–and it was under attack, whether warranted or not.
I might be wrong, but I blamed this entire mess on Fabiella.
My intuition insisted that she was somehow behind this, or at least the catalyst that caused the feds to look Sarge’s way.
If I found out that was true, Sarge’s ex might just end up in the same place those four bodies had. I’d make sure of it.
When we pulled up in front of the house, Ma sat on the steps snapping beans with Sarge’s three sons along with his brothers.
The number of Gators in the yard told me the entire family had descended on Ma’s house.
I wondered what had happened while I was gone.
I knew I’d get more information from Sarge’s sisters-in-law than I ever would from Ma, so I kissed her cheek and made a quick excuse to go inside while Lurk sped away on Sarge’s motorcycle.
I should have known I wouldn’t make it past her so easily.
“Are you okay, Starla?”
“I’m fine, Ma.”
“It hurt my heart to see them take you away for something you had no control over.”
“Let’s be honest, Ma. Whatever happened–if something even did happen–if Sarge was part of it, I wouldn’t have hesitated to jump in if I thought he was doing the right thing.”
“I know that, but it couldn’t have been easy letting them take you away like that.”
“I learned early on that when someone with a badge tells you to put your hands behind your back, it’s best not to argue. A smart person leaves that to their lawyer.”
“Do you need a lawyer?” Bill asked.
“I might. They didn’t officially arrest me, they just took me in for questioning. I’m not sure what Sarge and Duke’s status is right now, and I’m assuming that since my chauffeur took off quick, fast, and in a hurry, he’s not sure of his own either.”
“Good assumption,” Ma mumbled beside me.
“Are you going to tell me what’s happening?” I asked. When Ma shook her head, I said, “That’s why I’m going inside.”
Ma laughed before she said, “If you find out anything I don’t know, bring the details back to me.”
“To do that, you’d have to tell me what you know.”
“Not a chance, sweetheart.”
“That’s what I thought.”
When I walked into the house the rest of the Brick women were waiting for me.
Each one hugged me and asked questions at the same time.
I’d experienced what a true family felt like the first time I came to live with the Bricks, and I’d missed it since the state took me away.
But now, here I was, standing in a house filled with such fond memories, welcomed with open arms despite the stink of federal suspicion hanging over me.
“What did they ask you?”
“Did they say anything about Sarge?”
“Why do they think he had anything to do with . . . what do they think he did anyway?”
“Do they think he’s the one that robbed the convenience store on Prosper? I thought they already found that guy!”
“Does it have something to do with his club?”
“It might, otherwise why would they take Duke too?”
“Where are Sarge’s other two friends?”
The questions came so fast I couldn’t keep track of who asked what or which ones I should answer first. Finally, I asked one myself. “Have any of you called your friends in town and asked what’s going on?” When the room went silent, I suggested, “Do that first, and then we’ll compare notes.”
◆◆◆
I was listening to the sounds of the night when I heard the screen door open. Ma’s slippers padded softly across the porch, Ruckus’ nails clicking beside her, before she asked, “You couldn’t sleep without him beside you, could you?”
I looked over my shoulder and smiled as she stepped outside in her bathrobe with her coffee mug in hand. “And you couldn’t sleep because you know where he is.”