CHAPTER Thirty Three
With the discovery of Becky Daniel’s body, Ross’s disturbing dream was back in the forefront of his mind, and it was time he and Camille had a serious talk, especially since Camille was already in the thick of this new investigation.
“I just can’t believe Simpson followed us here.” Ross had no idea how he was going to just casually bring up his dream. He didn’t want to scare Camille any more than she already was, but he also knew she needed to be extra careful.
“He’s getting sloppy. He’s getting too bold. It’s just a matter of time,” Camille replied. “There’s no way he had time to stalk her. He just found her and killed her. That’s sloppy. That’s why he’ll get caught.”
“Yes, but now that he’s killed again, I think his target will be us, or, more specifically …” Ross hesitated, “ … you.”
“I must admit, seeing him in the resale shop freaked me out.”
“Leaving that girl’s body just a few miles from here was no accident. He knows where we are,” Ross said. There was a slight crack in his voice that did not go unnoticed. Camille could tell Ross was genuinely spooked, and she wondered if there was something else he wasn’t telling her.
“Yes, but we’re onto him. He no longer has the upper hand.”
This was it. This was the time. Ross had no choice. He needed to tell her what was on his mind for her own safety. Something deep inside him told Ross that his dream was significant. There was no way to ease into his dark vision, so Ross just began with the details.
“I had a dream that you were dead, and I kept seeing your body being dragged into the woods away from me. I couldn’t get to you. This is why I was so freaked out when I couldn’t find you at the party.” Ross took a deep breath. He already felt better getting his words out into the open.
Camille saw the intensity on Ross’s face and felt the desperation in his voice.
Now she understood why he had been so quiet and clingy the past couple of days.
This vulnerability was not like Ross at all, and Camille went to him and wrapped her arms around his neck.
Doing her best to satisfy his fears, she hugged him tightly before responding.
“Ross, I know this is dangerous work, but even if we wanted out, we couldn’t get away from it. We just need to stick together.”
Ross loved her fearless nature, but he hated that she refused to see just how real this shit was. Knowing he had no control over her decisions and that there was no way she was backing off, Ross conceded. But, he was going to be extra careful and keep a close eye on her.
“So, what’s our next move?”
“I’m not law enforcement. I’m an investigator. We have to go to the authorities and tell them everything, especially that Shane Simpson followed us here and that he should be the number one suspect in the Daniel girl’s murder.”
“I love that idea!” Ross said. He was already feeling better, knowing that Camille would be safer if they involved the police. “Let’s go right now!”
Camille smiled and kissed him on the cheek. This was the first smile she had seen on Ross’s face for a couple of days.
“Okay,” she agreed. “Let’s go now so we’ll be home to at least help with happy hour. I’ll tell Mom we probably won’t be back for the lunch crowd. I’ll be right back.”
Ross felt as if a huge weight had been lifted from his chest. His dream seemed so real, and he was terrified Camille would go rogue trying to find Simpson.
If that happened, he was convinced that his nightmare would play out in real life.
Although he felt better, Ross was still consumed by the realization that running away was not a permanent solution.
Camille was right. There was no way they could escape dealing with Shane.
The best thing he could do was help make sure Simpson was captured as soon as possible.
Involving the police was a great step in the right direction.
Oddly, when they arrived at the police station, they saw Ike sitting in the lobby.
The last time Camille saw him was in the hospital at the lake.
Seeing him now, she felt a little guilty that once she and Ross fled the Ozarks, she didn’t give Ike a second thought.
She guessed that she should have figured she would eventually run into him if she stayed in Cobden.
But seeing him in the police station puzzled her.
“Ike? What are you doing here?” she asked.
“Oh, hey!” Ike replied. “They called me in to ask me about my ordeal with Shane Simpson at the lake. I’ve already given my statement. I was just getting ready to leave. Did they call you in, too?”
“No, we just felt like we should come,” Camille answered.
“Well, they were probably getting ready to call you in anyway,” Ike responded.
Camille chose not to tell Ike she saw Shane in the resale shop in Mt. Vernon. She knew he had been through a lot and didn’t want to worry him.
“You’re looking good, Ike,” Ross added, extending his hand for a friendly greeting. Both he and Camille noticed most of Ike’s wounds were now healed, except the prominent scar down his forearm from Simpson’s hunting knife.
“Yeah, I feel pretty good too,” Ike replied. “I’ve been wanting to make it by the brewery, so maybe I’ll stop by sometime soon.”
“Yeah, that would be great,” Camille answered. “I know my folks would like to see you. My mom was panicked when I told her what happened.”
“Okay, then. I’ll be by sometime,” Ike said, nodding and heading out the door.
“That was a little awkward,” Camille admitted.
Before Ross could reply, an officer came out and addressed them. When he discovered who they were, he was definitely intrigued. “Great! I was going to call you soon. You saved me the trouble.”
After Ross and Camille unloaded all the details, the officer explained that the feds were on their way and would take over Becky Daniel’s case, since Shane Simpson was the prime suspect.
Almost on cue, two federal agents walked in and introduced themselves. Agent Brawn and Agent Younger had been gathering details about the Lake of the Ozarks murders for the past week, and when the Becky Daniel case popped up, they hightailed it to Southern Illinois.
“We understand that Simpson has quite the vendetta against the two of you.” Agent Brawn was primed for Camille’s and Ross’s statements and was seriously ready to take notes.
“Well, I complicated his life by going public with damaging evidence from a key witness. He’s a little pissed off,” Camille explained.
“We have a proposal.” Agent Younger looked like he had a secret he was dying to tell. “As is, you are in danger, Ms. Hargrove. And you as well,” he said, motioning toward Ross.
“If we do this, we could protect you and make sure everything is controlled …” But before Agent Brawn could finish her idea, Ross piped up. “Oh no! She’s not going to be bait for that sick bastard.”
“Hear us out, Mr. Paine. Please.” Agent Younger hoped Ross would at least give them a chance.
Ross was skeptical and pacing, but he stopped protesting and listened as Agent Brawn continued.
“Right now, the two of you are sitting ducks, not knowing when Simpson will strike. If we try to set him up and lure him out, we have the luxury of making him fit our timeline, and then we catch him and put him away. Nothing is going to happen to you, Ms. Hargrove.”
Camille loved the idea, but she could feel Ross’s agitation. Still, this was a perfect solution to their problem, and Camille knew she was going for it. She would have to deal with Ross later.
“I love the idea,” she answered enthusiastically.
“What?” Ross was disgusted and shook his head. “Camille, this is crazy.”
“Ross, he’s right. If we do this, we turn the power dynamic, and we force Simpson’s hand. We’re no longer sitting ducks. The way it is now, he has control. He’s calling the shots.”
Ross had to admit she made a decent point. “When would this go down?” Ross asked.
“The sooner the better. In a couple of days, ideally. We want Friday, but it’s up to you,” Agent Younger answered.
“That’s too soon,” Ross argued.
Camille understood his concern, but Ross was just getting annoying now. “It’s not too soon to have this whole mess over with. That’s what we want, right? We do this thing Friday, or as soon as possible, and we’re rid of Shane Simpson, and the world is a little safer.”
Ross could hear the conviction in Camille’s voice. His objections were futile, and instead of getting mad, he decided to give in. There was no changing her mind anyway.
“We need a plan,” he said, conceding. “We need one fucking great plan!” Over the next hour, the agents prepped Camille and made a detailed sketch for Shane Simpson’s take-down. Ross, who was skeptical at first, ended up being quite impressed with the final result.
And so, it was all worked out. Friday was the day Camille and Ross would face the most ruthless man they had ever known.
They would do their part to trick him into coming out of hiding, and the feds would be there to bust him for the wake of bodies he’d left behind.
Finally, this horrific experience was about over.
All Camille could think of was getting Shane Simpson behind bars so she and Ross could begin a normal life together.
If this sting with the feds went down as planned, Friday would be the day.