“I’m not doing that.”
“Sam.”
“Come on. I know you’re fair. But will the county DA, or the judges, or a jury around here be that fair? Kez. It’s not like this tie will go to the killer’s daughter.” I can hear the arguments now. We’re the newcomers. The strangers. Lanny’s got bad influences. The Belldenes have been part of this town since before the Civil War. Tie goes to the locals.
“Sam, I’m going to do what I can, you know that. But you’ve got to bring her in and get this cleared up.”
“Can’t,” I say. “I’m not her legal guardian. Gwen’s not here right now.” I’ve never been so glad of that. They can’t interview someone Lanny’s age without a parent or legal guardian’s permission. And Gwen’s very unavailable right now. “I’ll let you know when she’s back.”
Kez sighs. “Dammit, don’t try to pull something clever. I don’t want to be looking for you too.”
She’s a good friend, Kezia. But that doesn’t mean she won’t come after me and throw my ass in jail. I know that.
“I’ll call when I get Gwen back,” I tell her. “Until then, you’re not talking to Atlanta Proctor. No offense meant.”
“None taken. I’m glad she’s got advocates. Talk to you soon, Sam. A patrol unit’s going to be hanging around the lake, like you asked.” That’s both to help out with the reporters who will descend, and also to alert Kez when Gwen gets back. Dual duty.
I think about what else I can do. Not much, as it turns out, which is frustrating. By the time I could get to Knoxville, Gwen will be bailed out and headed home. But hunkering down here, however logical it is right now, that feels wrong too.
I look up at a knock on the office door, and get up to open it. It’s Vee Crockett. “Hey,” she says. “Can I come in a minute?”
I gesture her into the room and, on a hunch, shut the door behind her. She settles into Gwen’s office chair and spins it around, leaning back at such an angle I’m afraid she’s going to tip and break her neck. I reach over and close down the laptop screen.
“I wasn’t looking,” she says, and suddenly stops spinning to stare at me. “You wonder why I come all the way here, right?”
“You’re not here for Lanny?”
She smiles. It’s not quite right, that smile. Makes me tense up. “Nope,” she says. “Well, I like Lanta all right. She’s a cutie pie. But there’s something I wanted to tell Ms. Proctor.”
“Okay. What is it?”
“You ain’t Ms. Proctor,” she says.
“Vee, I have had a shitty day, I’m really tired, and I’ve got no patience for bullshit right now. Just spit it out.”
She sizes me up, then nods. “It’s about Vernon Carr. The man what owned that compound outside Wolfhunter? Owned the garage too?”
Cult leader. All-around asshole too. “What about him?”
“I know where he’s at.”
I don’t honestly know whether to believe her. She looks smug enough. But I shake my head. “Tell the FBI; they’re the ones looking for him.”
“I figure there could be a reward. But they won’t give it to me. I ain’t old enough. But you could get it and give it to me.”
I’m way too tired for this. Too worried about Gwen and Lanny and Connor. “We’re not cops, we’re not agents, and I’m not lying to the FBI for you. Okay, Vee? You can stay here until Gwen gets back, and then we’ll have a conversation about what comes next. That’s the best offer you’re getting. How’s that?”
“Sucks,” she says crisply. “And you’re kind of an asshole, Sam.”
“When I need to be. But mostly I’m just too tired to sugarcoat things right now.” I expect her to leave. She doesn’t. She spins the chair again, but more slowly. “Vee. Go. I need to make some calls.”
“In a minute.” She faces me again. “What if I told you ol’ Vern ran off to join up with Father Tom?”
“I don’t know who that is, either, so—”
“You don’t know a hell of a lot, do you? Everybody up in Wolfhunter knew about Father Tom.”
“Because . . .”
“Because he started there. He’s the one started the Assembly.”
“A church?”
“Some might say.” She nods. “It’s what Carr was heading up when everybody out there got shot. Assembly’s short for Assembly of Saints, which is Father Tom’s place. Stands to reason that’s where you ought to be looking for Carr. Where Father Tom is.”
Not a church. A cult. I’d never found out the name of the group living out on Carr’s land, or even if it had one. And . . . Gwen’s looking for a cult now too. I lean forward, suddenly very interested. “Wait,” I say. “Carr didn’t start that cult living in his compound?”
“Nope, just ran it. Father Tom started it, but then he left. Got a bigger place, more followers. He didn’t want to stay in Wolfhunter. Who would?”
Legitimate question. “Do you know where Father Tom moved his cult, then?”
She shrugs, and for the first time she looks away. Picks at the material of her pants. She’s nervous, and Vee Crockett doesn’t get nervous.
“Vee? You can tell me.”
She whips her head back toward me, and I see her consciously armor herself up again. “I don’t know nothing about that.”
“You told me you knew where Carr was.”
“Yeah, I just told you, he’s up with Father Tom! I don’t know where it is on a map!”
“Are you sure you’re telling me the truth?”
“Because I’m a liar, right?” she says, and is instantly on her feet. She’s got unnerving eyes, but never more so than when she’s angry, and right now, she’s burning with it. “Fine, I’m a liar. Fuck you, I’m out.”
As quickly as she came, she’s gone out the office door and slamming it behind her. I put my head in my hands and squeeze in frustration. My headache’s getting worse. I need to figure out what the hell game Vera is really playing here. She’s a clever kid, but she’s also dangerous.
Some painkillers and a cold shower slap some energy back into my bloodstream. It does wake me up, though it doesn’t do much for the aches. I make more coffee, and I’m drinking it when I realize that I don’t know where Vee has gone. Or Lanny, for that matter. I knock on Lanny’s closed door.
“Yeah?” she calls. “I’m not dressed!”
“Is Vee in there with you?” I ask.
“No. She’s in the living room!”
Vee isn’t in the living room. She also isn’t in the rest of the house. I search it methodically, room by room, closets included. Anything large enough for her to hide inside.
When I check the security system, it’s disabled. I quickly reset it. Fuck. I know I covered the panel when I keyed in the code, how the hell did she . . .
And then I realize. I’d automatically put the SUV’s keys on the hanging rack by the door . . . and there’s a remote control for the system on the key chain. All she had to do was press the button. And in the shower, I missed the telltale beep.