Bobbie leaned forward and regarded the man solemnly. “You werenotat fault. This was all on my brothers. There’s no way you could have known what they’d do. And don’t worry. Betweenus all, we’ll find a way to make them pay.” She turned her gaze to Tex, who looked infuriated. He nodded tersely.
Yeah.If anyone could uncover anything, it would be Tex.
“My turn to speak?” Buck asked.
Mason answered him with a grimace. “I wish you had spoken out back when this had all happened, Buck,” he put in unhappily. “We all would have stood behind you and made sure the real culprits were found.” He leaned forward, his elbows on his knees as he cradled his head. “But go ahead. Tell us what happened from your perspective.”
Buck sucked in a breath. “I knew that Bobbie’s brothers were out to get me. Ever since I started picking her up for school. The first time I saw her get dropped off by Drew, and witnessed the abuse she suffered at his hands, I decided then and there that she wouldn’t be getting a ride with him anymore. Shortly thereafter, I started receiving threats. But I was young, and cocky. I wasn’t built like I am now, but I was no slouch, either, and I figured I could take the pair if it came down to it, so I ignored them. My mistake. I should have reported it to somebody. But by then, it was too late. It didn’t take them long to have me blamed for those two crimes, and my only way out was to enlist. I never regretted that. Thehardestpart was knowing I was leaving Bobbie alone and vulnerable, which is why I gave the chief all my money. That way Bobbie could at least go off to college and get away from her brothers.”
Buck’s face fell even more as he looked at Bobbie.
“When I found out, a bunch of years later, that you hadn’t left town, I couldn’t find out why, but I contacted Mason, who said he’d watch out for you.”
“Which he did,” Bobbie interjected for a second time. “About eight years ago, when he was a beat cop, he caught Drew smacking me outside the diner where I worked. Par for the course at that point. Both Drew and Jeff had gotten more andmore cocky over time, after you left. Mason read Drew the riot act, and told my brother that if he so much as saw another bruise on me, he’d make sure Drew never saw the light of day.”
“Not sure what I meant by that, but it worked.” Mason gave a rueful glance toward her arm. “I’m thinking it still applies if you want me to take care of things, now.”
“Your brother did that?” Now the chief’s eyes were on the fingermarks.
“Yeah. He did. Yesterday. And Tex suggests I get a restraining order. But let’s not talk about that right now. You still haven’t heard my side of the story.”
“Okay. You’re up, Bobbie,” the chief complied.
Buck could see her mind reaching back.
“You can imagine that I had the biggest crush on Buck in high school. He was everything I wasn’t. Good looking. Popular. Came from a solid family. I thought I’d won some kind of lottery that he’d taken an interest in me. Of course, my brothers, once they found out, bad-mouthed him, just like they’d done with any guy I’d shown an interest in. But this time I refused to back down and stop seeing Buck.
“Everything was so good for a while, and that’s why it hurt so much when I was told he was the one who’d destroyed my boat. I had to admit to Drew and Jeff that they’d been right, and go slinking back to them for everything once Buck was gone. It was…awful. I never saw a penny of the money Buck gave them. I worked, and slaved, not only at the diner, but at home for them; doing their laundry, their dishes, the cleaning, and the cooking of their meals. I had no life at all.
“Eventually, after about three years, I told them I was tired of my life; tired of everything. I said I was going to join the Army.
“They hated that idea, and immediately dangled a carrot. To this day, I don’t know why. They hated me, so why not let me go? Slave labor aside, they had to be better off without my sullenass around. But no. They told me they’d lend me some money and co-sign a loan with the bank so I could buy another boat. But only if I stuck around. It was a hard decision, but my heart wasn’treallyin enlisting, so I agreed.” She laughed bitterly. “How was I to know they were loaning me my own money?
“Things got a little better after that because I could lose myself while sailing, but about five years ago I was pretty fed up again, and decided I wanted more. I went to my brothers with the idea of opening my own catering business, and to my surprise, they offered to help me monetarily again, with the caveat that I give them a healthy and continued share of the company profits. I agreed, and other than incurring their wrath when I moved out of their house six months ago, that’s where things stand, today. I work, I pay them, I sail.” She shrugged.
“Oh. And one other thing.” She turned to Tex. “With the money I paid them and what they’d stolen from me, they went all in on the brewing venture they’d been playing around with. That might be worth looking into, since I have no idea exactly what that entails. Although true to form, we now know they’re doing it illegally. Also, they procured me a client in New Brunswick.” She gave Tex the man’s name. “I haven’t a clue how they know him, or from where, but I get a lucrative paycheck from the guy, sailing up once a week to cook for him and his guests. Drew and Jeff make out well, too, because they send up two crates of their homebrew with each trip.”
Tex sat up, suddenly alert. “They send their beer to Canada on your sailboat?”
“Yeah, which we now know is under-the-table since they don’t have a license.”
Tex’s face grew speculative. “Do you go through customs each time you travel?”
“No.”
She quickly explained about NEXUS, and how it let her circumvent having to be boarded each time she crossed into Canada.
Tex smiled for the first time since entering the room.
“Okay then. I think I’ve found a few things we can work with.”
CHAPTER 19
The last few days,despite the fact that Bobbie had been so busy, seemed to pass way too slowly. There was no secret as to why. Her mind simply wasn’t on her job, but on Buck, who she’dfinallybe seeing after the party she was working, wrapped up later this afternoon.
Melo had teased her, unmercifully, about her preoccupation; about her staring off into space at odd times, but it hadn’t bothered Bobbie. It had simply given her an excuse to talk about Buck, which had gone a long way toward airing all her doubts, hopes, and fears, receiving succinct, but sometimes snarky answers from the woman she trusted more than any other.
“So, are you getting all hot and bothered now?” Melo hip bumped Bobbie on her way by, carrying a large tray of empty salad plates as Bobbie made sure the main dishes were starting to come out of the back.
