The intercom buzzed with news that the DEA and FBI had arrived to take Shadow out of the assignment, out of the line of fire for being a plant. Word had also come in that the regional cartel had gone into silent mode and scattered to the far winds.
“You all wrap this up. We need to get Shadow on the road to a little peace of mind for a while,” JB said as he motioned to the others and shook the agent’s hand. “Thanks for everything. You’ve made a big dent in the local drug case.”
“I think there’s more going on in Crayton than drugs,” Cain said, holding out his hand. “A whole lot more. Some of it may tie into the drug operation, but I’ve got a bad feeling the worst reveal is still to come. Sorry if I was out of line before.”
Accepting the apology, Shadow took his hand. “No problem. I knew this would be tricky, trying to get everything out in the open without being on the wrong end of your punch.”
“I don’t mean to be out of line, but I do have one more question.” Betsy stepped in front of the agent. “Once Phillip was killed in the wreck, why have you been standing outside my living room window every so often?”
Shadow braced his hands on his hips. “One thing Phillip made me promise was that if something went wrong and he didn’t make it, I’d keep an eye on you. Especially when I had any inkling you might be in danger. So, been there a few times. Even volunteered when the local drug boss asked for someone to watch your house one night. I still don’t know what was going down, but I wasn’t about to trust your safety to anyone else.” He straightened a bit and swallowed. “You see, I try hard to always keep my promises.”
Betsy couldn’t explain why, but without a second thought she reached out and hugged him. “Thank you for helping Phillip. And me. Thank you for everything you’ve done.”
“Don’t think too bad of Phillip,” Shadow whispered in her ear as he returned her hug. “He loved you more than you’ll ever know. And even though he wasn’t perfect, none of us are. We’re all just human, trying to do the best we can.”
Dropping his quick hug, he stepped back. “By the way, until Cain came on the scene, I’d stay around the general area of the dealership most Friday nights until I could make sure you’d left work. Had some mighty good home-cooking at that little hole-in-the-wall diner on the corner across the street.” Concern inched into his expression. Shadow looked her right in the eye. “I figure you’ve got your own protector in town now.”
The two men shared a brothers-in-arms hug as the others scattered to arrange the so-called prisoner transfer with the federal agents. Betsy knew when she wasn’t in control or even needed, so she tried to stay out of the way. She had no doubt this conversation and planning and strategizing would continue tomorrow.
All she could do was accept the fact she wasn’t as insightful or observant or street smart as she’d thought. From now on she’d do whatever the police and Cain needed her to do. Nausea suddenly hit her broadside. If there was a ringer working at the dealership, then who had she mistakenly trusted? Who would be the one to shatter her memories? She’d do whatever the police asked.
This was her reputation. Her town. Her village. The place that over twenty years ago had accepted her mama, her sisters and herself as part of their family. Now Crayton had an infestation that needed to be stopped. She’d help every way she could.
“Looks like I owe you another new hat,” Cain said as he picked up the white hat from the desk, streaks of pizza sauce and toppings staining the brim, and handed it to his friend.
“Nah, what’s a little jalapeño between friends? Not like it’s a bullet hole.” Shadow centered the hat on his head and headed to the door. “You watch your six, Cain. There’s a ringer in this fiasco. Maybe more than one.”
Cain quick-nodded his head. “It only takes one.
As Shadow left the building under the protection of other DEA agents, Betsy’s phone beeped that a text had arrived.
Hey, Sweetie, we’re on our way home. Thought you might need us. Just outside Jefferson City. See you soon. Love, Mama.
Another beep. Another text.
“Sister of mine, you better stop telling me everything’s okay. See you soon! Love ya—Marcy
And another one.
“I’m gonna expect the truth when I get there…you hear? -heart emoji- Summer
“My mama and sisters have cut short their trip and are headed this way. All because of me.” Betsy swiped her fingers across her cheeks. “They shouldn’t have done that. I can take care of me.”
Cain wrapped his arm across her shoulders and pulled her in for a hug. “Betsy, Betsy, Betsy. You have got to let people care about you. And take care of you sometimes.”
“That’s not how I’m built. I always watch out for them.”
“Well, I think it’s time you had an upgrade on your system.” He grinned and answered his ringing phone. “Yeah, Truman. I hear everyone’s headed this way. Good! We can use all the help we can get.”
CHAPTER THIRTY
Breakfast with her mama and sisters had been exactly what Betsy needed. She hadn’t realized how much she’d missed having Sadie and Marcy around during the past few days.The fact Summer had made the trip to Crayton to give her support touched Betsy more than the others could ever understand.
It had taken a lot of convincing to get Cain and JB to agree to this outing. Late last night they’d grumped about the idea. But early this morning she’d persuaded Cain that he couldn’t spend all his time being her protector. That wouldn’t work for more reasons than she could imagine. She had a life to live and a business to run, and he had to solve this case. He’d finally agreed but had insisted on being part of the periphery of the group.
The women had taken a seat in the furthest booth to the back of Joanie’s Café. He’d taken a seat on one of the swivel stools at the front counter. Truman had followed his lead the moment he’d walked in with her mama and sisters. Her stepfather might have semi-retired from the FBI, but he still did consulting and would never lose those protective instincts. She’d even seen JB drive by the diner more than a few times. They were a family—her family.
She wasn’t fooling herself as far as Cain was concerned. After waking up early this morning wrapped in the warmth of his body next to hers, her anxiety of the past few days had calmed. Knowing he was there for her seemed like everything she needed to be happy. They’d lain in bed talking about nothing yet everything for a good long time. Then his phone had beeped with an incoming text alert from the real estate agent he’d been using to look for acreage where he could build his security business. He’d broadened his search to include all along Interstate 44 from St. Louis to Springfield, MO.
