“Sure.” Stefanie offered her a disconcerting look. “What is it?”
Jasmine looked over her shoulder, as if expecting someone to come and attack them at any moment, before eyeing her warily and responding, “Let’s move away from here…”
Stefanie nodded. “All right.”
They made their way onto the tree-lined walkway on the banks of the Beeks River and ambled along.
After a long moment or two, Jasmine faced Stefanie and batting her eyes, said expressively, “You were the one who discovered Mia’s body in the park on Founder’s Day?”
“Yes,” Stefanie acknowledged. “It was shortly after you handed me the flyer that day. I was actually hoping to talk to you about that when I visited the Braison Family ranch. But then Kenneth and Juan kept that from happening…”
“I know.” Jasmine nodded, wrinkling her nose. “I was shocked to hear about Mia’s death—and especially the way she died…”
“Are you saying she wasn’t using drugs…fentanyl?” Stefanie asked.
“Not to my knowledge.” Jasmine wrung her hands nervously. “That’s what is so weird about this. Why would Mia OD on fentanyl…unless she was unaware it had entered her system?”
The same thought had crossed Stefanie’s mind more than once. She regarded Jasmine and asked, “So, you think someone—maybe from inside the Braison Family—gave the drug to her deliberately? And if so, for what reason?”
Jasmine chewed on her lower lip. “I’ve asked myself that,” she muttered. “All I can think of is that Mia may have found out something that put her at odds with the Family. Especially if she threatened to expose publicly whatever she knew. Kenneth would never have allowed that to happen—”
Stefanie swallowed thickly and asked, “To the point of killing her to keep Mia’s silence?”
“Honestly, I wouldn’t put it past him,” she said uneasily. “Kenneth would do anything to protect whatever secrets he had. Or could otherwise ruin what he and his father, Wendell Braison, had built over decades.” Jasmine drew a sigh. “I just don’t know…”
“Have you spoken to anyone in the Family about this?” Stefanie wondered.
“I tried talking to Kenneth, but he just dismissed my concerns as if they had no merit whatsoever. I wasn’t about to speak with any other members of the Braison Family, only to potentially put myself at risk…” She looked behind them and back at Stefanie with frightenedeyes. “Even now, I’m taking a big risk in talking to you about this…”
“You know, you don’t have to go back to the compound,” Stefanie stressed to her. “If you feel your life is in danger—”
“I do…but I don’t,” Jasmine told her. “They think that I’m here passing out more flyers—” she lifted a few out of her tote bag to illustrate and then put them back in it “—in trying to recruit new followers. Which is why I need to get back, before they start asking questions…” She sighed. “Most of Kenneth’s followers are there for the right reasons. That includes me. I don’t want to mess things up for them by airing my suspicions to the authorities…” She paused, then admitted, “I did try to talk to Detective Sawyer when the police searched the compound, but was unable to do so without being seen by others.”
Stefanie gazed at her. “I can certainly speak with Detective Sawyer, if you like,” she volunteered.
“Would you?”
“Yes. But without any hard proof to support your suspicions—and mine, frankly—I’m not sure he will be able to do much in terms of putting pressure on Kenneth and the Braison Family.”
“Too bad.” Jasmine furrowed her brow. “Kenneth knows how to cover his tracks well, so I guess we’re stuck.”
“Not necessarily,” Stefanie argued as they continued to walk. “The police investigation into Mia’s death is still ongoing. Don’t underestimate their ability to get to the truth—one way or another…”
Jasmine nodded. “Hope so. For Mia. She wasn’tperfect—who is?—but she really did want to make the world a better place in her own way. Just as I do.”
“Don’t we all,” Stefanie said idealistically. Unfortunately, the world would always be a dangerous place for some more than others. But that didn’t mean there was any harm in maintaining a positive attitude, at the very least. Even if being in a cult was not the way for her to go. And apparently was a wrong choice for Mia, too.
Jasmine said warily, “Anyway, I have to go.”
“All right.” Stefanie touched her arm. “Please be careful—and don’t try to do anything that will put you at risk…”
Jasmine nodded. “I won’t,” she promised and took Stefanie’s hands. “Pray for Mia’s soul, as I will.”
Stefanie agreed to this, then watched as Jasmine scurried off, disappearing into the woods.
Chapter Twelve
On Saturday evening, the Annual Reston Hills Charitable Gala, held at the Menakerr Center on Sallis Way in downtown Reston Hills, was in full swing. A five-member band was onstage performing live upbeat music, with author book readings, performances by talented children, an auction to raise money for local programs and enough interesting food choices to go around.
