Just like his father, Wendell Braison, Campbell had a feeling that Kenneth Braison was getting a raw deal where it concerned the poisoning of Braison Family devotees, other controversies of the cult notwithstanding.
But what am I missing?Campbell asked himself as he pulled onto South Petriss Road, nearing the Braison Family ranch. Something told him that there was an elementor two that had yet to be fully fleshed out in hitting the mark in the investigation.
Unless they could pinpoint this soon, other followers of the Family could still be in danger. Or someone from the outside, such as Stefanie—who had taken an interest in the cult for altruistic reasons after being indirectly connected to the deaths of two members. Campbell felt comfort knowing that she was at least in a safe space at the moment, spending time with Bella.
He drove up to the gate, alongside another detective’s vehicle, while ready to track down Juan Barrientos and bring him in for questioning.
Chapter Eighteen
Campbell and Detective Xander Wilde, a forty-three-year-old African American who was tall and muscular with a shaved head, entered the Braison Family compound. Apart from their Glock 19 pistols, they were armed with an arrest warrant for Juan Barrientos. Backup officers were on standby.
“Think there will be any resistance?” Xander asked, his brown eyes gazing at the property, its members seemingly going about their business nonchalantly.
“Shouldn’t be, if they know what’s good for them.” Though he didn’t dismiss the notion altogether, Campbell didn’t believe that Kenneth Braison was looking for a fight. Especially when it appeared that Barrientos’s wrongdoing was more of a solo effort than representing the Family, per se. “Let’s find Barrientos.”
With no luck and no cooperation, they wound up running into Kenneth outside his ranch house. He was in the company of a tall, slender and attractive twentysomething female with long raven hair in a U-shaped cut and big hazel eyes.
Kenneth peered disapprovingly at Campbell. “Detective Sawyer…”
Without beating around the bush, Campbell saidtersely, “This is Detective Wilde. We have a warrant for Juan Barrientos’s arrest. Where is he?”
“He’s not here.” Kenneth narrowed his eyes. “What’s this all about?”
Xander responded with an edge to his tone. “We believe that Barrientos bought the fentanyl in powdered and liquid form, that Mia O’Dell and Jasmine Roxburgh OD’d on, from a known drug dealer.”
“What?” Kenneth’s jaw dropped. “There must be some mistake—”
“It’s no mistake!” Campbell’s forehead creased. “Apart from Barrientos being identified by the drug dealer, we also have him on surveillance video picking up Mia not far from Kieke’s Nightclub shortly before she ended up dead from the lethal fentanyl concoction.”
Kenneth set his jaw. “How could Juan betray my trust like this?” he asked in disbelief. “And do such harm to members of the Braison Family? Why…?”
“You’ll have to ask him that,” Campbell said, sensing that the cult leader wasn’t the wiser to what his likely ambitious right-hand man was up to. “Now, where can we find Barrientos?”
“He’s out doing some personal business. I never asked what that was…”
“Maybe you should have,” Xander spoke harshly. “Could be that he’s buying more drugs to poison your followers.”
Kenneth bristled at the suggestion. “You’re right,” he muttered. “I thought Juan had my back—our backs… Looks like I totally misjudged his intentions as a disloyal member of the Family…”
“Apparently so.” Campbell wondered how the cultleader could have missed the mark there. He favored him musingly. This seemed as good a time as any to come clean with him on another matter. “Speaking of misjudging—regarding the cold case homicide of Lynda Boxleitner, your father, Wendell Braison, is no longer considered a person of interest.”
Kenneth’s brow shot up. “Since when?”
“Since new info surfaced and the case and culprit pointed in an entirely different direction,” Campbell said sincerely. He wished Braison’s son hadn’t been forced to carry the burden of his father’s possible guilt through the years, but he now had the opportunity to move past it. While facing new demons, what with the current investigation tying a member of the Braison Family to two poisonous deaths.
“I see,” Kenneth said, then added bitterly, “Better late than never.”
“Yeah.” Campbell glanced at Xander, then looked at the young woman beside Kenneth, who eyed him back.
She uttered tentatively with a British accent, “My name’s Siobhan Froggatt. There’s something I need to say—”
“I’m listening,” Campbell told her, watching Kenneth’s uneasy—and perhaps possessive—reaction before turning back to her face.
Siobhan tucked some loose strands of hair behind an ear and said, “If what you say about Juan giving Jasmine and Mia deadly drugs is true, it makes me concerned about Lois Ohashi, the Family member he shares a cabin with…” She took a breath, venturing a glance at Kenneth. “Lois told me in confidence that she took a look at Juan’s cell phone while he was sleeping and discoveredthrough text messages that he was seeing someone on the outside… Maybe Juan will try to poison Lois so he can be with the other woman—”
Campbell didn’t discount her fears about what Barrientos was capable of. Fixing his eyes on Siobhan, he asked thoughtfully, “Did Lois happen to get the name of this woman Barrientos is involved with?”
Siobhan regarded Kenneth, as if for permission to answer and he nodded with approval and maybe curiosity, before she responded confidently, “Bella Reston.”
