Page 23 of Caleb’s Cause (Broken Wheel Ranch #12)
“Honey,” Duane asked when Laurie stood there without saying a word. “What do you think we should do?”
“Contact Agent Haller.”
“Who’s that?” Jake asked as he picked up a pen to take notes.
“He’s an FBI agent based out of New York state.
Not in the city, but about an hour’s drive north.
He’s the agent that’s working on my case back there.
” She looked between Erin and Duane, and when they nodded, she told Jake and his men what she had been through.
When she was done, they only stared at her in shock.
“Wait,” Pru said. “Why would you call another FBI agent. I may be scatterbrained at times, but even I can tell that Duane’s Director Grayson, and Katherine’s George Babcock are the same people. If Grayson is bad, then why call in another FBI agent?”
“Because, he’s not mine, but I’ll refer to him as such, but my Agent Haller lives in New York state. Three thousand miles away from Duane’s Director Grayson. Haller is in white collar crimes, while Grayson is in narcotics. It’s my understanding that they are two entirely different entities.”
“It is,” came a voice from behind everyone, and in less than a seconds, everyone had a gun pointing to the newcomer. It wasn’t until Caleb jumped to his feet and yelled that they lowered their guns.
“DAD!” Caleb ran forward and hugged the man, and the next person there was Ryan with his hand out, and he gave him a hug also.
Ryan turned with his arm around the other man and grinned.
“Everyone, this is my brother-in-law, Kevin Lassiter. Oh, he’s also Caleb’s father.
” They laughed, and introductions were made, hands shook, and drinks passed out.
Once everyone settled back down, he looked at Duane.
“I agree with what this lady said. You’re going to want to have an internal FBI investigation conducted, and if you have someone in white collar crimes willing to take it on, and being on the other side of the country, I would reach out to them. ”
“Who are you, exactly?”
“Other than Caleb’s father, and Ryan’s brother-in-law, I am a homicide detective with the Seattle Police Department. Twenty years with the police, fifteen years as Homicide.”
“Are you retiring?” Erin asked.
“I might, why, are you offering me a job?” he joked, but stared at his son when no one said a word.
“We’ll talk.” Erin nodded and looked at Duane. “Do you know this Agent Haller?”
“I’ve met him a couple of times, Laurie knows him better than I do, since he’s working her case with her ex-husband, ex-mother-in-law, and the asshole that tried to shoot her. He was on her board of directors at her company. He pulled the gun on her when she announced she’d sold the business.”
“It’s a mess,” Laurie said with a shake of her head. “Luckily, all parties involved are sitting in jail, but now none of them are talking. Not one word.”
“That’s hard,” Kevin nodded. “I don’t know everything, but I would be willing to help if you need it.”
“This is off topic,” Pru said before anyone could answer Kevin. She turned to Ryan. “I think we should cancel the wedding with everything that is going on.”
“NO!” Both Ryan and Katherine yelled as one. Ryan looked at Katherine with a raised brow. “Why do you think it shouldn’t be canceled?”
“Because you can’t put your life on hold because of this.
This might take weeks, months, even years to sort out.
We’re going to have to gather information, be discreet, and gather everything we can before we can even arrest anyone.
I’m not in any form of law enforcement, but I looked over your wedding plans.
Correct me if I’m wrong, other than Mr. Lassiter here, and everyone in Erin’s employ, who other than your parents were invited? ”
“Just Jake and his men,” Pru looked at the other man with a smile. “Ryan and I are getting married in two weeks. You’re welcome to come.”
“We’ll be here,” Jake said with a nod. “We’ll even have our wives with us. Think of it as extra security. Where exactly will the ceremony take place?”
“By the cabins over at Broken. You can see the trees in the distance, and they are just starting to change. I want them as a backdrop.”
“That will be beautiful.” Jake nodded, and looked at Ryan. “All settled?”
“Yes, two weeks from yesterday, two in the afternoon over at Broken, and there will be a big BBQ as the reception.”
“Got it.” He turned to look at Erin with a grin. “Does this mean I finally get to see Broken?”
“You haven’t seen it yet?”
“No, I’ve only been as far as here.”
“Well, damn.”
“We’ll take you.” Clark nodded. He turned to Duane, then Erin. “We can strategize where to place people to help protect Katherine, and the guests at the wedding.”
“What do you think we should do?” Katherine asked. “Do we reach out to Laurie’s Agent Haller?”
“Yes, but not before we get all our ducks in a row first,” Duane said.
“Can you write down everything you remember about your relationship and interactions with Michael? You never know what you might have overheard something that might be important. You might have thought it was trivial, but it might be something to blow the doors off this case.”
“Shit,” Katherine said after several minutes.
“What?”
“Remember when I told you I had a dash camera installed in my car? It faced out the front, and the back, and it was voice activated?”
“Yes, what about it?”
“Whenever it indicated the small card was activated, I would pull it, stick it in an envelope, and insert a new one. That envelope is beneath the carpet under the passenger seat.”
“Where is the car?”
“In Lyle Anderson’s barn, covered with a tarp.”
“Who is Lyle Anderson?” Kevin asked.
“My mother’s boss. My mother is a defense lawyer, and Lyle is the best in LA county. He took my case pro bono because of who I am. Oh shit, what about Mom? Do you know if Grayson would go after her now? Is she in danger?”
“Would you mind if I went there to gather the information and check on her?” Kevin asked. “What’s her name?”
“Ilsa Miller. She never took Larry’s last name of Mason when she married him. She said she didn’t come with me because she wanted to see if she couldn’t gather more incriminating evidence against him.”
“Would that even work?” Lloyd asked. “Why would your mother give Caleb’s father any information. She might think it’s a trap.”
“I could give him the word we used when I was younger. It’s what we would use if any strangers tried to say they were friends with Mom’s and were there to pick me up.
That happened five times, and not once did they have the correct code word.
I kicked them in the shins and ran when they said the wrong words.
It turned out they were some bad people she was trying a case against, and they tried to get to her through me. ”
“Good for you, but, Mr. Lassiter, I can’t ask you to do that. This was my fuck up, I should do it.” Duane sighed heavily.
“And play our hand with you being back in the area?” Clark snorted.
“No, I’ve heard a lot about Kevin from Ryan over the years.
If Ryan trusts him, I trust him. Besides, he’s a cop, and he would be vigilant of his surroundings.
” Clark looked at Kevin sternly. “Make sure Katherine’s mother is safe, bring her back here if you have to.
I don’t care if it’s kicking and screaming, but bring her here. ”
“Understood. Do you mind if I take the tour with you, get something to eat, then head to the airport?”
“Do you mind if I book you a flight?” Katherine asked. “Also, I can get you into a hotel within a mile of Mom’s house.”
“That sounds good,” Kevin said as he stood and started to reached for his wallets, but Erin yelled for him to stop. They all looked at her, and she looked at Clark.
“Do you have the ranch’s card on you?”
“I do.”
“Book it through there. We don’t want any traces to individual people.”
“Smart,” Clark said as he pulled a black credit card and passed it to Katherine.
“I’ll have the information for you when you get back.” She turned to Jake. “May I continue to use this secure computer?”
“Yes.” Jake nodded, and as the men left, leaving all the women, Katherine got to work.
Caleb walked beside his father and couldn’t take his eyes off him, when Kevin turned to give him a scowl, he grinned. “Sorry, I just never knew I’d miss you so much. How have you been doing?”
“Good? What about you?”
“If you can wait until after the tour, I’m sure we’ll have time to sit and talk.”
“Okay,” Kevin said with a nod and followed his son over to where Ryan stood with a woman.
“Kevin, this is Prudora, my fiancée. Prudora, this is my brother-in-law, Kevin.”
“Hi,” they both said as they shook hands, and Pru looked at him with a frown. “I’m going to apologize right now. I have a case of TBI, and sometimes I don’t remember things. If I forget your name, I’m sorry.”
“Don’t worry about it. I will take no offense.”
“Thank you,” she said, and then she opened the door to the back of the truck.
She looked at Ryan. “Have Kevin sit up front with you. I’ll sit in the back with Caleb.
” They got into the truck, and as they pulled out, Ryan explained about the different ranches, and what each one did.
He also explained they were their own separate entities, but were on the same property.
Ryan talked until they got to the rise and he stopped to put the truck in park and only pointed out the front windshield.
“Holy hell,” Kevin said as he turned and looked before them, then whipped his head over to Ryan. “It’s like stepping back in time. The ranch we just left is like in this century, but this, this looks like it belongs in the eighteen hundreds.”
“That was Erin’s plan,” Pru said. “We’re still on Riceman property, but the only way to get to this ranch is the way we came.”
“Why is that?”