Page 63

CHAPTER 63

REDLEY

A little while later, we’re driving into town. In order to get over to Wolf’s Mountain, we need to drive all the way to the bottom and then over. As the sign for Grimm Groves comes into view, I see something I never expected. Flashing lights and cop cars cover the streets. My fear climbs into my throat, choking me. We’re both murderers, and they can’t be here for any good reason. Thankfully, the blood on my hands has smeared, and I just look dirty. Wolf doesn’t share my concern; he just smiles as he drives to the epicenter.

All two hundred residents stand around talking to the police. Children poke at the cars with faces of joy, and I briefly overhear one cop getting an earful about some infidelity that happened around town last week. Wolf parks the car and once again climbs out to open my door for me. I could just get up on my own, but I keep waiting to let him take care of me. It’s been so long since anyone has done that, so each time he does it is a novelty.

Wolf takes my hand and pulls me close to him. “Don’t worry,” he whispers to me.

“Why not?”

“Trust me, you’ve got a trick up your sleeve.”

They’re talking to everyone around, asking questions, but as I listen carefully, I realize that they are not getting much in the way of answers. Everyone else seems just as suspicious about them suddenly showing up as I am, and some of them are just bald-faced lying.

“What do you mean law enforcement doesn’t come this way?” Mrs. Clyde says, “We have all the normal things everyone else does.”

I look over at Wolf with my eyebrows halfway to my hair. “Wolf, what’s going on here?”

“Well, I can’t say what brought them out here for certain, but you are watching hush money in live action.”

“No!” I gasp, but he just laughs. As I watch them, what I’m learning is that far more of them are paid off to play along than I ever could have realized.

“Is anything about this town real?” I ask.

“Not much.” He winks at me like I’m his co-conspirator rather than the victim of a long conspiracy. God, am I tired.

Many of these people have pretended that I’m crazy for years and are actively on Wolf’s payroll. The reality of all the secrecy and deception is hard to wrap my head around. Some of them were even paid off to accept deaths in their family without question.

“The kids you killed?” I ask.

“Their parents were paid off too, but they found out about the diamonds, and they got greedy. You don’t steal from me and live. If the Littles taught me anything, it’s the value of that lesson. And they weren’t small children. They were teens. Men as far as most people consider them.”

My cheeks heat in anger the more he defends himself. Has he ever had a consequence for his actions? Then I remember the glass still embedded in his scalp. He’ll have to get medical attention soon.

“Don’t worry, baby. I learned my lesson too,” he says, misinterpreting my distress.

“What lesson is that?” I ask.

“I can’t live without you,” he says the words like they’re the simplest truth, but they slay me.

We move from the periphery into the middle of the action. People who know who Wolf is gasp and stare at the two of us with wide, frightened eyes, and I can’t help but look at all of them with disgust. If I’m a traitor, what are they? Instead of hanging my head in shame like they seem to want me to, I hold it high.

We walk up to a pair of policemen, the one looking like he’s in charge, and Wolf greets them, “Gentlemen, anything we can do for you?” he asks.

“No,” one of them answers. “We have a few missing persons, and we’re going to be searching the mountain. You can stay out of our way.”

Wolf laughs, gentle and polite, but like he’s about to not be so accommodating. “So you have warrants of course?”

He stares the cop down, and there’s a tense moment of silence.

“We won’t be searching private property, only public.”

He makes a little sucking noise. “See, that’s really unfortunate, given the entire mountain as well as the town, hell, the land you're standing on right now is private property. You boys are technically trespassing.”

The cop moves his hand to his holster, and I watch the move so closely, feeling ready to commit another murder if he tempts me too far. I really must love Wolf because the impulse is purely protective toward him. No one is going to touch what’s mine.

“Are you refusing to let us conduct a search?” the police officer asks. He’s an older guy, not one of the ones I recognize from my trips to the different police stations. Where did these guys come from?

“Of course not,” Wolf answers. “I don’t own the mountain.” He grips my shoulder and pushes me forward. “Redley, here, is the owner. Show him, dear.”

I pull the deed out of my pocket and open it for him, proving what Wolf says. This is my land.

“Miss, you don’t mind if we look around, do you? You’ve got nothing to hide, I’m sure.”

“I’ve got nothing to hide,” I agree. “But I do mind if you look around. I’m afraid I’m real particular about my land, boys.”

“There’s a local man missing, a Robert Archer we’re looking for him.”

“Bobby?” I ask with a disbelieving lilt to my voice. I lean in close to the officer to whisper, “Bobby was a lousy cheat and a dog. He probably ran away with one of the girls he was seeing behind his wife’s back.” I pitch my voice like Granny used to when she was gossiping.

He gives me a hard look, not sold. “We’d really feel better if we could take a look around.”

“I’m afraid I’m going to have to insist, Officer. You need a warrant to be on my land. I’d appreciate it if you stepped off.” I square my shoulders and harden my stance, thinking maybe I wouldn’t mind killing some more after all, but there are a few too many of them for me to feel comfortable with the odds.

“It won’t take us long to get a warrant,” the cop argues. “There’s enough to convince a judge.”

I’m not sure if that’s true or not. I don’t know much about the law other than avoiding it or fighting with it, but Wolf cuts in just as I’m on the verge of breaking.

“You go ahead and do that,” he says, and I’m even more terrified.

I very nearly open my mouth, but he shoots me a glare, and I stay quiet.

“Fine, we’ll do it the hard way,” the cop says. “Come on, we’re getting a warrant,” he calls to the other officers, then looks back at me. “We’ll have that in no time, and then we’ll see what you’re hiding.”

“Sure thing. We’ll see you,” Wolf says, as he stares him down and waits for him to leave.

The officer narrows his eyes at us. “I’ll be back,” he promises before turning to let his officers know it’s time to go.

Once they're out of hearing distance, I turn to Wolf and ask, “What if they do come back?”

“Well, they’re going to have an awful hard time convincing anyone there’s a town out here to begin with. We don’t even have a zip code, and as far as a warrant goes, they require a complete address to be admissible as evidence in court. You don’t have one. They won’t find anything they can use against you.”

I think I might be more attracted to him than anyone ever has been to another person.

“What if they don’t get the warrant, but they still come back?” I ask.

“Haven’t you heard there’s a wolf in these woods?” He flashes me a wicked glare.

“How does that help?”

“We kill them,” he answers simply. “I know you’ve developed a taste for murder, Muffin.”

“That’s not true,” I try to argue.

“We’ll just see when the cops come back and try to arrest you.”

“ If they come back,” I correct him. “Like a very clever Wolf pointed out, they don’t even have a real zip code.”