Page 79 of Forgotten Path

“Judy, try to stay calm,” Mirabelle urged her.

Her grandson lifted his chin, eyes blazing. “I have an idea.”

CHAPTERFORTY-ONE

Bodhi and Felicia huddled in the hallway to talk through Craig’s proposal in relative privacy.

“It’s reckless,” Bodhi told her.

“It’s his idea.”

“That doesn’t make it a good one. And isn’t it entrapment?”

She squinted at him. “I know you know what entrapment is, and letting Craig talk to Fred while he’s wearing a wire is not it.”

He laughed. “Okay, fine, it’s not entrapment. I just … it seems dangerous. I know Craig volunteered for the job. But it’s not Craig I’m worried about.”

“Judith?”

“I don’t know how much more her heart can take, Felicia.”

She held his gaze. “It could be our best chance to catch Joel’s killer—maybe our only chance.”

He didn’t flinch. “And it could kill that woman.”

They probably would’ve continued to argue in circles for a good while longer, but Brianna eased the door open and joined them in the hall.

“Can I interrupt you?”

“Sure,” Bodhi said, grateful for the opportunity to step back from the disagreement.

She closed the door behind her with a soft click. “If Craig does this thing—if he gets Fred to admit that he helped Chad cover up Doc’s death, that’s only half a loaf, right? Fred’s word against Chad’s, I mean.”

Bodhi deferred to Felicia. While neither of them was a prosecutor, she had more breadth and depth of knowledge about putting together a case that would end in a conviction.

“It would be a he said-he said if Chad didn’t plead out. But the testimony of a co-conspirator can carry quite a bit of weight in a criminal case.”

“Yeah, here’s the thing. You two don’t know Fred. Or Chad. Fred’s, well, I’ll put it this way—he’s rough around the edges. Aside from fanboys like Craig, who worship him because he drives a fast car, he’s not especially well-liked. He’s crass and coarse. He’s a jerk.”

“Mmm. What’s Chad like?”

Brianna sighed. “Charming. Or at least, he can be when he wants to be. He’s well-spoken and polished in a way that Fred definitely is not. Don’t get me wrong. He’s also a jerk. Selfish and smarmy. But he’s slick. I don’t think you can pin this on him just through Fred. If Fred would even sell him out that way.”

“So what are you thinking, Brianna? I can tell you have an idea,” Bodhi said.

“I’ll do the same thing Craig wants to do. I’ll wear a wire and go talk to Chad.”

Felicia said, “That could work.”

“Absolutely not,” Bodhi said at the same time.

Their words overlapped, and Brianna flicked her eyes from Felicia’s face to Bodhi’s with a nervous laugh.

“Why don’t I leave you two to talk it over?”

Before she could slink back into the room, Bodhi stopped her. “You understand that what you’re proposing could be dangerous, right?

She leveled him with a gaze. “I know. I want to redeem myself. I worked for Chad for years, knowing that I was a sellout. I wasn’t living in harmony with my beliefs and principles, and it felt gross. When he fired me, I was upset—for a few hours. But, honestly, it feels amazing. It’s like I put down a backpack full of boulders. I want to do this, and you shouldn’t stop me. Or Craig. He probably feels the same way—only more so. I mean, I sold out the earth. He sold out his grandmother. You should let him try to make things right.”