“No, I didn’t.”
“He earned the money for it working during the summers. When he left for college, he gave it to me. Lot of good memories in this pile of metal and vinyl.”
Robie got out of the car and smiled. “I’m sure.”
Her smile faded as she gripped his arm. “Find him, Will. Please.”
“I’ll do my best. That I promise.”
Back inside Robie looked around and eyed Reel in conversation with Patti Bender. The woman had cleaned up from when they had seen her before. She wore a cream-colored skirt, an off-the-shoulder sweater, hoop earrings, and boots. Robie noted that she was not armed tonight. At least not visibly.
Her brother walked in a moment later with Malloy in tow. Derrick had changed into jeans, a white shirt worn untucked, his Stetson, and worn boots. His service piece rode in a holster on his hip.
Malloy had the most startling transformation. She was in a colorful sundress with strappy heels. Her hair was down around her shoulders and bounced a bit as she walked.
He felt a nudge on his arm. Claire said, “The sheriff looks mighty beautiful tonight, doesn’t she?”
Robie nodded. “She cleans up well.”
Claire smiled. “Yes, she does.”
Then Claire turned serious. “So have you found out anything about Roger’s disappearance?”
“I really can’t discuss that with you.”
“Oh come on. Do you think I’m going to go around telling everybody and maybe messing up your investigation? I want you to find Roger!”
“We’re working on it, Claire. That’s all I can say. And I meant what I said outside. I’m going to do all that I can to bring him back.”
“I heard there was a disturbance yesterday.”
“Where?”
“I can keep a secret, just like you.”
With a triumphant smile, Claire moved off and worked the room playing the gracious host, pouring out wine and handing out beers and chatting everyone up.
Malloy found Robie in the corner.
He said, “Didn’t expect to see you out of uniform.”
“I’m always on duty but that doesn’t mean I can’t occasionally dress like a girl, Robie.”
He lifted his glass. “I’m not saying otherwise. You look great.”
“Thank you,” she said primly.
A twinge of guilt hit Robie sharply enough to make him look away momentarily. He didn’t like holding the truth of Holly’s death from her sister, but they had made a deal with the FBI, and Robie couldn’t jeopardize that investigation. Not even when his gut was telling him to pull Malloy into another room and tell her everything.
“You okay?” she asked.
He looked back at her. “Sorry, just preoccupied.”
“I called a buddy of mine in New York. I told him about the creds you and your partner are carrying. You know what he said?”
“No, but I think you’re going to tell me.”
“He said that those sound like cred packs Feds use to cover up who they really are. And that people who do that are ones who have serious firepower back in DC.”
“Okay.”
“Is that an admission?”
“No, that was just me saying ‘okay.’”
“Bender talked to Patti. She didn’t have any insights on the white van. I mean we have them around here, but the ones I know about are used by contractors, subs… you know, plumbers and electricians. I know them all, and they’re not going to be involved in human trafficking.”
“So we really need to find Lamarre, if he’s still alive.”
“You really believe he saw what he said he did?”
“Why would he lie about something like that?”
“He probably wouldn’t,” she conceded.
“And the fact that he vanished right after telling his girlfriend he basically wanted to settle down with her and left his stuff behind?”
“You think whoever he saw got to him?”
“Sounds that way to me.”
“So she said he disappeared around the same time that Roger Walton did?”
“A few days earlier than Walton.”
“But he obviously saw the people in the van a while back. I mean he went into rehab in between that, when he talked to Holly.”
“Yeah, that’s true.”
“So what happened to change the status of things?”
“You mean if he was safe for a while and then they snatched him, something changed. The people had to find out he knew something and needed to be taken care of.”
“Right. And how would they have done that?”
“Well, he told his girlfriend about it. She might have told someone, although she denies that she did. He also told your sister about it. And we know she told JC Parry. And Parry probably told Walton. And they both disappeared.”
“You mean all three. I’ve tried Holly’s phone. I‘ve e-mailed and texted and gotten nothing. Now, she’s not the most communicative person in the world, but that’s not like her.”
“I imagine not,” said Robie.
“You think I’ll hear from her at some point?”
Robie looked immensely uncomfortable. “I don’t know.”
Malloy sighed. “Family. I came all this way to help her and I don’t think I helped her at all.”
“Sometimes, people just need to help themselves, Sheriff.”
“I’m off duty. So please, call me Valerie.”
“Okay, Valerie.”
He glanced over to see Reel in animated conversation with Derrick Bender, who, Robie thought, was standing a little too close to her, though Reel didn’t seem to mind. She laughed at something he said.
The hairs on the back of Robie’s neck rose a bit.
“You okay?”
He glanced back at Malloy and her empty glass. “You want a refill on that? Bar’s this way.”
A few minutes later Robie found himself talking to Patti Bender.
“We asked around but no one knows anything about Walton, or prisoners in a van,” she said. “Or if they do they’re not talking about it.”
Robie sipped his wine and nodded slowly. “It may be a combination of ignorance and deceit.”
“I know most of these people,” said Patti. “I doubt they have it in them to keep something like that secret.”
“I appreciate your asking around.”
“Any word on Holly and Luke?”
“No,” said Robie. “Nothing.”
“Maybe they got out of here then,” said Patti with a wistful look.
“Is that your goal? I thought you liked it here.”
“I do. But the world’s a big place. I’d like to see some of it before my time’s up.”
“You’re still young, Patti.”
“I’m not that young. I’ll be forty soon. But around here, you always feel older than you really are.”
“Your mom seems really cool.”
“She is. And I’d miss seeing her.”
“And your dad? Is he still around?”
“No,” she said firmly. “He’s not.”
Robie was about to say something else when the door opened and a tall, lean man with a full head of silver hair walked in. He was dressed in a dark suit with a pocket kerchief and a white shirt, open at the collar. His face was deeply tanned. He looked to be in his late fifties.
“Roark,” said Claire, going over to him and bussing his cheek with her lips.
“Claire, how do you manage to get younger and more gorgeous every time I see you?”
“I knew there was a reason I invited you tonight.” To Robie and Reel, she said, “This is Roark Lambert.”
Robie said, “You rented out the cabin to Roger Walton.”
Lambert nodded. “Claire told me what had happened. I think one reason she invited me tonight was so you could ask me questions.”
“We all want Roger back,” said Claire. “And as quickly as possible.”