Alex Barclay - Harm's Reach

‘You’re one of those,’ said Ren.

‘I am,’ said Everett. ‘I used to be a trader.’

‘Yet you passed a drug test...’

‘When you say passed...’ He smiled, then gave one of the best laughs.

Excellent power laugh. Four bursts, done. Superb. I like you, Everett Whateverett.

‘What’s your last name?’ said Ren.

‘King.’

‘Son of Stephen?’ said Ren.

‘Unless my mother has been hiding something for the past forty-one years... then I’m going to say no.’

‘It’s your real name,’ said Ren.

‘It is. I. Am. King.’

‘I’ll be yo’ queen if you know what I mean and...’ Please stop before you finish with ‘let’s do the wild thing’.

Everett looked at her.

‘Ooh,’ said Ren. ‘Tone-Lōc fan?’

‘Isn’t everyone?’

‘I didn’t mean that in that sense, by the way,’ said Ren.

‘Sexual harassment, day one... this is not looking good for you, Agent Bryce...’

‘I’m going to take a seat now. And try not to be myself for the next little while. But I need coffee first. Can I get you one?’

‘Yes, please. If you don’t mind.’

‘I do not mind.’

He’s a keeper, Gary Dettling.

Her phone beeped with seven missed calls; two from Gary, three from Robbie, two from Cliff. There were some ‘Where r u?’ texts thrown in too.

Shit.

She brought coffee back and set it on Everett’s desk. ‘Can I be so bold as to ask a favor?’ she said.

‘Sure,’ said Everett, ‘go ahead.’

‘I’m working on the Laura Flynn case — the shooting of the pregnant woman outside Conifer. Her employer is a multi-millionaire called Robert Prince. Investigators at the Sheriff’s Office are on this, I know, but... if you got through Gary Dettling’s net, I know you have to be good.’ She paused. ‘I was an anomaly.’

‘I’m listening...’

‘Could you look into Prince’s financials for me, see if there’s anything that might be amiss? He and his wife have been lie-telling and... I’m just not quite sure why.’

‘But you think it might be financial?’ said Everett.

‘Not exactly,’ said Ren. ‘It’s just, you know the way with a lot of wealthy people, the financial and personal are so tightly intertwined that an issue with one can completely unravel the other?’

‘I have certainly seen that,’ said Everett. ‘I’ll look into it...’

‘On the down low,’ said Ren.

‘Yes, Tone.’

She smiled. ‘I really appreciate it.’

When she got through her coffee, she was ready to call Gary.

‘Hi, Gary, it’s Ren — I’m sorry I missed your call earlier—’

‘Not good enough,’ said Gary.

‘Sorry,’ said Ren.

‘What the hell were you doing?’ said Gary.

‘I completely forgot. I couldn’t sleep in the middle of the night. I turned my phone off. I never do that.’

‘That’s not acceptable,’ said Gary.

‘I know. I’m sorry. It won’t happen again. So... Bandits: Welton Street first, Glendale, Englewood, Conifer, then Littleton?’

‘Well, there’s nothing to say they’re working in a strict east/west order...’ said Gary.

‘Anyone injured?’ said Ren.

‘One customer with a broken nose, smashed with the butt of the gun.’

‘OK,’ said Ren. ‘Are you sure you don’t need me there?’

‘Yes,’ said Gary. ‘We’ve got it covered.’

‘OK,’ said Ren, ‘well, I’ll see you back at the ranch.’ She put the phone down.

Everett looked up from his computer.

‘You have not made your boss happy today...’ he said.

‘I have not,’ said Ren. Boyfriend last night, boss today.

‘And I can’t say I was too impressed with my coffee,’ said Everett.

Ren smiled. ‘OK... I really need to find something to redeem myself with this morning.’

Ren went into Gary’s office when he got back.

‘Just so you know, Janine and I will be going to The Darned Heart later to speak with Conor Gorman.’

Gary nodded.

‘And I’m working my butt off on the bandits...’ says Ren as an invisible tumbleweed rolls through the silence... ‘I’m just sorry about earlier.’

Gary nodded. He looked down at his desk. ‘Ren,’ he said, ‘you might want to take a look at your shirt.’

She glanced down. Two buttons were gone from her gray shirt, showing most of her pink bra and the cleavage it was enthusiastically supporting.

Oh. Dear. God. ‘Shit.’

So much for redeeming myself.

She closed the door behind her and ran to the ladies’ room.

Please let there be another shirt here. Please.

She pulled open the door of her locker. There was a white shirt hanging in plastic.

Please let there be a nude bra here. Please.

She found one in a pile of other clothes.

Thank God, thank God.

She changed, then sat back down at her desk and texted Ben:

Stop ripping off my shirts...

Ben replied right away.

It’s my ™ move.

Glad to be one of the lucky ladies.

He texted back.

The only lady.

Hmm.

Hide this jealous weirdness.

She texted back

XX

Kristen Faule kept Ren and Janine waiting for over twenty minutes in the lobby of The Darned Heart. Eventually, a short, smiling blonde with legs like a wrestler appeared from behind the front desk and led them to the office. The introductions were awkward. Kristen sat at her desk with Ren and Janine on stiff wooden chairs facing her.

Pass to the comfortable sofas: revoked.

‘I’ll call Conor to the small meeting room when you’re ready to speak with him,’ said Kristen.

‘Thank you,’ said Ren.

Kristen clasped her hands and leaned toward them. ‘You have to understand, we were under strict orders to keep Conor’s presence here confidential. Our aim is very simply to help the teens who stay here. You know we’re bound by confidentiality, and it’s unfortunate under these circumstances, but I’m protecting the residents — not because they’ve committed a crime, but because they are in treatment. That’s why they’re here. They need time away from disruption and dysfunction.’

‘It’s not as straightforward as “resident X didn’t commit a crime”,’ said Ren. ‘Resident X may have seen something that will help find the killer of a pregnant young woman. There are all kinds of possibilities. Conor got in a bar fight — who knows what could have happened as a result of that? They could have found out where he was, decided to get their own back on him... This is our job, Mrs Faule. This is what we do best. We cast our net wide. And we need your help.’

‘I want to help,’ said Kristen. ‘But you know my hands are tied... unless you have something more concrete.’

‘Has Conor spoken to you about the death of his aunt?’ said Janine.

‘No,’ said Kristen. ‘He may have spoken to one of the counselors, but obviously, those conversations are strictly confidential.’

‘Does Conor have any particular friends here at the ranch?’ said Janine.

‘We don’t really encourage the kids to break away like that,’ said Kristen. ‘We like them to be supported in a group fashion. If they’re branching off in ones or twos—’

‘Mrs Faule, I get what you’re saying,’ said Ren, ‘but I think we both know that it doesn’t always go the way the grown-ups plan. These kids don’t exactly have a good track record with rules. It would help if you could point us in the direction of someone who knew Conor a little better than the rest of you.’

‘Excuse me,’ said Kristen. ‘I did nothing wrong. You know that the children who stay here are entitled to privacy. Unless you have a warrant, I can’t do anything. I’m not trying to be difficult here. Please understand that—’