Page 143 of To Die For

“They claim they have it under control. That she’ll be protected.”

“You know as well as I do that when the shit hits the fan, no one is in control. And their plan has more holes than the targets on a sniper range.” He paused. “You still taking her back to her home?”

“I think it’s safer than staying here. At least there I can take some precautions, put up some defenses, and see them coming. Unless the government wants to stick her in a cage surrounded by an army for the next twenty years.”

“What else did you learn?”

“Pru Jackson was waiting for me after Saxby left. She worked with Mercedes King, real name Anne Cassidy, at CIA. The two got into it, Cassidy tried to kill her, so Jackson reciprocated and left her for dead. Next thing she knows, Jackson’s being tortured in a foreign prison. She had thought her agency had screwed her, like I said before, only I think it was Cassidy.”

“I just got something you might find interesting. Camera feed from Ricketts on the day the Odoms died.”

“You do?”

This didn’t come from Devine, but from Betsy Odom, who was standing in the doorway of her bedroom.

The two men glanced at her. Devine said, “Are you up to looking at it, too, Betsy? You might be able to see something helpful.”

Devine could tell by the girl’s stricken features that the thought of seeing her dead parents very much alive on the screen was horrifying. But then she seemed to steel herself and nodded. “Sure, if it’ll help find out what happened to them.”

Campbell brought the feed up on his laptop screen and then fast-forwarded to the relevant section.

Devine watched on the screen as the Genesis pulled up to the curb in front of the restaurant. The car doors opened and the Odom family climbed out, Betsy from the backseat and her parents from the front. He shot Odom a glance and saw her lips start to quiver.

“You okay?”

She didn’t look at him. “Yes.”

He gripped her hand and Odom didn’t pull away.

Alice Odom was dressed in jeans, boots, and a parka. Her long auburn hair splayed out over the back of the jacket. Her smile was wide and infectious.

Dwayne Odom’s hair was far shorter than in the image Devine had seen of him before. He was thin with a shallow chest and no hips and glutes to speak of. A stiff wind looked like it would bring the man down. He came around the car, his smile as broad and as inviting as his wife’s. It was right then that Devine could see what a happy family they had been. And it wasn’t the new car or the trailer in the woods. They just truly seemed to love one another.

It was hard to fathom that in a short time two of them would be dead.

They continued to watch as the Odoms walked into the restaurant.

Devine kept his gaze on the car to see if anyone passing by paid it more than casual attention. Or whether a police cruiser was in the vicinity showing heightened interest.

Neither happened.

With one eye on the screen, Devine said, “Betsy, can you run through what happened inside the restaurant again? I mean, everything you can remember, from beginning to end.”

“I don’t remember much.”

“Just try, please.”

“How about a Coke?” said Campbell. “Lubrication for the throat might free up the mind.”

“Sure, okay.”

He got one from the minibar, poured the can’s contents into a glass, and handed it to her. She took a sip and said, “We sat at our table. Mom and Dad were across from me. Then the waitress came over and asked us what we wanted to drink.”

“Older woman, husky voice?”

“Yeah, that’s right. She didn’t look too… healthy. She smelled smoky, like Agent Saxby.”

“Okay, drink orders?” prompted Devine.

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