Page 36 of Legends: Easton
“Fine. If you can convince Gran to stay with Becky and not go off on her own until this is resolved, then I’ll agree to work with your brothers to take down Melvin.”
His smile was brilliant, and she blinked, stunned by how handsome he was. He was good-looking when he wasn’t even trying, but with a smile like that, he was downright stunning. Hot enough to melt the ice at the North Pole. She was in trouble.
“He doesn’t have to convince me of anything.”
Easton and Bailee shifted around to see that Darby Anne had stepped outside. Bailee knew her Gran had kept an eye on her while she was outside, so she wasn’t surprised to see her. She was surprised that Gran readily agreed with Easton’s plan.
“You sure, Gran?”
Darby Anne nodded. “If that’s what it takes to keep you safe and let you return to living your life, then yes, I’m sure. Roxy can even stay with me. I’m sure Becky won’t mind. Just promise me you’ll be careful. I love you both, and my world wouldn’t be the same without you in it.”
“That I can promise,” Easton said.
Bailee nodded. “But I want to keep Roxy with me as much as possible. I don’t want her to think I’ve abandoned her the way her previous owners did.”
“It’s settled then. We’ll stay here tonight, and then I’ll head to Becky’s tomorrow. Roxy can stay next door with you. Is that all right, Easton?”
“Yes, ma’am. Having Roxy will help us keep up appearances, but when we can’t be with her, she can stay at my house or with Jackson and Reagan at theirs. And don’t worry about stayinghere tonight. You’ll be safe. My brothers and I will make sure of that.”
Darby Anne smiled. “I know you will.”
She went back inside, leaving Bailee alone with Easton, and Bailee felt sure that this time they were indeed alone. She doubted Darby Anne was keeping such a close eye on her with Easton by her side.
“You’ve got Gran wrapped around your little finger.” Her tone was teasing, but her words weren’t meant to be entirely in jest.
His eyes danced as he shook his head. “When it comes to you Maxwell women, I think it may be the other way around.”
Chapter Fourteen
Easton wondered for what seemed like the twentieth time that morning if setting up this meeting was a good idea.
Now that he was in the room with Bailee, Luke, Tater, and one of the Fire Creek Police Department detectives, Bill Griffin, with Bailee’s police chief and ATF contact on a video call, doubt crept in about whether bringing together the strong personalities from different law enforcement agencies was a good idea.
He could feel the tension rolling off Bailee’s stature. Her back was ramrod straight against the uncomfortable chair, her shoulders stiff. Her expression was stoic, her dark eyes shuttered to hide what she was thinking and feeling. He wanted to take her hand to remind her she wasn’t alone, but he didn’t think she’d welcome the gesture. She was all business, trying to separate her emotions from the case that had taken a personal turn.
“I appreciate everyone coming together on this. Until we know what we’re looking at, we need to keep communication open. Detective Maxwell’s attack likely has a bearing on the ATF’s case, and we want to dot our i’s and cross our t’s on this one.”
“Thank you, Chief Tatum. I appreciate you bringing us in and for any help you can provide. For those of you who don’t know me, I’m Corinne Southerland with the ATF. Detective Maxwell and I have been working closely on this case for a while now. If I may, it might be helpful if we start at the beginning. Bailee, would you like to start, or would you rather I did?”
“No, I can,” Bailee said. “It started with me, so it only makes sense.”
Easton didn’t like her emotionless tone as if she was detached from what was going on. He watched her intently, looking for signs that the meeting was overwhelming, but she appeared cool. He would have given his right arm to know what was running through her mind, and not knowing fueled his frustration.
“Over two years ago, a young girl came into the Louisville PD and asked to speak to someone in charge. It was late. I was clearing some paperwork, so I was the only detective there. I was asked to talk to her. Her name was Shantayle Barnes, twenty years old, from the West End, specifically Shively.”
“This is a particularly dangerous part of Louisville,” Chief Matthew Tucker interjected. “High crime and substantial gang activity.”
Bailee nodded in agreement. “Shantayle was the granddaughter of the leader of the Blood Disciples, a dangerous gang operating out of Louisville. They have their hands all over every type of criminal enterprise you can imagine, but they’re smart. We had a lot of suspicions and circumstantial evidence, but not enough solid evidence to convict any of the major players. The leader’s name is Roland Barnes, or B Diggs, andhe usually sacrifices his lower-level minions to keep his major players out of trouble.”
She paused and took a deep breath. This time, Easton did reach for her hand under the table and lightly squeezed it reassuringly. Bailee didn’t look at him, but she returned the squeeze and kept a light hold on his hand.
“Shantayle’s father is Terrence T-Loc Jones. He’s B Diggs’ lieutenant. Shantayle grew up in gang life, and she wanted out of it. When B Diggs started talking about sacrificing her to create an alliance with another gang, she knew it was time she got out. Running away wasn’t an option. She had no money and no one to help her. Plus the BDs would have tracked her down and killed her. She decided her best option was to work with the police in exchange for being relocated with a new identity. She became my confidential informant.”
Bailee paused as if collecting her thoughts or her emotions — Easton couldn’t be sure which. Chief Tucker chose that moment to pick up the narrative, giving her a break.
“Miss Barnes became a valuable asset. Her intel helped us close a lot of cases and put a dent in the BDs’ criminal activities. We were able to take down some significant players in the organization. She knew how to fly under the gang’s radar.”
Bailee’s gaze swept the room. “That all stopped when I got a call late one night. Dispatch said a body had been found at an empty lot. It was Shantayle, and she had been wrapped in a plastic sheet and duct taped. According to the autopsy, she had been tortured, raped, and sodomized before they shot her through the head. She had given us intel on a major drug and gun-running operation that could have potentially broughtdown T-Loc and other major players in the gang. At the time, we believed they had somehow connected her to our investigation and figured out she was feeding us intel.”
