Page 51 of Highball Rush
I felt Gibson’s hand on the small of my back while we walked into the dining room. Why was he doing that? Not that I minded. The gentle pressure of his big hand was calming. But also a little bit confusing. Maybe touching me when other people were around had simply become a habit already.
We sat together at their cozy table while Bowie and Cassidy helped Nadine bring in dinner. The scent of roasted chicken and gravy filled the air, making my mouth water.
The meal was amazing. Home cooking at its finest. Nadine kept the conversation light and lively, asking easy-to-answer questions of me and the others at the table. Gibson didn’t say much, but he was very polite to the Tuckers. I had a feeling it meant he liked them. He certainly respected them.
We finished eating and Bowie helped Nadine clear the table.
“I suppose we should get down to business.” Harlan folded his hands together, resting his elbows on the table. “Callie, we’re going to need you to take a DNA test.”
“It’s not that we don’t believe you,” Cassidy said. “I know you’re who you say you are. But we’re going to need proof.”
“Of course. I expected that.”
“Good,” Harlan said. “Cassidy filled me in on your story, but let me see if I have this right. You left home because you were being abused.”
I nodded, feeling Gibson stiffen beside me. “That’s correct.”
“And Jonah Bodine Sr. found you, and helped you get out of town.”
I looked down at the table, my throat suddenly thick, my heart racing. It was so hard to talk about this. I felt raw and exposed, like the old wounds on my arms would break open and start bleeding again.
“It’s okay, dear,” Nadine said, returning to her seat. “Take your time.”
Bowie quietly took his chair next to Cassidy.
“Yes, he helped me. I was injured, and he took care of me as best he could. The next day, he and Mrs. Bodine helped me reach out to a friend I knew I could trust and arranged for a place to go. Mr. Bodine drove me there.”
“Did you ask him to keep your whereabouts a secret?” Harlan asked.
“We came up with the plan together. He didn’t want to put his family in danger, but he also wasn’t willing to send me back. We decided I needed to disappear.”
“I see,” Harlan said, nodding thoughtfully.
“I have a question about your new identity,” Cassidy said. “How’d you manage to get ID? You said you traveled a lot, but you’d need a passport for that.”
“Someone in Blue Moon arranged it for me. He said he knew a guy who knew a guy, or something like that. I realize that’s not exactly legal.” I winced.
“I was just curious,” Cassidy said.
“I reckon your passport and whatnot aren’t really our concern,” Harlan said. “We have bigger issues to deal with, here.”
I tucked my hair behind my ear. “I want you to know, I’m ready to come forward.”
Gibson put up a hand. “No, she can’t—”
“Gibson,” Harlan said, his tone gentle. “We’re not going to make any rash decisions. I agree with y’all keeping her identity a secret for the time being. It was the right thing to do, and I don’t think that’s changed. Callie, if you come forward now, it’s your word against theirs. They’ll claim your injuries were self-harm, and you ran away.”
“What about the forensics report?” Bowie asked. “She’s sitting right here. Clearly that body ain’t her.”
“We have to prove the judge was behind it,” Harlan said. “It’s damn suspicious, but that’s not enough. And you need to understand, I don’t have the jurisdiction to run a proper investigation against Judge Kendall. Not when it crosses state lines. I need to get the FBI involved.”
“So how do we do that?” Gibson asked.
“We, meaninglaw enforcement,” Harlan said, “need to find enough evidence that they’ll take over the case. Right now we have theories and suspicions, but not enough to go to the feds.”
“He’s a high-profile man,” Cassidy said. “Even more now that he’s up for a federal position.”
“Which makes our job harder,” Harlan said. “It’ll be too easy for him to argue it’s a baseless smear campaign designed to lose him his federal appointment.”
