Page 74 of Once Removed (Blackhawk Security)

Chapter 23

As Phoebe dashed up the stairs toward her room, Brody took Lainey’s hand. “We’ll talk tomorrow,” he said quietly. “About our situation. Is that okay?”

Lainey nodded slowly, but Brody saw the doubt in her eyes, and his stomach clenched. Could he regain Lainey’s trust?

Could she regain his? She’d talked to DCFS, after she’d promised him she wouldn’t. Yeah, she’d pretended she was asking for a client. But Brody was pretty sure her friend had seen right through Lainey’s story.

Helena was a small city. The fact that Phoebe was staying with him, and that Lainey was living here, too, was probably common knowledge.

“I shouldn’t have asked Mel and Devlin to dinner, but I want to know what they’re planning for that compound,” he said, drawing Lainey into the living room. “I don’t want another group like those fake soldiers who were there when it opened.”

Lainey frowned. “How would you stop them?”

“I’d buy the property myself,” he retorted.

She studied him with shocked eyes. “You have enough money for that?”

“No, I don’t, but I have a lot of acreage. I can get a second mortgage to raise the money.” The idea of going further into debt made Brody sick to his stomach. But he didn’t want another shadowy group living just down the road from him. He’d met some of those soldiers from the compound. A lot of them were decent kids. But there had been some bad apples in that group. And both of the guys who’d been in charge -- the one who’d died, and the one who’d taken his place -- had been sketchy. Devious. He hadn’t trusted either of them.

“So that’s why you asked them to dinner?” she asked in a low voice, glancing toward the kitchen.

“They can’t hear us,” he said. “They’re having a good time with Vi and Brett. And yes, that’s why I asked them to dinner. To pump them for information.”

“Neither Mel nor Devlin look like idiots.” Lainey frowned at him. “I’m sure they’ll figure out what you’re doing.”

Brody shrugged. “Maybe they will. But I don’t care. And if they have nothing to hide, they’ll understand. If they’re going to be my neighbors, I want to know about them. And they probably want to know about me, too.”

Lainey studied him for a long moment, and he couldn’t read her expression. That was new. He’d always known what she was thinking. Had their mutual lack of trust destroyed the connection between them?

He couldn’t think about that now. Phoebe had to come first. Mel and Devlin and their reasons for buying the compound were next. He and Lainey would have their chance when they had time to talk. To figure out how things had gone off the rails. They were both at fault. They’d have to fix it together.

“Maybe you’re right,” Lainey finally said. “But we should tell them now about what happened with Art Larsen at the compound. Before Phoebe joins us for dinner.”

“Exactly what I was thinking.” He took her hand, and was surprised when she didn’t pull away. As they passed through the dining room, he nodded at his small bar. “You want a glass of wine?”

Lainey shook her head without looking at him. “Maybe with dinner,” she said quietly. “But not now. I need to have a clear head for this discussion.”

Nodding, Brody continued into the kitchen, where Mel and Devlin turned to look at him. “Is that guy in jail?” Mel asked.

“Good and tight,” Brody replied. “And we’ll try to make sure he stays there until he’s tried.” He listened for a moment, and when he heard the faint sound of Phoebe’s voice in her room, clearly still on the phone, he said, “That guy is Phoebe’s father. So I don’t want to discuss what happened at dinner. But since you helped stop him, and you were there the day of the fire, you have a right to know what happened.”

He glanced at Vi and Brett, who were staring at him, their mouths open.

He gave a brief overview of what the compound had been about, stressing the fact that he’d always been uncomfortable with the place. He hadn’t trusted the guys in charge. Had no idea what they were doing in that secretive place.

“Larsen and Lainey’s ex-husband worked there.” He fumbled for her hand, and she twined her fingers with his. Held on tightly. “Larsen killed her ex, then started the fire in the barracks and the mess hall, probably to hide the murder and Ron’s evidence.”

He described the photos he and Lainey had found, that it was likely Larsen would spend the rest of his life in prison.

“Phoebe knows some of this, but not all of it. So I’d rather not discuss it over dinner,” Brody said.

Mel’s face had hardened as he spoke, and she shook her head. “No, a kid that age doesn’t need to know how evil her father was. We won’t say a thing.”

“Good. Thank you,” Brody said. He nodded to Brett and Vi. “You can fill in Chase, Frank and Garrett, but tell them to keep it to themselves. I’m sure Jacobs doesn’t want word getting out before the trial.”

Brett nodded. “I’ll tell them. And they’ll keep their mouths shut.”

“Great.”

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