Page 65 of Sam's Salvation
“We figured you’d have that in spades,” Sam said. He tipped his head toward the cup next to Max.
“We can always use more,” Dean replied.
“We’ll get it later,” Audra said. “I’m sure we’ll all need it. Can we call Asher now?”
Max opened his laptop without a word and pulled up a video call screen.
“We’re video calling today?” Sam took a third pastry out of the bag and passed it to Audra.
She smiled her thanks and sat on the bed behind Max.
“Yep. Better audio than speakerphone.”
Sam tipped his head. Max had a point.
With the last pastry in the bag in his hand, Sam sat next to Audra. The call connected, and Asher’s face filled the screen. Ford sat next to him.
“Uh-oh,” Dean said. “Boss man’s here. What did you find?”
“Some crazy shit,” Asher said. He sighed. “So, the Powells are on the FBI’s radar and have been for some time. Brooke talked to her friend’s husband. But I need to back up. I ran a correlation search on their names, their business, and criminal activity in the areas where they’ve lived or worked, and I found something… well, interesting. And not in a good way. Do any of you remember the serial killer case in Colorado a few years back? Ryan Marsters?”
“Wasn’t he the guy who went out in dramatic fashion after he kidnapped the local sheriff’s girlfriend?” Max said.
“That’s the one.” Asher nodded. “When I ran the Powells, it turns out they’re from the same area as Marsters. Elko County, Nevada.”
“Brooke also talked to Ben—her friend’s husband?” Ford arched an eyebrow, making sure they understood before he went on.
Dean’s head bobbed once, and Ford continued.
“He put in a call to his former partner and asked him to do a quick search. The brothers are under investigation for drug activity. I guess they got put on the FBI’s radar during their investigation into Marsters. There were some drugs involved in that case somehow. I’m not really clear on that point. But Ben’s partner gave him the name of a guy you can contact for more information. Sebastian Archer. He’s the sheriff of the county where this all went down. He’s a former fed too.”
“I’ll email the info to you guys,” Asher said.
“Okay,” Sam said. “We’ll give him a call.”
“Sounds good. Did you guys come up with anything in Audra’s files?”
Audra scrunched her face, clearly annoyed by their lack of progress. Sam agreed with the sentiment. There was a lot of information to sift through. It all pointed to Brogan being guilty of many things, but nothing about who would have motive to kill her—besides the obvious—or why Theo was involved.
“From what we can tell, most of the case against him comes from what I’ve observed. It’s the people I’ve seen him meet with. Some of their discussions I’ve overheard. The ledger is the best physical evidence we have against him. Have you made any headway into decoding it?”
“Possibly. My program spit out many combinations for the initials from the info I fed it. I need some background on the names and businesses you gave me to get any further. How about while Sam calls that sheriff, Max and Dean can continue to comb through your evidence files and you and I can talk? I think with your insight, we can put together a pretty accurate list.”
“Sure.”
“On that note, I’ll leave you guys to it,” Ford said. “If there’s anything else you need from me, just ask.”
“We will,” Sam said. “Thanks, Ford. And tell Brooke we said thanks.”
“Will do.” He got up and left.
Asher leaned closer to the camera. “You three—scram. The nice English lady and I need to chat.”
Sam rolled his eyes, but moved away from the computer. Max chuckled and Dean gave him a half smile.
“Audra, is it okay if I use your computer while you’re on mine?” Max asked.
She glanced at him and nodded.