Page 67 of Backwater Justice
Isabelle checked her rearview mirror. Sasha was two cars behind. Bart turned on his directional signal and exited the interstate. Isabelle frowned when she saw Sasha go past the exit. Then she remembered Sasha had a GPS tracker on Bart’s vehicle. Isabelle figured Sasha would circle back. Ten minutes later, Isabelle spotted Sasha ahead of her.How in the world did she do that?Since Sasha already knew the destination, she was making sure Bart wasn’t on to her. But from what Isabelle had been told, Bart wouldn’t know if the Goodyear Blimp was hovering over his head. Sasha pulled into the parking lot across the street from the Cascade Inn, where there was a small diner-type restaurant and a liquor store. Isabelle noted the inn’s location was perfect for someone who wanted a hot meal, a soft bed, a private shower, and maybe a six-pack after a long day.
Isabelle could tell the inn had once been a two-story motel, but with the modernization of the windows, siding, and roofing, it could pass for a new structure. It appeared the main office area had been added later and the parking lot had been repaved. It wasn’t fancy by any stretch of the imagination, but it looked welcoming for road-weary travelers.
Bart parked his truck at the far end of the lot, and Isabelle pulled her car next to his. He gave her a thumbs-up and grinned. He surely didn’t seem like a brute, but you could never tell a book by its cover. He seemed like a bit of a goofball, not a man who would punch a teenage girl. She popped the trunk and took out her overnight bag.
“Follow me,” Bart said in a cheerful voice. As anxious as he was about this whole, big mess, he was relieved he wasn’t standing in front of Oliver or Dickie. They were steaming mad. He knew he’d messed up with the girl, but the other one wasn’t his fault. Not this time. Dickie wanted Bart to help find the missing teen, but he also wanted him to follow Isabelle. He couldn’t be in two places at once. Didn’t Dickie realize that? Bart hoped the teen would show up, and then they could try to get back to business as usual. But then there was the other girl. Woman. Bart dreaded what Dickie might do. Dickie wasn’t a violent man; at least, he’d never showed that side of himself when they were growing up. In fact, Dickie had helped Bart get this job. Bart let out a big sigh. Boy oh boy. What a heap of trouble they were in.
He tried to shrug off his anxiety. For now, he had to show Isabelle around the place and make sure she didn’t go near the laundry room. He didn’t know if he was supposed to spend the night to keep an eye on her, so he called Dickie.
“Hey, boss. We’re in Eugene. What do you want me to do?”
“Show her around. But not everything.” Dickie was at his wit’s end.
“Well, duh, Dickie. I knowthatmuch.” Bart didn’t like the way Dickie had been picking on him over the last couple of weeks. Yes, he’d made a mistake. Okay, so he’d made a few. Not securing the bars on the window was probably the first one. “Do you want me to stay here tonight?”
Dickie lowered his voice. “No. I want you to get back here and help me look for that teenager.”
“Got it. I should be back in a couple of hours.”
“Good.” Dickie slammed the phone down on his desk. The two men who’d captured the housekeeper were now on the lookout for the teenager, so the pill-mill was at a standstill, especially with that Isabelle woman hanging around. His phone rang. It was Oliver.
“Are you still in the office?” Oliver asked. He was standing on the sidewalk outside the restaurant, waiting for Annie.
“Yes. I’m going to go to the grocery store in a bit.”
“What time are you planning on going to Blaine tomorrow?” Oliver smiled at the people passing by.Could they see the steam coming out of his ears?
“I figure around noon.”
“Let me know when you’ve completed the assignment.” Another nod and smile to a couple walking their dog.
“Will do.”
* * *
Annie finished her mission, picked up Myra, and drove her to Benjamin and Danielle’s house. “They should have the lab results in three days.”
“Great. I take it your trip was uneventful.” Myra peered at her.
“Now I know how Maggie feels when everyone gangs up on her.” Annie smirked.
“You’ll get over it. What I meant was, you didn’t run into any obstacles?”
“No. Avery phoned ahead. Good thing. That place was a fortress. Could rival Pinewood, but not quite.” She chuckled.
They pulled into the stone-paved circular driveway of Benjamin Spangler’s home. “Beautiful place,” Annie remarked.
“Do you want to come in and say hello?”
“Not right now. I don’t want to be late for Oliver and our sports car adventure.” Annie raised an eyebrow.
“Please try not to buy anything,” Myra said as she exited the car.
“Party pooper.” Annie tooted the horn.
Danielle opened the front door and waved as Annie pulled away. “Myra. How are you today?”
“I’m just fine, my dear. And you?”