Midnight Crossing (Josie Gray Mysteries #5)(4)

“And three thousand bucks for his trouble,” Otto said.

Agnes looked horrified. “Well, you can’t just let this naked man ferry people onto my property!”

“We’ll get someone out here.” Josie handed her a business card. “You call me if you see anything else. By the time we get here the transport will probably be over, but we’ll track what times he comes and goes. We’ll get him eventually.

“And, whatever you do, don’t get involved. No yelling at him to get off your land, or firing shots, or you’re likely to get shot yourself. Understood?”

Agnes nodded, her expression grim, and slipped the card into her shirt pocket.

*

They got back in the jeep and Otto buckled his seat belt, clearly agitated. “Explain how a multimillion-dollar border fence is going to stop a guy like Slick Fish.”

“No clue,” Josie said. She’d heard the same rant from Otto for years.

“We spend a small fortune building a fence that they’ll go under, or over, or cut a hole in and drive straight through. Makes no sense.”

“It’s a deterrent. It slows them down,” she said, which was the same response she always gave.

“It’s like shoving your thumb into a hole in a dam and expecting to stop the water. The water always wins. It doesn’t work.”

Josie changed the topic. “I’ll work with Marta to set up an observation post to track Slick’s movements. It’ll be tough to find her time to get over there in the evening, but we’ll give it a shot.”

“We’ll never catch the bastard. He’s naked and he’s slick. Unless you’re right down there on the water and plan on jumping into the river and wrestling him back onto U.S. soil, he’s home free. What’s the point?”

“What are you so grumpy for?” she finally asked.

He ignored her question as she parked in front of the PD. They entered the building and found Lou behind the entryway counter, leaning against it with her hands folded in front of her, grinning as if she had a mouthful of gossip ready to spill.

“Okay. Let’s hear it,” Otto said to her.

Lou grinned wider. “Can’t. It’s a surprise. And, boy howdy, is it ever.”

Josie refrained from rolling her eyes and walked through the swinging door at the end of the counter and back toward the stairs that led to their office. Pointless gossip annoyed her almost as much as meaningless small talk.

She reached the top of the stairs and was surprised to see the office light on. Marta had another half hour before her shift began, and she wasn’t one to come in early. Then Josie smelled cigarette smoke. She knew it wasn’t from Lou sneaking one in the bathroom because she’d given up the habit several months ago and turned into an anti-smoking zealot.

Josie pushed the office door open and the “surprise” stood and smiled, blowing smoke out in a stream and dropping her cigarette into a Coke can sitting on the conference table.

Josie pushed past her shock and said, “Mom! It’s great to see you.”

“You bet it is!” She gave Josie a quick hug and turned to Otto, who had been right behind her. She walked up to him and poked a finger into his chest. “And I remember you. Officer O. Right?”

“Otto,” Josie said. “His name is Otto.”

“It’s good to see you, Beverly,” Otto said, reaching his hand out but accepting her enthusiastic hug instead.

“Of course I know this is Otto! That was my nickname for him!”

Josie didn’t remember that at all. Her mom had made the trip from Indiana to Texas once a few years back, and it had been a disaster.

“This is a big surprise,” Josie said. “What brings you here?”

Her mom planted her hands on her hips and looked offended. “Seriously? You have to ask? I came to see you!”

“Beverly, it’s a pleasure to see you again. I’m sorry to leave so soon, but I’ve got a meeting I need to get to.” Otto laid his notebook on the conference table and headed toward the door. He turned to Josie when he reached it, his eyebrows bunching up as he offered what she assumed was a sympathetic look. “I’ll see you tomorrow?”

She nodded. He didn’t have a meeting. Their shift was almost over and he had just mentioned going home to feed his goats. “See you in the morning.” Josie didn’t blame him. She didn’t want the drama either.

“I figured, you won’t call me, so I’ll just come visit in person!” Beverly said. Her voice was loud and overly cheerful in the otherwise quiet room.

“The phone lines run both ways,” Josie said.

“You going to take me out to dinner tonight? Introduce me to your friends?” her mom asked.

“A friend of mine is coming over for dinner tonight. His name is Nick. Why don’t you come by about six, and I’ll have dinner for us.”

Beverly’s face fell and her shoulders slumped. “I thought I’d be staying with you. I drove all the way out here. Gas cost a fortune. And buying all my meals along the way. I just figured you’d put me up.”

Josie felt blood rush to her face and she struggled to contain a smart remark about the visit that she’d had no time to prepare for. “I have a small place. I think it—”

“You have two bedrooms!”