Darkness at the Edge of Town (Iris Ballard #2)(87)

“What?”

“Guess no one ever taught him patience is a fucking virtue,” I said, grabbing my brush and brushing my hair so hard I was practically pulling it out. “I have to get there before Helen.”

Luke rose from the desk. “I’ll drive.”

“No. You’re working. I—”

“Iris, I’m coming with you. There’s nothing at work that won’t keep,” Luke said. “Not another damn word, okay? We don’t have time to waste.”



“Okay. You’re right. Thank you.” I grabbed my makeup bag. “I’ll put my war paint on in the car. Let’s go.”

After assuring my grandparents all was well in hand, we hopped into his car and drove to the station. Not even concealer could hide the dark circles under my eyes. “I can’t believe he didn’t listen to me. Fucking moron.”

“I probably wouldn’t lead with that,” Luke said.

“What the fuck was he thinking?” I hissed.

“Reserve judgment until you talk to him, okay? Keep your cool.”

He was right. The bull-in-a-china-shop routine would only get me tossed out of the station. We already had one bull there wrecking everything. “You’re going to need your Iris-whispering skills today,” I said. “Right now I’m so pissed I’d punch the wind for blowing.”

“I got your back.” He glanced at me with a smirk. “As always.”

Be brave.

I had to look away. My focus had to remain on not throttling Agent Carmichael and salvaging his mess. I—

“Who’s Darla?” I asked before I could stop myself.

“We just worked that kidnap together. You met her. Tall, thin, blond hair?”

“She wasn’t the one who you…who started crying when she saw me in D.C. on the Shepherd case, is she?”

“No. I haven’t seen her since that day.” He paused. “Or seen anyone.” Another pause. “You?”

I flashed back to Paul’s tongue in my mouth. “Of course not.”

“So no three-ways with cult members for Iris Ballard?” Luke teased.



I rolled my eyes. “In your dreams, Hudson.”

He blushed almost as red as his hair, and I knew he’d more than likely had that fantasy. I turned a little red too. Work. Billy. Cult, I told myself. Focus. Focus.

We were still red when we reached the station. Joyce smiled from cheek to cheek when we walked inside. “Well, hello, you two gorgeous people,” she said. “Go on back. I’ll be out here waiting for my tongue-lashing for calling you.”

“Thanks, Joyce,” I said.

“Be brave,” she called out as we passed.

The bullpen was empty. Not a person to be found. They were either out on calls or staked out on New Morning duty. I knew the hoi polloi would be in the observation room. Even a small sheriff’s station had interrogation rooms. Grey County had two, with one observation room overlooking both. Agents Carmichael and Lucerno and Sheriff Hancock all stood in the small room. I could literally smell the testosterone in the ten-by-twelve closet. Not pleasant. On the other side of the mirror, Helen sat, staring at her own folded hands and shaking a little in the tiny cinder-block interrogation room.

“…yes, but I should contact the DA’s office if—” Hancock was saying as we stepped in.

“What the hell are you two doing here?” Carmichael boomed. “Did you call—”

“Joyce did. The receptionist,” I lied.

“We’ve been here two hours and we already have a leak?” Carmichael asked Hancock.



“She’s a family friend,” I said. “And I thought we had an agreement to share information. What the hell is going on here?”

“Why did you bring in Helen Mitchell?” Luke asked.

“I don’t answer to you two,” Carmichael snapped.

“You do realize what you’ve just done, right? You’ve tipped your hand. Mathias will know you’re investigating him,” I said.

“He already knows, thanks to you. Not only are the trailers gone, but our informant told us all ambassador duty is suspended. Mathias called the majority of the members to The Apex for a spiritual weekend to heal the cracks your negativity caused. And I haven’t heard from her again since last night. We grabbed Mitchell just as she was about to leave The Temple too.”

“I told you he would be paranoid for a while, but in a month or two when he realized I was gone, it would be business as usual,” I said. “You posting cops everywhere and pulling in one of his members will just make him more desperate.”

“I’m not a moron, Dr. Ballard. I have double the years in law enforcement that you did. The deputies are in unmarked cars, and they’re a clear distance away. As for Helen Mitchell, you said she can be turned, so that’s what I’m doing. I was always going to bring her in, but your shit sped up my timetable.”

“First off, for the record, I said she might—might—cooperate, but I wouldn’t take the chance. And if she doesn’t flip? You’ve played your hand. It really will be over.”

“We have the informant’s sworn statements about the drugs in your brother and Vanessa Clarke’s cars. We have children unregistered for school. We have witnessed drug use. If she doesn’t cooperate, others will,” Carmichael said. “We’d rather keep building, but that may not be an option anymore. Because of you.”