The Hero (Thunder Point #3)(60)

Having seen the car parked in the street, Mac walked into the clinic, hoisting his gun belt as he entered. “Gentlemen,” he said. “Can I help?”

There was a lot of badge flashing, but Devon went to him instantly. “They’re taking me somewhere. They won’t say if I’ll be back. Mac, what about Mercy? What does this mean?”

“You can bring your daughter, Miss McAllister. She’ll be taken care of.”

“I don’t want her to be taken care of by strangers in a strange place!” She turned to Mac and whispered, “Are they putting me in jail?”

Mac took a deep, irritated breath. “Come on, you guys. Lighten up. If you just want to ask her questions, tell her where you’re taking her and when you’ll bring her back.” Then he looked at Devon and said, “They’re probably just taking you to an FBI Field Office or maybe a police department. You don’t have to go with them unless they arrest you, but if you want to cooperate with them, you should at least listen to their questions.” He gave the agents a brief glare. “They’re just trying to intimidate you.”

One of the agents glared back. “We don’t need your assistance, Deputy.”

“This woman is my friend and neighbor!” he snapped. “She came to me with information that I passed on to the sheriff, who I presume involved you, so stop acting like the goddamn Men in Black. Devon is kind and cooperative and responsible. Tell her how long you’ll need her today. And you’re welcome to use my office if that will help.”

“We have a location. And Miss McAllister will be brought back if she wants to come back.”

“Why wouldn’t I want to come back? My daughter is here!”

“All right, look—there’s no reason for all this anxiety. Tell me where to take her,” Mac said to the agents.

“This is our investigation, Deputy.”

“Understood. And I’m the law enforcement officer who brought you Devon’s information. If you want more information, she should be comfortable and feel safe in helping you. Where are we going?”

They exchanged looks. “Coquille sheriff’s department,” Douglas Freeman said.

“Well, that’s easy. I could have saved you some time. Excuse me.” He plucked his phone out of his pocket and called one of the deputies who worked for him. “Steve? I have business out of town. Can you cover the town? Thanks, I owe you one.” Then he called the dispatcher and signed out for Coquille, leaving Deputy Pritkus in charge.

Devon used her cell phone to call Scott. “Dr. Grant, I’m going to have to leave the office. Mac is taking me somewhere to be questioned about you-know-what. Can you make sure Mercy is with you or Gabriella? I don’t know how long I’ll be, but I’ll keep in touch. I’m planning to be back here as soon as possible. What should I do with the clinic?” And then she said “okay” a few times, a thank-you and disconnected.

“That wasn’t quite as cryptic as I would have liked,” one of the agents said.

“I’m getting that,” Devon replied. “I’m also getting that you get jollies out of frightening people, for which you should be docked pay.” She texted something quickly.

“And what’s that about?” he asked.

She finished, hit Send and turned her phone around. She had sent a text to Spencer. Going with the police to answer questions about the commune. Back later.

“Are you done notifying the public now?”

“I’m going to turn off the coffeepot and some of the lights and lock the door. I’m going to ride with Mac. I’m happy to help, but you guys just give me the creeps. I guess you never heard that story about honey versus vinegar.” And with that she walked to the back of the clinic to close it up.

* * *

“FBI is taking priority on this case,” Mac explained as he and Devon made the drive to Coquille. “And, just so you know, they can be very proprietary. It’s their case.”

“That’s been made perfectly clear,” Devon replied. “They better be a lot nicer to me or this isn’t going to go as well as they think. I don’t trust mean people, even if they have badges. After four years with Jacob, I could say especially if they have badges. He spent four years trying to convince us that anyone associated with the police or any government agency only existed to hurt honest, hardworking people. I knew that wasn’t true, but these guys kind of make me wonder...”

Devon continued, “I knew Jacob was a fraud...but he seemed a harmless fraud with plenty of good food on the table and a nice place for me to live in.”

“How did you know?”

“Aunt Mary, the woman who raised me, was devout. We went to church and bible study a lot. I’m not as religious as Mary was, but I know my scriptures. And Jacob didn’t.”

“Maybe his interpretation was intended just to meet his own needs,” Mac said. “Using religion and the bible to his advantage?”

“That is definitely true, but he was so far off the map, anyone who knows their bible would know he was just making stuff up. As time passed, I began to see he wasn’t so harmless. The women in that house—some of them became dependent on him and believed every word he uttered.”

“But you didn’t?”

“No, but I still didn’t have anywhere to go or any money or any driver’s license or anything. A couple of people just walked off while we were at the Farmers’ Market, but they didn’t leave children behind. I could’ve done that, but I would never leave my baby.” She shrugged. “I was stupid. I got myself into it.”