just like you thought, only his name is Grady Bell. He has two outstanding arrest warrants from Washington State, one robbery, one assault, but I don’t think he’s our killer. You need to let the chief know. Maybe they can get him out of here without alerting anyone to what’s going on. I’d hate to do anything to scare these people. They’ve been through enough.”
“I knew he was jumpy about something,” Tate said. “I’ll tell Beaudry. Is Nola okay?”
“Yes. She’s at the far end of the gym visiting with some friends.”
“Okay. I’m just about done here. I’ll be back before long.”
“See you soon,” Cameron said, and hung up.
When he walked back into the gym area he checked on Nola, then glanced toward the kitchen. The truck they’d been waiting on must have arrived. The card game had been abandoned, and the back door was open. As he watched, the crew began wheeling in dollies loaded with freight. He walked back that way and caught Laura coming in with an armload of paper products.
“Can I talk to you a minute?”
“Sure,” she said. “Let me put this stuff down and I’ll be right with you.”
Cameron shoved his hands in his pockets and smiled, then nodded at Brad and John as they came in carrying boxes.
“How’s it going?” he asked.
“Long day,” Brad said.
“Not bad,” John added. “I had a nap earlier.”
Patty was unloading a dolly just inside the storeroom.
“Who slept?” she asked, as she poked her head out the door.
“John did,” Brad said, and laughed.
Patty shook her head. “That beauty sleep didn’t do you much good. Come help me put this stuff up on the shelf. I’m too short to reach.”
“Why sure, shrimp. I’ll just take my ugly self right in there and help you out.”
They all laughed, which was good, because when Allen came in, he looked startled to see an FBI agent in the kitchen.
Cameron didn’t look at him. He didn’t want to spook him. And as soon as Laura came out, they walked away.
“So, is there a problem?” she asked.
“Yes. Your Judd Allen has two outstanding arrest warrants from the state of Washington, only his real name is Grady Bell. Beaudry should be on his way over here to take him into custody. I’d like to do it with as little fuss as possible.”
She groaned. “Oh, no. I can’t believe he slipped under our radar. We’ve just been so overwhelmed that we gladly take any semi-local help we can get.”
“I don’t think he’s a local,” he said.
She frowned. “Oh. Well, I know he’s been staying at the local trailer park, because he’s one of the volunteers who came in early. He was already here when we arrived. Said he was down from Natchez. Said he’d heard some of the Red Cross there talking about setting up down here, as well, so I just figured that’s where he was from.”
Cameron’s heart skipped a beat. “You’re serious?”
“Yes, why?”
“Don’t let on about anything. Just find a log sheet or something from your office and carry it back like you were checking on what just came in. I’ve got to get hold of Tate and Wade.”
“Wade is outside where we’re unloading. I was just talking to him.”
“Thanks,” Cameron said. “I’ve got to go. If we’re lucky, this could be it.”
Seven
C ameron checked on Nola’s whereabouts one last time, then put in a call to Tate as he headed outside.
Tate answered on the first ring. “I’m already on my way.”
“I was just talking to Laura, and she said Allen was one of the volunteers who came in early and is staying at the trailer park. He told her he’d been in Natchez and heard them talking about setting up farther downriver, so he thought he’d come lend a hand.”
“Son of a bitch,” Tate muttered. “Keep an eye on him. We don’t want him to get away.”
“Will do,” Cameron said as Wade appeared around the corner of the building. Cameron waved him over.
“What’s going on?” Wade asked.
“We may have a break in the case.
“I knew he was jumpy about something,” Tate said. “I’ll tell Beaudry. Is Nola okay?”
“Yes. She’s at the far end of the gym visiting with some friends.”
“Okay. I’m just about done here. I’ll be back before long.”
“See you soon,” Cameron said, and hung up.
When he walked back into the gym area he checked on Nola, then glanced toward the kitchen. The truck they’d been waiting on must have arrived. The card game had been abandoned, and the back door was open. As he watched, the crew began wheeling in dollies loaded with freight. He walked back that way and caught Laura coming in with an armload of paper products.
“Can I talk to you a minute?”
“Sure,” she said. “Let me put this stuff down and I’ll be right with you.”
Cameron shoved his hands in his pockets and smiled, then nodded at Brad and John as they came in carrying boxes.
“How’s it going?” he asked.
“Long day,” Brad said.
“Not bad,” John added. “I had a nap earlier.”
Patty was unloading a dolly just inside the storeroom.
“Who slept?” she asked, as she poked her head out the door.
“John did,” Brad said, and laughed.
Patty shook her head. “That beauty sleep didn’t do you much good. Come help me put this stuff up on the shelf. I’m too short to reach.”
“Why sure, shrimp. I’ll just take my ugly self right in there and help you out.”
They all laughed, which was good, because when Allen came in, he looked startled to see an FBI agent in the kitchen.
Cameron didn’t look at him. He didn’t want to spook him. And as soon as Laura came out, they walked away.
“So, is there a problem?” she asked.
“Yes. Your Judd Allen has two outstanding arrest warrants from the state of Washington, only his real name is Grady Bell. Beaudry should be on his way over here to take him into custody. I’d like to do it with as little fuss as possible.”
She groaned. “Oh, no. I can’t believe he slipped under our radar. We’ve just been so overwhelmed that we gladly take any semi-local help we can get.”
“I don’t think he’s a local,” he said.
She frowned. “Oh. Well, I know he’s been staying at the local trailer park, because he’s one of the volunteers who came in early. He was already here when we arrived. Said he was down from Natchez. Said he’d heard some of the Red Cross there talking about setting up down here, as well, so I just figured that’s where he was from.”
Cameron’s heart skipped a beat. “You’re serious?”
“Yes, why?”
“Don’t let on about anything. Just find a log sheet or something from your office and carry it back like you were checking on what just came in. I’ve got to get hold of Tate and Wade.”
“Wade is outside where we’re unloading. I was just talking to him.”
“Thanks,” Cameron said. “I’ve got to go. If we’re lucky, this could be it.”
Seven
C ameron checked on Nola’s whereabouts one last time, then put in a call to Tate as he headed outside.
Tate answered on the first ring. “I’m already on my way.”
“I was just talking to Laura, and she said Allen was one of the volunteers who came in early and is staying at the trailer park. He told her he’d been in Natchez and heard them talking about setting up farther downriver, so he thought he’d come lend a hand.”
“Son of a bitch,” Tate muttered. “Keep an eye on him. We don’t want him to get away.”
“Will do,” Cameron said as Wade appeared around the corner of the building. Cameron waved him over.
“What’s going on?” Wade asked.
“We may have a break in the case.
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