He left the room and closed the door behind him. His father, he felt, had married a good person. A strong woman. He would need that. He would need all of that.
And that was when he remembered.
The sound from outside.
And then he heard something moving in the hall.
He turned in an instant, his weapon out and pointed at the new noise.
Jessica Reel was staring back at him, her gun in hand.
She said, “What’s up, besides you?”
“I heard a noise.”
“I did too. From outside.”
“Let’s go check it out.”
“I also thought I heard somebody crying. Did you?”
“It was Victoria. She just needed to talk to someone. This all has to be overwhelming.”
“What’d you tell her?”
“That we were going to find the truth. So let’s see if we can start with whoever’s outside.”
Chapter
52
THE SOUND WAS not repeated.
At least not right away.
But Robie and Reel were patient. They could sit for hours or days or weeks waiting for what needed to come along and be killed.
And finally their patience was rewarded.
The crack of a twig.
The flutter of leaves on a bush.
A breath released too quickly for concealment.
They converged in an instant, guns pointed at their prey.
“Don’t shoot. Sweet Jesus, please don’t shoot me.”
Pete Clancy put up his hands and dropped to his knees. He sat on his haunches, cowering.
Robie and Reel glanced at each other before lowering their weapons.
“What are you doing here, Pete?” asked Robie. “And where the hell have you been?”
Pete let his hands drop and stared up at them.
Composing himself, he said, “On the run, man. You know why.”
“Get up,” said Reel.
When he stood she patted him down and pulled out a short-bladed knife from his front pants pocket.
“What, no guns?” she said.
“I don’t actually like guns all that much,” said Pete in an embarrassed tone. “I just own ’em ’cause you’re supposed to down here.”
She put the knife in her jacket pocket and stepped back.
Robie said, “Who were the guys at your house?”
“Heard you killed ’em later on. In the woods.”
“Who’d you hear that from?”
Pete shrugged. “Somebody,” he mumbled. “Does it matter?”
“It may,” replied Robie. “But we’ll leave that for now. Who were the guys? Rebel Yell thugs?”
Pete looked confused by this. “Rebel Yell? The casino?”
Reel and Robie exchanged another glance.
“Yeah,” said Robie.
“Nope, it wasn’t them.”
Robie said, “Okay, if not them, who? And we know about the pictures on your computer. The man and the little kids?”
Pete looked startled at first but then nodded slowly. “How my old man made his money. Then he took that and made a lot more at the Rebel Yell.”
“And?”
“And he was chairman of Coastal Energy. Coal, gas, oil, you name it. One of the richest men in Mississippi, hell, the whole south. You must’ve heard’a him.”
“No. But he likes kids?” said Reel.
“Guess so.”
“And how did your dad come by those pictures?”