Shallow Creek

The line went dead, but Michelle had confirmed the suspicion that had popped into Brendan’s head while in custody.  He highlighted the next call he needed to make and prayed the dying battery would hold out for a few more minutes.

“Boy, what the hell kind of mess have you gotten yourself into this time?” his dad demanded in place of a salutation.

“It’s Grant that’s in deep shit, Dad.  He’s been dealing meth.”

His dad hesitated. “That’s not true.”

“Yes, it is,” Brendan insisted.  “The same shit that Taryn’s hooked on.”

“What?  But, wait—”

“I need to know where Grant’s timeshare is.  The cabin you told me about.”

His dad was still in shock from the sounds of his inarticulate mumblings.

“Dad, snap out of it!  We can do some real good here, but you’ve got to tell me where Grant’s place is.”

For all his usual bluster, Darryl Rhodes finally had nothing to say.

“Dad, please.  I want to help Taryn, and to do that, I need to take down Grant.  He’s kidnapped two federal agents.”

That got the old man’s attention.  “What?  Are you serious?”

“Absolutely.  Where is the cabin?”

“Uh, I don’t know exactly, but I’m pretty sure he said it’s just two streets past our old place, off some caliche road.  You turn right at the fork.  Yeah, that’s what he told me.  You keep going past our cabin, make a right two driveways down, and then hang right at the fork.”

“Holy shit.  Thanks, Dad.”

“Brendan, the police just arrived,” his dad said, uncertainty creeping into his voice.  “You sure you’re not in trouble?”

“Positive.  Please trust me.”

The silence on the open line provided Brendan with little solace.

“Sure,” his dad finally said, defeated.

Brendan choked back what he pretended wasn’t a tear and hung up.  When his phone reverted back to the phonebook screen, he saw another useful entry, but knew he couldn’t just call.  He’d have to do this one in person.

Chapter 43

Crouched between two parked cars, Brendan scanned the street one last time before making his move.  The act of standing shot searing pain into his midsection, but he managed to reduce his reaction to a mere grimace.  Screaming in pain wasn’t going to help him sneak around much, not in this quiet neighborhood.  He crossed the street quickly and mounted the stairs to Kim’s apartment.

No obvious cops had watched the place, or even swung by, in the fifteen minutes Brendan had spent observing from down the street.  Confident that the police and DEA were focusing their efforts elsewhere, Brendan rapped on the door and stepped back.  Only when he heard the shuffling of feet approaching the door from the other side did Brendan suddenly realize Kim’s mother was probably watching him right now.  Did she have any good reason to call the cops on him?  He didn’t think so, but it was hard to tell friend from foe at this point.  A quick glance back to the kitchen window of the main house revealed no sign of Kim’s mom.

“What are you doing here?”

Kim looked like crap.  She wore her bathrobe and some house slippers shaped like a cartoon character Brendan vaguely recognized.  Her hair was a mess and she had a box of tissues in one hand.

“You feeling okay?” he asked gingerly, testing the waters.

“I’m sick,” she said, her congested sinus fully evident in her voice.  “I’m the only person who can get a cold when it’s seventy degrees out.”

She was probably sick because of the huge swings in temperature that this part of the country suffered from at this time of the year.  Sure, it was seventy plus during the day, but at night the air could dip below fifty.

“That sucks.  Can I come in and talk for a second?”

“No.  You’re an asshole for even showing up here,” she said, but the door stayed open.

“I’m sorry for not telling you, and I wish I had a better explanation other than, ‘I don’t remember any of it.’”

“Yeah, right.”

Brendan held his hands up in surrender.  “Fine, don’t believe me.  That’s not even why I’m here.  I think my brother kidnapped two DEA agents and is holding them at his cabin.”

“Wait, what?  Are you serious?”

She sneezed as she moved back from the door to make way for him, but Brendan ignored the invitation.  Suddenly he didn’t want to tempt fate by entering a contaminated zone.

“Yeah, the DEA have been on to him recently, and I think he kidnapped these cops,” Brendan said.  “They’re in danger.”

“So I was right about Grant?” she asked before blowing her nose prolifically.

“Looks like it.  I think he’s up near the top of this local operation.”

“So why are you here?  Go tell the cops about this place.”

“The police aren’t exactly my best friends right now.  They think I’m involved with my brother’s scheme.”

“Are you?”

“Am I what?”

“Involved with Grant,” Kim said, as if talking to a stupid child.

“No.  Of course not.”

She processed all of this for a few moments before speaking again.  “Can I trust you?”

“Yes.”

“I trusted you before.  I trusted you more than anyone else I’ve ever met.”

“I know, and I’m sorry for that,” Brendan said.  “I want to make that up to you somehow, but right now, I need a favor.”