Ghost River Jon Coon (free reads TXT) 📖

From the galley, Carol laughed and said, “Only big ones, and I haven’t seen any real fishermen around here yet!”

“Remember to ask the secretary about Wyatt,” Gabe told Bob. “We need to know more about him.”

Two hours later Gabe was still on the couch. The TV was off, and he waited while an email loaded. Someone had sent a huge file. Carol and Emily weren’t back from the builder when Bob called again. Bob was stressed and abrupt. “Trouble. The secretary, Janna, was in a hit and run on her lunch break. She left the building without her protection. I’ve got a warrant, and I’m going to her office before it gets cleaned out.”

“How is she?” Gabe asked.

“Won’t know anything until she comes out of surgery.”

“What are the odds it was one of Conners’s men?” Gabe asked.

“Are there big snakes in the Glades? If she makes it, we’re going to have to protect her.”

Gabe’s computer chimed the arrival of his email. “Hang on. I’ve got something from her.” Gabe opened the attachment and found photographs and documents with names and notations. The title bar read Just in case.

“Bless you, Janna,” he said and then told Bob what he’d found. “Let me have a look at these, and I’ll call you back.” He clicked off and put down the phone.

He opened the file and began reading. He stopped short at a country club picture of younger versions of Bo and Wyatt Bodine.

Gabe called Bob and left a message. “Janna sent a huge file of pictures and her notes. There’s a history of travel and other favors Bo did for his friends. Enough to get indictments. I forwarded them. Also, a big file on Wyatt, Bo’s son. Athlete, decorated Ranger, so on. I wonder what happened to turn him to the dark side.”

Just as Gabe ended his call, the girls burst through the front door, actually the only door, with smiles and laughter. Emily crossed the room and kissed Gabe enthusiastically on the cheek and then laughed when he was startled. “We found our new house, and you’re going to love it,” she said as she perched on a corner of the couch.

He put down his phone, closed the computer, and said, “Okay, tell me.”

“It’s a cool log cabin with big porches, high ceilings with beams, and a wonderful fireplace.”

“Sounds perfect. You should be their salesperson.” He laughed and ruffled her hair.

Carol handed him the brochure. The cover photo was of a mountain lodge with a green metal roof and river stone foundation.

“What do you think?” Carol asked. “It’s the one I told you about. The one that’s kit-built.”

“Wow, but it looks expensive. Can you afford it?”

“If I go back to work and our house sells we can. With room to spare.”

“And we could have horses,” Emily added. “Please, Gabe. It’s perfect, and I want a horse.”

“Horses are a lot of respon—”

“It’s two to one, bozo,” Carol interrupted.

“No, no. It’s unanimous. It’s perfect,” he conceded. “How soon could they start?”

“In about a month. I can sign the paperwork this afternoon, and that’s it. That is if the shock won’t kill you?”

Looking at Emily, he laughed and answered, “I’m okay. Things just happen a little fast with you two.” Then turning to Carol, he said, “As long as you remember our deal, it’s great. I love it.”

“Not ‘it,’ Gabe, tell us you love us,” Emily corrected.

“Absolutely,” he said and hugged her. “Of course, I love you. Is that better?”

“Yep, that’s better.” Emily bounced off the couch, laughing, “There’s hope for him, Mom. He might just make it.”

“Okay, help me make lunch, and we’ll go sign the papers.”

Bob called as they were driving back from seeing the model home and signing the contract for the new cabin. “Two things: first we got the report back from the gas cans at the house. No prints. Second we got the floppy disks from the Pelican case open on Zack’s computer. There’s nothing but bridge plans. I don’t get it.”

“Are there duplicate plans for the same bridge?” Gabe asked.

“Yeah, looks like it.”

“Get an engineer. There will be differences between the plans: enough to shave construction costs by millions on one of them.”

“That’s going to be a lot of work. Are you sure?”

“It’s how they rigged the bids: two different sets of plans, two different bid packages for the same projects. McFarland got the cheap ones, and no one was the wiser. That’s what Wilson Corbitt figured out. That’s why they killed him. Find us a good, honest engineer, and we’ll make sure they don’t get away with this again.”

“Okay, will do. I hope you’re right.”

“Trust me.”

“One other thing. We got lots of prints from the crane. The ones on top are Wyatt Bodine, the VP’s son. You were right.”

“That’s what I was afraid of. He’s in this up to his eyeballs.”

“Yeah, now all we have to do is catch him,” Bob agreed.

“What’s next?”

“We got the warrant for Peterson’s house. Want to go?”

“For that I’ll give up my comfortable couch and compassionate care. Wouldn’t miss it. See you in the morning.”

“How many times has he called today?” Carol and Emily had overheard the conversation on the truck’s speakerphone.

“He’s eager to solve this,” Gabe said.

“But you’re supposed to be on sick leave, letting me spoil you.”

“I’m ready,” he rubbed his chin and grinned.

“It gets better. Wait and see,” Carol winked. “That was Bodine’s son he was talking about? The one who tried to kill us in the river?”

“Yeah.”

“He sounds dangerous,” Carol said.

“So am I,” Gabe answered.

She laughed. “Not so much today.”

“Gabe, wake up.” Carol shook Gabe’s shoulder. “You were shouting.” It was well past midnight and cool, yet Gabe’s T-shirt was soaked, and the blanket was kicked on the floor.

Concerned, Carol was sitting on the edge of the couch, “You were having a nightmare,” she said and touched his face lovingly. “You even scared the dogs.” Smith and Wesson were usually on the floor at the