“I take it there are a few isolated homes and cabins around?” Harper asked.
“Too many to count,” Cassie said. “Depends on the radius. But hundreds just within a few miles.”
“Mostly inhabited?” Harper asked.
“What do you think?” Cassie asked Hack.
He scratched his chin. “Probably fifty-fifty. Lots of folks from Knoxville, Chattanooga, all over really, have cabins they rarely use.”
“It’ll be a big job,” Cassie said, “but we’ll need to expand our search for that SUV, and now include a passel of cabins.”
“Follow the drug connection,” Cain said.
Cassie nodded. “Jason Epps. He was close to Tommy Finley.”
“That’s who Marla bought from last night,” Harper said.
“You talked to her?”
Harper nodded.
“What’d you think?”
“She’s a lost and injured soul.”
“That she is.”
“My impression is that she was once a very pretty girl. Probably had it together.”
Cassie nodded. “Pretty, smart, athletic. The entire package.” She sighed. “We were friends. Then, she fell in the drug ditch.”
“Which brings us to Tommy Finley and Jason Epps,” Cain said.
“He and Tommy always hung in the park. Did much of their business there.” She looked at Hack. “Let’s round the bastard up.”
Cain touched her arm. “Might I make a suggestion?”
“Have at it.”
“You and your guys will have your hands full looking for the SUV and the cabin. If that’s where they are. You know the area. We don’t. We’d just be a fifth wheel.”
“Okay.”
“Let Harper and me explore the drug angle. Tap some of our resources and take a run at Jason. You already did over at the scene. Maybe we can take a different approach.”
“What? Scare the shit out of him?”
Harper smiled. “Something like that.”
“What about the guys that apparently did all this?” Cassie asked. “You think Jason might be on their list?”
“I do,” Cain said.
“Unless he’s part of it,” Hack said. “Maybe Jason knew about the hit on Tommy. Saw it as a way to move up the ladder. Maybe helped set it all up.”
Cassie seemed to consider that. “Which was good for him until everything went sideways. They just might consider Jason a liability now and might think he knows too much. That it’s time to button things up over here.”
“Panic tends to change folks’ perspective,” Hack said. “Killing a dealer and his family’s one thing. Grabbing a doctor and doing all this shit,” he waved a hand, “takes it up a notch.”
“Prior bad acts predict future bad acts,” Harper said. “I think Jason Epps should be more than a little concerned.”
CHAPTER 27
Marla had already burned through everything she had scored from Jason last night. Amazing how quickly it evaporated up her veins, or nose. Sure it took her away from this shit life, only to slam her back to reality much too quickly. The croissants that couple had bought for her and the donuts at Reverend John’s had settled the growls in her stomach, but her nerves were starting that familiar jangle. Like a sputtering electrical current that sizzled through her body. Reminded her of a dying fluorescent light and made her feel as if the cells inside her were suffering a similar fate. They probably were.
True to form in her life, just when she felt as if things couldn’t get worse, they did. Tommy was dead. What the fuck was that all about? No Tommy, no reliable connection, would definitely make everything in her world that much more difficult. It meant she’d have to deal with that asshole Jason. One thing for sure, she wasn’t going to blow him again. She hoped now that Jason was the top dog he’d be easier to deal with. Hell, she’d pray for that if it helped. But, her prayers were never answered. No one was listening. Reverend John had tried to bring Jesus and all that crap into her life, but she knew better. There was no savior in her future. The truth was there was no future in her future. Only this. Begging, stealing, shooting up.
On the bright side, she’d had a good morning, raking in over forty bucks panhandling. Her usuals, the downtown store owners she could always count on for a few bucks, had been generous. Bev Oakley stood in front of her curio shop smoking and offered Marla a crisp five from the pocket of her jacket. Tilly Watson, who was sweeping the sidewalk in front of her candy shop, Sweet Treats, did the same, and also gave her a small bag of chocolate-coated almonds.
A block later she walked past Central Grocery. She kept her head down, hoping owner Luke Towry wouldn’t see her. But he did. He left his post behind the check-out counter and stepped outside, calling to her.
She stopped and turned back toward him. “Mr. Towry.”
“How are you doing today, Marla?”
“Fine. Except for this.” She raised her bandaged arm.
His brow creased. “Nothing serious I hope.”
She shifted her backpack to the other shoulder, tugging her hair from beneath the strap that had trapped it. “Nope.”
He nodded, hesitated a beat, and then said, “Reverend John said you might be looking for a job. That right?”
Why did everyone want to save her? Couldn’t they just give her a little cash and leave her alone? Not to mention that a job was the last thing she wanted. A schedule? Getting up, showing up on someone else’s timetable? How does that work? Most mornings she couldn’t get out of bed before ten. And then it took a couple of hours to even feel halfway human. Somehow she couldn’t quite picture stocking shelves and shoving groceries into bags, and smiling. She was sure that would be part of the job. Towry smiled all the time. Like it was a company requirement.
She again raised her arm. “As soon as my arm heels I’ll stop by and see.”
“I need to get someone pretty quick. Any idea how long it’ll be?”
“A few days.”
He sighed. “Okay. Stop by then and hopefully I’ll still have something for you.”
“I hope so.” That was a lie. She knew if she could string this out long enough he would find someone else and then
