Free The Perfect Outsider by Loreth Anne White Page B

most of his motivational seminars, but she was not yet a full Devotee. It was time she came to a personal consultation. He wanted to get inside Ms. Farrow’s pretty red head—she was a dark horse, newish in town. Samuel didn’t feel he knew her well enough.
    He glanced at his gold designer watch. It was time for his specially scheduled seminar entitled How to Identify the Enemy Within and Stop It from Sabotaging Efforts to Be the Best You.
    * * *
    June raced up the bank to where Bo Fargo and the SAR team had set up command. Fargo was talking to one of the volunteers under a temporary awning where maps, a coffee urn and radios littered a portable table. It was spitting rain again, more big black clouds rolling in over the mountains.
    Fargo caught sight of June and turned to face her as she approached.
    He was a big and imposing man in his fifties who’d been widowed mysteriously some years ago.
    “I’ve been trying to reach you,” he said, his watery blue gaze running over her.
    “I’m sorry, Bo,” she said, breathless. “Eager was bitten by something yesterday and I had to take him to the vet over in the next town.”
    “Bitten?”
    “I don’t know what got him. He swelled right up. He couldn’t breathe. I administered antihistamine but he just got worse—”
    “Your truck was still at Hannah’s place.”
    So he’d been to look. This was not good.
    “I was too stressed to drive. I got a ride from Hannah.”
    “What’s wrong with the vet in Cold Plains?”
    “The local vet and I have had—” She inhaled, her brain racing. “Look, it’s personal, Bo.”
    “How so?”
    June reminded herself Fargo was a Devotee, one of Samuel Grayson’s main men. Everyone was supposed to get along happy-happy in this smiling facade of a town, and it was making her so damn tired and angry.
    “The vet and I have different perspectives on treatment,” she said quietly. “But it’s not something we can’t work out as we move forward. In fact, I’m going to go around and see him again later, because it’s so much easier keeping all our business in town.” June forced a smile. “I learned that the hard way last night. The vet in the town over is not all he’s cracked up to be, either.”
    “Who is he? Which town?”
    She glanced at her watch. “Look, Bo, I really need to get to this special seminar Samuel is putting on.” She met his gaze. “I got a serious shock with Eager and I could do with some motivational bolstering right now. Since I don’t have my dog with me, can you manage today’s search without us, while I go sit in on the seminar?”
    Bo Fargo studied her. She knew she looked like a wreck.
    “I’ve been in a state,” she said for emphasis.
    “How’s the dog now?”
    “He’s going to be okay. Vet is keeping him overnight to be sure.”
    His watery eyes narrowed—he wasn’t totally buying her story. She was on thin ice here.
    “I’m beat, Bo. I just—”
    “Go,” he said. “Leave things to us.”
    She took the gap and rushed off, feeling his eyes burning into her back as she went. He was going to put her under a microscope for sure now. It was just a matter of time before he found something.
    “Samuel will be pleased to see you!” Fargo yelled behind her.
    June hesitated at something in his tone, then decided not to look back as she hurried toward her truck.
    * * *
    June slipped quietly into the back of the community- center auditorium. She was a few minutes late, and the audience was already being held rapt by the charismatic man striding across the stage as he spoke—no one even glanced her way as she quietly opened the back door. But Samuel noticed her entrance. He stopped on the stage and smiled, as if right at her.
    June felt a little punch to the chest.
    She nodded her head and smiled back, hatred filling her body. But she needed to put in an emergency appearance to shore up her cover with Samuel. Her facade had started to slip—the stakes were death.
    This was Jesse’s