Free R.S. Guthrie - Detective Bobby Mac 02 - L O S T by R.S. Guthrie Page A

collectively. “Thank you for taking the time, gentlemen. Please excuse me.”
     
    ~ ~ ~
     
    The three of us rode back to the Rocky Gap precinct in silence. I knew why Amanda had agreed to Noon’s offer, or at least I thought I did. I admit I’m not much good handling the green-eyed beast of jealousy. Particularly when the perceived threat comes from one as politically-motivated as Agent Tanner Noon. I had to admit, his plans were flawless and well-conceived. Other than his minor commentary before we left—one that was certainly brought about by my own brother’s callused words—I had no procedural issue with the man.
    Which is why I could not stop wondering how a cocksure agent like Noon somehow got himself assigned to the smallest outpost south of the Arctic Circle.
    “Are you going to talk to me,” Amanda whispered in my brother’s office while he was out filling his coffee mug.
    “Sorry,” I said. “This whole FBI/Noon thing has me a bit perplexed.”
    “He’s a good agent,” she said. “But you know why I agreed to go back up there.”
    “I do.”
    “Then what’s the problem, kind sir?”
    “Nothing. He’s a little too sure of himself, that’s it.”
    “Everything seemed by the book. And Jax…”
    “Jax got what he had coming. I have no truck with that.”
    “Good. Say goodbye to your brother for me. I need to get back to the command post. Hopefully we’ll have some good things to talk about tonight.”
    “You realize you’re going to be sworn to secrecy the moment you arrive?”
    “Yet you have all the keys to my vault.”
    When the lady was right, she was right.
     
    ~ ~ ~
     
    “Where’s Amanda?” Jax said as he walked back in. “Returned to the fold?”
    “Easy.”
    “Ah, hell, I knew damn well it was going to shake out like this. I only wanted to get in my parting shots. Can’t exactly punch the guy, now can I?”
    “No, probably not,” I said, grinning a little.
    It was the first time my brother had made me smile since we were kids. It felt good. Like old times.
    “I want to lay out a theory I came up with last night.”
    “I take it this has nothing to do with a donut shop?”
    “Nothing says we can’t keep following up on leads, right?”
    “Give it to me.”
    “Annir basically told us where to look, right?”
    “Yeah.”
    “Why would he do that? I mean, assuming he didn’t want to be found.”
    “His confidence could be as strong as he implied,” I said.
    “Maybe. But still, why give yourself away?”
    “Look,” I said. “These bad guys in Denver. That was their style. ‘Fuck you. Come and get us’ kind of mentality.”
    “Okay. But that was them.”
    “True enough. What are you thinking?”
    “I’ve been thinking of the exact opposite of where we’re all looking right now.”
    “Okay.”
    “The search is on in the middle of nowhere.”
    “Yep.”
    “Maybe the victims are here. In town. Closer than we could imagine.”
    “It’s not a bad theory,” I said. “I like it.”
    “And it gives us something to do while Wyatt Earp is busy blowing holes in the O.K. corral.”
    “I’m with you.”
    It made sense. And he was right about it giving us something to do. Not only was Noon looking for a gunfight up in the forest, I figured he also had designs on my woman. More than anything I needed something to occupy the brain.
     
    ~ ~ ~
     
    We couldn’t exactly go door to door. So Jax wanted to start in the least likely places first.
    “Jennings or Porter residence,” he asked.
    “What about the Grants?”
    “Less obvious than the Coeur d’Alene, more obvious than homes with parents still living in them.”
    “Flip a coin,” I said.
    “Nah, my gut says the Porter residence.”
    No destination is far in Rocky Gap. We were at the Porter’s doorstep in less than five minutes. Jax rang the bell. No answer. He rang it again. Two vehicles were parked in the driveway, but still no answer.
    He motioned to the side of the house and we walked around to