Page 75 of Labyrinth (FBI Thriller 23)
Carson took a step toward him and he stumbled back against his father, no lust on his face now, only fear. “No, don’t you come near me. I don’t want you looking into my head again.”
Quint Bodine’s voice was soothing. “Stay calm, Rafer, stay calm. She can’t hurt you, you know that.” He said to Griffin and Carson, “He’s still confused because of the pain medications. Let’s get this over with. Agent, I expect you to be professional.”
Carson said, “You don’t look confused to me, Rafer. You look ready to play some pool down at the Five Star Bar. Well, maybe you could use a shower, a shave first.”
“Bitch.”
“Rafer!”
Rafer glanced at his mother, who was holding a spatula in her hand. He shrugged, said nothing. He let his father lead him into the room, ease him down into a chair. Quint moved to stand behind him, his hand on his shoulder. “Ask my son your questions, Agent Hammersmith. Then leave and take her with you.” His gaze flicked over Carson.
Cyndia came to stand beside her husband, her hand on Rafer’s other shoulder. She still held the spatula.
Griffin told them how and where Linzie Drumm had been taken, as if he needed to.
Rafer shook his head. “You can’t believe I took her, I was here at the house, right here, loaded up with meds.”
Griffin said, “Rafer, how familiar are you with Whytheville?”
“It’s a dip-crap little town, even less nightlife than Gaffer’s Ridge. I don’t go there often.”
“When was the last time you visited the dip-crap little town?”
“A long time ago, so long I don’t even remember—” He stopped cold, gulped, and shook his head. “Well, okay, maybe I did stop by Whytheville a while back, not that long ago, I don’t really remember what day.”
Griffin said, “What did you do in Whytheville that day you don’t remember?”
Rafer sent an agonized look to his mother, not his father. Interesting. Cyndia said smoothly, “Yes, I do remember. You told me you were going to Whytheville to check out a special lumber shipment you’d heard about at McComber’s Lumber Yard. You were thinking about ordering some for Mr. Zingara’s new addition since you couldn’t get it easily, right?”
Griffin said, “That was very good, Mrs. Bodine, very fluent.”
“That’s it exactly,” Rafer said. “Look, my brain’s all fuzzed up. I would have remembered.”
“What is the name of the person you spoke to at the Whytheville mill?”
“I don’t remember, I—”
Cyndia said quickly, “I believe you said you were going to deal with Pete Crosby, the manager.”
Griffin said, “Did you buy the lumber you wanted for Mr. Zingara’s addition?”
Rafer shook his head. “No, the quality wasn’t what he was looking for.”
“Did you have lunch in Whytheville?”
“No,” he said immediately, then shook his head. “Wait, now I think about it, I might have stopped somewhere. What does this have to do with kidnapping?”
Carson said, “According to Mrs. Buffett, owner of Buffett’s Hamburgers, you don’t have any manners, Rafer, which must disappoint your parents. She told us you were staring at a group of teenage girls while you ate your hamburger. Then you tossed your wrapper on the ground, not in the garbage can, which may be why she remembers you.”
“The old hag’s always making stuff up—”
Cyndia squeezed her son’s shoulder, and he added, “Yeah, I remember now. I didn’t much like the hamburger, and that kind of made me mad, so maybe I did toss the wrapper on the ground.”
“Was that the first time you ever saw Linzie Drumm?”
Griffin saw it, plain as neon lights. Rafer was scared. “I don’t know who you’re talking about. I don’t know anything about this girl.” He dashed his hand with the splint on the wrist over his forehead. “I don’t feel so good, Ma.”
Cyndia looked at Griffin. “Is there anything else, Agent Hammersmith? May I put my injured son back in bed now you’ve browbeaten him?”
Carson laughed. “It must really frustrate you when your injured son here screws up his stories, and you have to feed him his lines.”
“Get out of my house!” Cyndia Bodine lunged toward Carson, death in her eyes. “Get out before I hurt you! Get out!”
Sheriff Booker Bodine walked to stand in front of Cyndia. “That’s enough. Are you done, Agent Hammersmith?”
“For the moment, Sheriff. But you know it isn’t only Rafer acting alone, don’t you? It’s both of them.” He nodded to everyone, took Carson’s arm, and they walked out of Eagle’s Nest.
