from
Hullett—Jeremy and Josh Harding, brothers. She knew them from a round-up brawl
that had sent six men to the E.R. last year.
She headed out to Hullett to pick up the boys. She let them
sweat it out in the back of her police cruiser—didn’t start questioning them
until they were in the interview room.
They both wore scuffed boots and jeans and identical ragged
T-shirts, no brand, cheapest stuff money could buy. They looked down on their
luck. If they were going to commit a crime, why not one that would benefit them
financially? Try as she might, she couldn’t figure out the traffic-light
angle.
“Little old for pranks, aren’t you?”
Jeremy shot a meaningful look at his younger brother before
looking back at her. “Dunno what you talkin’ about.”
“What do you Hullett boys have against Pebble Creek these
days?” They had an arson investigation going, the fire started by someone just
like these two, last week. Then there were the half-dozen cases of random
vandalism she couldn’t tie to anyone. Investigations that kept her busy, like
she needed extra work with smuggling and the counterfeit money coming in.
“You’re messing up my crime-rate statistics,” she told them,
putting away her softer side. “I don’t like it.”
The younger one, Josh, brightened. “We are?” He sounded a
little too eager. Even pleased.
She looked from him to Jeremy. “Okay. What’s going on
here?”
“We have an alibi. We were at a friend’s house, hangin’ out and
shootin’ beer cans,” the older brother said, smug as anything.
“Is that so?” she asked calmly. “Because I have half a dozen
security tape recordings showing you two messing with the traffic-light control
boxes.”
The younger brother paled. “I can’t go to no jail. Jenny’s
gonna have a kid. Ma’s gonna skin me alive if I get into trouble again. She said
it.”
“Shut up, idiot,” Jeremy barked at him.
Bree raised a placating hand. “How about we start with
cooperation, then discuss restitution? Things don’t have to come to jail.”
“Sounds good, ma’am,” Josh hurried to say, all manners,
suddenly.
His older brother whacked him on the shoulder. “You don’t even
know what it means.”
“Can’t be worse than jail.”
Bree shook her head. “It means you two have to pay back the
repair costs, and then never cause trouble in my town again.” She thought that
was a fair deal, but Josh’s shoulders sagged.
“We ain’t got no money. That’s why we did it in the first
place,” he whined, earning another smack from Jeremy.
They were only about ten years younger than she was, but she
felt like she should ground them or something. “No more hitting.” She held up a
warning finger. “Now, explain to me how you make money from stopping
traffic?”
They looked down. Looked at each other.
She pulled out her cell phone. “How about I just call your
mother?”
“The mill,” Josh blurted out, then slumped as Jeremy shot him a
dark look that said, “I’ll make you regret this later.”
“The wire mill?” Hullett had a wire mill. She failed to
understand what Pebble Creek traffic had to do with it.
“It’s going under,” Josh explained.
Not a surprise. The owner was in prison for human trafficking.
A shame for the workers and their families. The Hullett wire mill was the town’s
largest employer.
“You two work there?”
Jeremy pressed his lips together and sulked, but Josh
responded. “We already got our pink slips.”
Bad timing with the baby coming, she thought. “I’m still
waiting on how this connects to traffic.”
“Word is, there’s gonna be a paper mill comin’ in. Choice is
between Hullett and Pebble Creek.”
She knew about that. Some rich Chinese guy, Yo Tee, who owned a
big paper mill on the other side of the border, was thinking about building a
smaller one over here. Probably to get a tax break or whatever. He had some team
that was scouting for a location. She’d run into them
Hullett—Jeremy and Josh Harding, brothers. She knew them from a round-up brawl
that had sent six men to the E.R. last year.
She headed out to Hullett to pick up the boys. She let them
sweat it out in the back of her police cruiser—didn’t start questioning them
until they were in the interview room.
They both wore scuffed boots and jeans and identical ragged
T-shirts, no brand, cheapest stuff money could buy. They looked down on their
luck. If they were going to commit a crime, why not one that would benefit them
financially? Try as she might, she couldn’t figure out the traffic-light
angle.
“Little old for pranks, aren’t you?”
Jeremy shot a meaningful look at his younger brother before
looking back at her. “Dunno what you talkin’ about.”
“What do you Hullett boys have against Pebble Creek these
days?” They had an arson investigation going, the fire started by someone just
like these two, last week. Then there were the half-dozen cases of random
vandalism she couldn’t tie to anyone. Investigations that kept her busy, like
she needed extra work with smuggling and the counterfeit money coming in.
“You’re messing up my crime-rate statistics,” she told them,
putting away her softer side. “I don’t like it.”
The younger one, Josh, brightened. “We are?” He sounded a
little too eager. Even pleased.
She looked from him to Jeremy. “Okay. What’s going on
here?”
“We have an alibi. We were at a friend’s house, hangin’ out and
shootin’ beer cans,” the older brother said, smug as anything.
“Is that so?” she asked calmly. “Because I have half a dozen
security tape recordings showing you two messing with the traffic-light control
boxes.”
The younger brother paled. “I can’t go to no jail. Jenny’s
gonna have a kid. Ma’s gonna skin me alive if I get into trouble again. She said
it.”
“Shut up, idiot,” Jeremy barked at him.
Bree raised a placating hand. “How about we start with
cooperation, then discuss restitution? Things don’t have to come to jail.”
“Sounds good, ma’am,” Josh hurried to say, all manners,
suddenly.
His older brother whacked him on the shoulder. “You don’t even
know what it means.”
“Can’t be worse than jail.”
Bree shook her head. “It means you two have to pay back the
repair costs, and then never cause trouble in my town again.” She thought that
was a fair deal, but Josh’s shoulders sagged.
“We ain’t got no money. That’s why we did it in the first
place,” he whined, earning another smack from Jeremy.
They were only about ten years younger than she was, but she
felt like she should ground them or something. “No more hitting.” She held up a
warning finger. “Now, explain to me how you make money from stopping
traffic?”
They looked down. Looked at each other.
She pulled out her cell phone. “How about I just call your
mother?”
“The mill,” Josh blurted out, then slumped as Jeremy shot him a
dark look that said, “I’ll make you regret this later.”
“The wire mill?” Hullett had a wire mill. She failed to
understand what Pebble Creek traffic had to do with it.
“It’s going under,” Josh explained.
Not a surprise. The owner was in prison for human trafficking.
A shame for the workers and their families. The Hullett wire mill was the town’s
largest employer.
“You two work there?”
Jeremy pressed his lips together and sulked, but Josh
responded. “We already got our pink slips.”
Bad timing with the baby coming, she thought. “I’m still
waiting on how this connects to traffic.”
“Word is, there’s gonna be a paper mill comin’ in. Choice is
between Hullett and Pebble Creek.”
She knew about that. Some rich Chinese guy, Yo Tee, who owned a
big paper mill on the other side of the border, was thinking about building a
smaller one over here. Probably to get a tax break or whatever. He had some team
that was scouting for a location. She’d run into them
Similar Books
