The Trigger (5 page)

“Emma’s father, Luke Caldwell, is convinced that Emma and Tate are being held on the Destiny property. He thinks his daughter planned to leave Randall and their little utopia, and Randall refused to accept it. One of the community members admitted that Emma and Randall argued before she took off.” McCullen got up to speed on the main road as he talked.

In the twilight, Dallas caught her first glimpses of the tree-studded landscape. Green, but not as lush as Oregon. She wanted to see the vehicle Emma had been driving, but she couldn’t do that and keep her cover. “How much damage to the car? Was it traveling fast when it went off the road?”

“We think another car slammed into her Nissan and knocked it down the slope.”

“Maybe Randall rear-ended her.”

McCullen’s jaw clenched. “Witnesses saw Emma leave, and they claim Randall was at home afterward.”

“But they could be protecting him. Is the group like a cult? Do they view the Clayton brothers as revered leaders?”

“Good question. I’ve been looking at their backgrounds, and most are educated professionals. And there’s no religious component.” McCullen signaled to exit. “We’ll be at your motel soon and can finish the update tomorrow. You must be tired.”

“Not really.” Dallas was enjoying his company, and once she made contact with Spencer Clayton, she’d have to stay away from McCullen. “Let’s unload my stuff and get a drink while you tell me everything. I want to hit the ground running tomorrow.”

He seemed surprised. “I suppose we could.”

“Do you need to get home to your family?”

He laughed. “I’ve got a big dog that gets lonely if I’m gone too long, but McGoo will survive.”

No wife. She couldn’t help but grin. “McCullen and McGoo?”

“I know, it’s corny. But it wasn’t my idea.”

A familiar longing fluttered in her torso. She loved big cute guys who loved big cuddly dogs.
No
, she told herself.
He’s an agent.
“We won’t keep McGoo waiting long. I just need to unwind and get up to speed.”

“Sounds good. I know just the place.”

Dallas had second thoughts. “We can’t be seen together in town.”

“You’re right. Let’s pick up some beer or wine, and we’ll confer at your place.”

Even better.
“It’s a plan.”

McCullen bought a six-pack of Pliny the Elder and a can of cashews at a local market, and they drove to the Shasta View Motel, which catered to outdoor enthusiasts who came to the area to ski or hike. Dallas knew the mountain was out there in the dark somewhere, but she wouldn’t have time to enjoy it, unless she hung around for a while after finding the missing woman. But that wasn’t her style.

McCullen insisted on carrying her bags, then handed her the key. “Welcome to your temporary home.”

“Everything is temporary.” Not wanting to seem jaded, she gave him a charming smile.

The motel suite had a large living area, a little kitchenette, and a separate bedroom. The furniture was tacky, but Dallas didn’t care. If things went according to plan, she wouldn’t spend many nights here. They left her luggage near the door, settled on the couch with their beers, and Dallas clicked on her tablet to take notes. “What else did you find at the scene of the accident?”

“We scraped a paint sample from the damage in the back of the car, and we’ll have it analyzed.” He rubbed his chin. “I also got a call from the sheriff this afternoon, and he says there are tire marks at a turnout near the accident, as if a car sat there for a while.”

“You think someone waited there, flagged Emma to pull over, abducted her and the baby, then ran her car off the road?”

McCullen looked sheepish. “Sounds a little far-fetched hearing it out loud.”

“But it’s possible.” Dallas visualized the scenario. “He would have had to render her unconscious with a drug or chloroform, then put her and the baby in his car while he disposed of hers.”

“Several witnesses saw Randall at home after Emma left, so we think his brother might have done the dirty work. And they might have had help from another member.”

“But if Spencer rammed her car, his would be damaged too.”

“It’s not. I didn’t see any damaged vehicles in Destiny.”

Dallas thought about how she would have pulled it off. “Did you check Emma’s gas tank?”

“Not yet. Why?”

“Maybe they drained her gas tank and waited for her to run out of fuel. Then Spencer picked her up to give her a ride and drugged her instead.”

McCullen looked intrigued. “And the car?”

“They left it for someone else to smash into.”

“Interesting. I’ll check the tank first thing in the morning.”

“Wouldn’t it have been easier to kill her?” Dallas speculated. “What makes Emma’s father think she’s alive?”

“He says Randall is a hot head and a control freak but maybe not a killer. A doomsday nut who really believes a cataclysmic event is imminent.”

Dallas laughed. “Like what? The North Koreans nuking us? Another asteroid hitting the earth?” There had been two in the last year, and scientists were tracking a third.

“Luke Caldwell says last Christmas when she visited him, Emma talked about global storms coming. The kind that could wipe out most of the population.”

“So the group is preparing to survive an ice-age type thing?”

McCullen gave her a tiny wink. “I guess that’s your job to find out.”

Dallas’ email icon on her new account beeped. “Hey, someone just contacted Sonja.” She grinned. “That’s me.” Dallas clicked open the message. “It’s from Spencer Clayton.” She scanned the text:
Hey Sonja. I love your enthusiasm. When are you thinking of visiting Destiny? Sooner is better. We’ve got a lot going on later this month
.

Dallas turned the tablet to McCullen so he could read it. When he finished, he nodded. “You work fast.”

“I started posting comments on his prepper blog right after I got the assignment. Spencer commented back and asked me to email him, so I did.” Dallas turned the tablet and clicked reply. She talked as she keyed in a response. “I set up a Facebook page too and sent him the link so he could see my picture.”

“That’s all it would take. You
are
gorgeous.” McCullen blushed a little.

Nice.
He was as attracted to her as she was to him. “Thanks, but my understanding is that I look like Spencer’s dying wife.”

“That could also be effective.”

“I just told him I was here in Redding and would love to see the community.”

“Wow. I thought it might take weeks for you to get inside.”

“It still might.” Dallas finished her beer and got up to fetch two more. She was still wound up from a day of building her background and making connections. Undercover work was like plugging into an exotic energy source. She handed McCullen a beer and sat a little closer to him on the couch. A subtle mix of scents wafted off him: wood smoke, Ivory soap, and dog hair. Oddly intoxicating. No agent in Phoenix ever smelled like that.

“Spencer mentioned having a lot going on later this month,” McCullen noted. “I wonder what that’s about.”

“I’ll find out.”

While they drank their second round, Dallas asked about his life in Redding and what it was like at a small rural bureau.

McCullen laughed. “It’s nothing like your work. Our biggest case lately was a drug-smuggling operation involving a tourist-guide service for hikers at Mount Shasta. We do a lot of community outreach just to keep busy.”

“Who’s in charge?”

“My boss, Special Agent Ezra Gibson. He was out of the office when the San Francisco bureau called and asked for our help. I think he’s a little irritated that I caught the case and will be your contact person.”

“I’m glad it’s you.” Dallas patted his leg, regretted it, and reached for the tablet. “Let’s see if Spencer responded.”

The email came in as she tapped the icon:
You’re already here? That was strangely fast
.

“Shit. He sounds suspicious.” Dallas keyed in a response:
I was packed and ready to go stay with my sister in Ashland. Then I found your website and realized I was meant to be here instead. I hate to sound sentimental, but it feels like fate.
She pushed send.

McCullen had read over her shoulder. “You’re good.”

Lying effectively was an art, and she had perfected it as a kid. Her mother—who was just mentally ill enough to be unpredictable but not bonkers enough to get treatment—was the Queen Liar, and Dallas had adopted the habit at an early age. She’d been making shit up for as long as she could remember. Her Aunt Lynn had tried to correct the unpleasant habit, and out of respect, Dallas had tried to be honest with her. She had also focused on getting better at misdirection and obfuscation. Mixing in a bit of the truth was essential. She glanced at McCullen. “Spencer will buy it. Civilians want to believe that others are essentially good and truthful. Only criminals and law enforcement personnel assume the worst.”

“You’re too young to be jaded.”

“You haven’t met my parents.” Dallas glanced at her tablet. Spencer had responded:
Maybe it is fate. Let’s meet for lunch tomorrow at the Cornerstone Cafe. Noon?

Yes!
She keyed in her agreement, and a tingle of excitement played in her chest. She would soon contact her target. She loved the challenge of extracting people’s secrets. “Maybe he’ll take me out to Destiny for a tour.”

“Don’t go anywhere without contacting me or one of the team. We’ve named this undercover project Eden.”

“As in Garden of Eden?”

“More like East of Eden.”

McCullen wrote down two email addresses and phone numbers, tore the paper from his notebook, and handed it to her. “These are for Gibson and our tech guy, who can help you with anything computer related.”

“The support team is the best part of undercover work.” Flirting was in her DNA, as natural as breathing.

“I’ll be there for you 24/7.” McCullen was cute even when he was serious.

“I’m very attracted to you.”

His eyes widened in surprise. Before she could stop herself, Dallas leaned in and kissed him.

He grabbed the back of her head and met her mouth with passion. For a long moment, she was lost in the pleasure. Then a phone rang in her shoulder bag, and they both pulled back.

“Sorry.” Dallas stood and moved away. “I shouldn’t have done that.”

“No. We shouldn’t have.” McCullen looked a little stunned.

Dallas dug for her personal phone, which she hadn’t hidden away yet. The caller ID said
Trevor
. What the hell? She’d only been gone twelve hours. She hit reject and turned to McCullen. “We’d better call it a night.”

He stood. “You’ll keep me updated? I want to know when you head for the compound. I’m worried for your safety.”

“I’ll stay in touch, but worrying is pointless. I plan to move out to the community as soon as Spencer will let me.”

His eyes tightened. “Are you going to seduce Spencer?”

Was he jealous
?
“Spencer Clayton is my assigned target for intel gathering. But my goal is to find Emma Clayton… and her baby. I’ll do what needs to be done.” She hoped he could see the regret in her eyes.

“Just remember that Spencer probably kidnapped Emma, so he’s dangerous, no matter what he seems like on the surface. And everyone in the community is tight. You can’t trust any of them.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.” Dallas kissed his cheek and sent him on his way before she changed her mind again.

Wednesday, May 8, 10:17 a.m.

Caleb McCullen forced himself to stop thinking about Agent Dallas and how she’d kissed him. She was so pretty—and confident. He loved women who showed no fear. Even though he would communicate with her every day while she was undercover, he wouldn’t see her again until she released her UC role, and then she would fly out of here. It was probably for the best.

Meanwhile, he was on Dallas’ team and she needed him to dig into the Claytons’ past. He’d already checked the gas tank of Emma’s car and found it empty. Now he had county records open on his desktop and was looking at the building permits the Claytons had been granted over the years to see if any structures had a basement.

A moment later, his boss stepped into McCullen’s cubicle, a small bright space in a big office they shared with other professional firms—only their chunk of the building was harder to get into. Gibson was starting to look a little gray and soft, but McCullen knew he lifted weights and boxed for fun, so he’d want Gibson on his side in a street fight any day.

“What’s the update on Agent Dallas?” His boss took a seat.

“She has a lunch date scheduled with Spencer Clayton today, and she expects to be living in Destiny by the end of the week.”

“She’s moving fast.” Gibson shifted in his seat. “Once she’s in place, she probably won’t need much help, so I have another assignment for you.”

Surprised, McCullen said, “Dallas still needs a contact person. Is the case something minor?”

“I need you to investigate a dead body that turned up this morning.” Gibson handed him a thin file folder. “I’ll take the lead on the Eden project, and Dallas will report directly to me.”

McCullen was too stunned to respond for a moment. “A homicide? Why isn’t the police department taking it?”

“They asked for help. Their only homicide detective is on leave after back surgery, and no one else in the department has the time or experience to investigate a cold case. And it may not be murder.”

Cold case?
“How old is the body?”

“She’s been in the water, so it’s hard to tell.”

A floater!

Gibson chuckled. “Don’t look so glum. This is an opportunity to get out of the office and use your skills. Do something besides fraud cases.”

“You’re right. Thank you.” McCullen was torn. Homicide investigations were rare and if he solved it, the case could earn him a promotion to the Sacramento Field Office. But he hated losing contact with Dallas, and he hated being bumped from the Eden case. Randall Clayton had stolen Emma from him five years ago, and McCullen had never trusted or liked him since. He wanted to be the one to cuff Randall and escort him to the federal holding cell in Sacramento. “What about our end of the missing persons investigation? Emma Clayton may not be in Destiny.”