“Wyn, you’re my best friend, and I know you cared about Carl. But he made his own choices.”
He shakes his head, and his eyes swell with tears. He gets a little choked up and forces out some words. “You think this is about Carl?”
I glance up at him. My heart is aching for how much pain I can see he is in. He loved Carl. “Isn’t it?”
Wyn looks at me as if he doesn’t know me. Like he can’t figure me out. “I know what Carl did. This has nothing to do with him.”
I stare at him and shrug. “Then what is it?”
He throws his head back in frustration and yells. Everyone turns to look at us. “God, you’re still lying to me. You just can’t help yourself, can you?”
My stomach churns as I search for something to say. “I don’t understand.”
He barks back at me. “Why didn’t you tell me about your little boyfriend? Mo, is it?
My mouth gapes open. “I—”
He crosses his arms and cuts me off. “What? You didn’t think I would find out? Or did you think I was so into you, I wouldn’t care?” I go to open my mouth, but he holds his hand up in my face, and his eyes flash something I’ve never seen before. A spark of hate. “Don’t even bother lying or coming clean now. It’s too late. Tommy mentioned it. Guess he didn’t know it was such a
secret
.”
My brain fights for something to say. A way to ease his anger. “Wyn, I can explain.”
“Explain what? How you led me on? How you lied to me? How you took away the only man who’s ever cared about me? Or how you don’t care about anyone but yourself. Especially me.”
I shake my head and grab his face. “That’s not true. I do care about you.”
He clutches both my wrists and pulls my arms down. His eyes narrow, and his mouth fixes into a straight line. “I have nothing to say to you. Ever. Just leave me alone. I’m done with you. I’m done with this.” He spins around and storms out the front door.
My heart drops as I yell out. “Wyn, please!”
Just as I’m about to go after him, Les calls out to me. “They’re ready for you, Gracie.”
“I’ll be there in a second.” I race to the window and watch Wyn climb into his Jeep. Skyler is in the passenger seat with her head hanging forward. I watch Wyn pound the steering wheel with his hands. She falls into him and hugs his neck. It looks like they’re both crying. Together.
It’s the first time I’ve seen Wyn cry since the time he fell out of our tree and broke his arm. Suddenly, it’s like I don’t know him anymore. Like we’re strangers all over again. And Skyler has taken my place. I lied to Wyn because I didn’t want to push him away. Instead, I shoved him straight into Skyler’s arms.
He starts the car and peels away, leaving only a cloud dust behind for me.
The minute his car leaves my sight, I miss him. His smile. The way he makes me laugh. As far as I’m concerned, Dad is not the only one in my life that died this week. Wyn died a little too.
And maybe, so did a piece of me.
I shuffle after Les, feeling awful about hurting my best friend. Wanting nothing more than to jump on my bike and race after him and beg him to forgive me. But this time, I’ve done too much damage. Damage that’s unrepairable.
Les’s crappy old boots squeak against the linoleum. The noise irritates me. After all this, my world is turned upside down and will never be the same, yet some things never change.
Once we enter the room, two men sit behind a long table. One is wearing jeans and a button-down shirt with a blue blazer; the other is the same tall stoic agent that drove Mom and me to the hospital.
Les ushers me through the door and drags out a metal chair. It scrapes against the floor, sending a chill down my spine. I flop down next to him. “Now, Grace. These men have some questions for you. Let me say up front, you’re not in any trouble. They just need to clear up a few things. Then I’ll take you back to the hospital to be with Tommy and your mom.”
I swallow. “Sure, okay.”
Les plays with his ranger hat and points to the man in the blue blazer. “This is Agent Sweeney. He’s a special agent from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.” The man nods at me. For some strange reason, he looks familiar. Then again, my brain is mush from the last few months. Les motions to the other guy. “I believe you’ve already met Agent Todd.”
Agent Todd leans forward. “Have some water, Miss Wells.”
Hanging on the wall behind the men is the same picture of my dad winning his award. My chest clogs with sadness. The hole in my heart left open by my dad’s death stings. I quickly pour a glass of water and take a sip. The cool liquid washes through my dry mouth and drowns the lump in my throat. “Just call me Grace.” The men stare at me with intense eyes, causing me to shift in my chair.
Agent Todd frowns. “Let’s talk about one of your friends. How do you know Morris Cameron?”
I glance over at Les. He nods that it’s okay to answer. “I met Mo in the woods. We ended up hanging out some.”
For the next hour, Agent Todd grills me about every single move Mo made during the few weeks I knew him. If I knew his bathroom schedule, they would have been interested. A pit forms in my stomach as I tell them everything I know. About Mo’s family, the poachers, and his role in this whole mess. I even tell them about the other camps Mo mentioned. I end with, “He was trying to help.”
Agent Todd sits back and folds his arms. “He didn’t give you any more details than that?”
I think for a moment. “Nope, that’s pretty much it. Why? Isn’t that enough?”
“You never saw any of his dad’s papers that he mentioned?”
A bit baffled by his question, I shake my head. “No.”
Agent Todd leans forward like they do in fake interrogations on TV. “You sure?”
I’m getting a bit irritated by all the stupid questions. “Positive.”
Agent Todd stands up. “I’m done here. Sweeney, you have anything?”
Agent Sweeney speaks for the first time. “I have a few more questions if you don’t mind, Miss Wells.”
“Sure, why not. I love to play twenty questions. Twice.”
Agent Todd leaves the room as Agent Sweeney flips through his notes. After a few moments, he scratches his head. “Les? Would you mind getting us some coffee?”
Les pushes up from his seat. “No problem. Black?”
Agent Sweeney plasters on a smile. “As the night. Thanks.”
Les squeezes my shoulder. “I’ll be right back, Grace. You’re doin’ good. We’re almost done here.”
As soon the door closes, Agent Sweeney leans his chair back against the wall and props his feet up on the table. “You need anything?”
“That’s a loaded question.”
Agent Sweeney beams. “You’re a pretty smart girl, aren’t you, Miss Wells?”
I eye him. “It’s Grace. And it depends on who you talk to. Not sure my science teacher thinks so. Look, am I in trouble here?”
Agent Sweeney grins. “Should you be?”
I shrug, but my legs shake under the table. “Not in my mind.”
“We analyzed your computer and your ID. We know all the web sites you’ve visited recently. All the information you’ve collected. What do you have to say about that?”
I gawk at him. “Well, unless Facebook is a crime, nothing. And any articles I researched were probably to help find my dad.”
“So you were just researching poaching and bullets on a hunch? You sure Mo wasn’t feeding you information or helping you in any way?”
I scoff, thinking about how much Mo didn’t help me at all, at least not until the very end. “I wish. Mo never told me anything. I didn’t even know he was involved at all until I saw him at the camp. I’ve told you everything I know. Is that why you
stole
my computer?”
Agent Sweeney makes some noises with his lips. “I assure you, Miss Wells, we had a search warrant. We needed to know if you found any information that would help us in this case.”
“The only thing I know is that Mo said there were maps at the campsite with codes or something.”
Agent Sweeney twiddles his thumbs. “Well, we didn’t find any papers.”
I think for a second, making sure I remembered everything that Mo told me. “What about the men you arrested? Did they tell you anything?”
He sifts through his paperwork. “Not that I see.”
“Well, what information do you have? Maybe then I can help you.”
Agent Sweeney licks his fingers and pokes through the loose pages in a folder. “Let me see. We arrested three, and we had a few … casualties. Mr. Robert Fields isn’t talking. At a minimum, all the men will be charged with thirty-three counts, including murder, animal cruelty, illegal poaching, and kidnapping. With your testimony, I’m sure they’ll be in prison for a while.”
I sigh, totally relieved Mr. Fields would be locked up for a long time. Wonder what will happen to his store or his family now. “What about Al?”
Agent Sweeny closes the folder. “Who?”
“Alfred Smith. Where is he?”
He shakes his head. “We never found Alfred Williams.”
My stomach lurches, and I lean forward in my seat. “What?”
“He disappeared.”
I shake my head. “That’s impossible. I tied him up on the path for you. Good too. Practically wrapped him with a nice bow.”
Agent Sweeney rubs his head. “He was gone when we got there. The rope had been cut.”
I gasp. “Then someone helped him.”
Agent Sweeney disagrees. “We’ve accounted for everyone at that camp except Al. He must have gotten out on his own.”
“No way. That was a good, solid knot. Did it myself.”
“We asked all the men in custody.”
My blood bubbles as anger pumps through me. “So what you’re telling me is that he’s still out there somewhere?”
“Yes. But don’t worry. We have around-the-clock protection on you and your mom. I doubt he’s hanging around though. Probably took off. Far away from here.”
“Great, thanks,” I choke out.
“If it makes you feel any better, we confiscated a lot of stuff from the site and even saved a few bears.”
Finally, a bright spot in this mess. “What will happen to them?” Please don’t say bear pits.
“They’ll be a part of the new sanctuary Les is going to run for us. Once they recover, that is.”
“Did you find a small cub?”
He checks his papers. “No, all adults. Mostly male.” I smile, thinking Lucky got away safely. Agent Sweeney watches me for a second then his eyes twinkle. “You seem to be a smart young lady to have solved this on your own.”
“Watching TV comes in handy.”
He winks. “One hell of a computer gal too.”
“I can Google, if that’s what you mean.”
“Dabble in grades much?”
I think about Wyn but don’t say anything to incriminate myself. “Excuse me?”
He leans in and teases me. “Don’t worry, Miss Wells. I won’t tell anyone what you and Wyn did. Think it’s pretty clever myself, changing grades. You must be much better than a Googler if you can hack into the school system. You want to come intern with us? With your research ability and nature skills, we could turn you into a fine agent someday.”
I laugh. “Oh right. Agent Grace.”
He leans back and cups his neck with both hands. “We do some stuff I think you’d find interesting. Your dad loved it.”
My heart sinks at the thought of my dad. “I’ll be sure to keep that in mind.”
Behind me, the door opens, and Les comes in with two steaming Styrofoam cups in his hands. “You guys done in here yet?”
Agent Sweeney takes his coffee. “Abso-bloody-lutely!”
I stand to leave but before I take a step, I freeze. “
What
did you say?”
He shrugs. “What? Oh, it’s just a phrase I picked up recently. A guy on my team says it. Why?” Agent Sweeney shakes my hand. “Thank you for your cooperation, Miss Wells. You’re free to go. We’ll call you if we have any more questions. Here’s my contact information. If you think of anything, please call me. If not, I guess I’ll see you at trial.”
My hands tremble, and it feels as if I’ve slid into a tunnel. I’m barely able to grab the business card and mumble a response. “Thanks.”
The phrase Agent Sweeney said repeats in my head.
My world spins in a fast circle as the last few pieces of this twisted puzzle fall into place. I bolt out of the office and push through the two front doors. As soon as I break into the sun-filled world, my lungs are finally able to refill with fresh air. The bright light burns my eyes.
I sprint around the corner to Luci and take off.
Away from town. Away from Agent Sweeney.
Away from everything that’s confusing.
I head up into the Smokies, the sun at my back and a tinge of rain in the air. Leaning into every turn, I pick through the jumbled knot that’s formed in the corner of my brain, searching for something.
What am I missing?
My conversation with the agents replays in my head. Agent Todd asked me several times if Mo gave me anything. I said no, but now that I think about it, Mo went back for my bag. I thought it was strange at the time, but the bullets distracted me from questioning him much.