Chapter 27

Sheriff Carlos Morales

Rebel, a member of the Savage Angels, has walked into my station and asked to speak to me. I stand in the doorway of my office and motion for him to come to me. He’s wearing his cut and he looks serious. I have a tenuous relationship with the Savage Angels. If it wasn’t for Kat Saunders, I wouldn’t have one at all. When that psycho Gareth Goodman killed Jess Cliffe in her home, I became entangled in their world. Goodman’s trial is finally coming and I have to testify against him. He’s tried every trick in the book to either have his trial thrown out or postponed but next month it goes ahead. The courts have decided he is of sound mind and hopefully he’ll receive the death penalty, but he has a huge following so finding an impartial jury could be hard.

“Sheriff, can I speak to you privately?” asks Rebel, bringing me out of my thoughts.

“Sure, Reb, take a seat. What can I do for you?” I go around my desk and take a seat facing him.

“Sheriff, Dane’s sister, Emily, came to town a couple of days ago and now she’s disappeared. She was seen leaving Betties today, then nothing.”

“What do you need me for, Rebel?” I say leaning forward on my desk.

“Sheriff, Mr. Finlay at the hardware store has a camera facing the street, he might have footage of where she went, but he won’t let me see it. I was hoping you could convince him.”

“Let’s go for a walk, Rebel, and you can tell me all about Emily and how she came to be here, yes?” I grab my gun out of my drawer, pick up my hat and head for the front of the station. Deputy Billy Barrett, who I have long suspected is in partnership with the Savage Angels, looks up from his desk. “Barrett, I need you to come with me. We are headed into town. Get your equipment.”

“Yes, Sheriff. I’m on it,”

I give him a stiff smile and head outside, Rebel right beside me. “Do you think something bad has happened to this woman?”

“I don’t know, Sheriff, all I know is she was supposed to come and see Dane and she didn’t. I’ve searched everywhere and after she left Betties, no one saw her. Either she didn’t talk to any of the locals or she’s been taken.” I look at Rebel; he has genuine concern on his face.

“I saw her this morning outside Doc Jordan’s, she looked kind of beat up. You know anything about that?” I ask.

“She’d been in a car accident. About four hours from here. She got a ride into town with Salvatore Agostino.” He says the man’s name with disgust as though he doesn’t like him.

“Something I should know about him?”

“No, Sheriff, he hasn’t done anything. Just a feeling and nothing I care to share.”

“Fair enough.” I stare at him and then Deputy Barrett joins us. “Let’s go to the hardware store, shall we?”

We walk three abreast down Main Street. Those that are on the street stop and stare at us. I’m sure they think Rebel has done something wrong. I nod as we pass them and receive general greetings from some. The women openly stare at me. I’m considered a catch here in Tourmaline. The female population probably knows everything about me and at times, it can be a problem. I can’t really date anyone in town, if it goes south they tend to tell their girlfriends and it spreads like wildfire. I like Adelynn at The Country Inn but she’s hooked on one of the Savage Angels. Occasionally we go out, for company, or when I realize the local female population is paying me too much attention.

As we hit the front entrance of the hardware store, Mr. Finlay comes to meets us. “Sheriff, Deputy.” He nods at us, completely ignoring Rebel.

“Mr. Finlay, we were wondering if we could take a look at your camera footage from earlier today.” 

“Of course, Sheriff, anything for Tourmaline’s finest.” He smiles at us then heads towards the back of the store.

I look at Rebel, smile and raise my eyebrows; he shakes his head and we all follow Finlay.

“I have it all cued up, Sheriff, to the time that this ruffian said that girl disappeared. Haven’t looked at it yet, was just about to,” says Mr. Finlay as he stares at me, trying to pretend Rebel isn’t giving him a death stare.

“That’s very good of you, Mr. Finlay. Would you mind leaving us while we take a look, police business you know?” I smile at him and grab the door to his office. He walks out and as he turns around to say something, I shut the door. “Ok, Deputy, hit play.”

He glances at Rebel then takes a seat behind the desk and hits play on the recorder. Rebel and I stand close together and watch the screen; we see a female come into view

“That’s her,” says Rebel. Then we see a man holding out a piece of paper. She steps closer to him, it appears as though they exchange a few words and then her body seems to sag; he keeps her upright and they move out of sight.

“Rewind it and play it again,” I order. Barrett does as he’s told and we watch it again. “It looks like he’s carrying her at the end, but I can’t be sure.” I look over at Rebel. “Does he look familiar?”

He shakes his head and says, “No, but maybe Agostino knows him?”

I nod, I had forgotten about him. He has to be tied up in this somehow. “Why is he here, Rebel?” I ask, knowing he probably won’t tell me.

“He has business with the club and he bought Emily to town. He must know more than he’s letting on. How about you go question him, Sheriff?”

“How about I go question him? You don’t want this done in‐house?” I ask, incredulous that he would want an outsider brought in.

“No, Sheriff, I want her found. I’ve spent time with her, Carlos, she had no idea who we were and she trusted us immediately. Most people fear us or hate us but no one trusts us straight away.”

He’s trying to build a relationship with me by using my name and it makes me stop and think. “Okay, Rebel, is Agostino staying at The Country Inn?” I ask and he nods. I look at Deputy Barrett. “Go check out the motel, check his car, and speak to Adelynn or her father. Get a feel for him and get back to me on my phone. Got it?”

“Yes, Sheriff!” And like the good little soldier he pretends to be, he rushes out of the hardware store.

I look at Rebel. “Grab the tape and let’s take a walk to see your boss, sorry Prez, isn’t that what you call him?”

“Carlos, you know damn well he’s our President. Stop being a dick,”

I nod at him. “It’s Sheriff, Rebel, and yeah, I know he’s your President.” He grabs the tape and we head for the front of the store.

On the way out, Rebel stops in front of Mr. Finlay. “Wanted to say thank you for letting us take this.” He waves it around in front of him. “We really appreciate your co‐operation.” It looks as though Mr. Finlay is about to explode. His face is bright red but all he does is nod. He doesn’t make eye contact and Rebel walks out with no further confrontation, thankfully.

We walk together towards the Compound, neither of us speaking. When we arrive at the gates, I see Agostino climb into a car; I walk towards it with my hand on my hip. I stand at the window and tap on it; he winds it down.

“Got a few questions for you, so I need you to climb out of the car, Mr. Agostino.”

“I’m on my way out, when we come back, yes?”

“No, I don’t want to have to ask again but get out of the car, Mr. Agostino.” I open the door and stand there, hand on hip.

He looks straight ahead, then nods at the driver and slowly steps out. “As you wish, Sheriff.” He straightens his jacket and says, “Shall we go inside?”

I nod at him and motion for him to go first, he smiles and leads the way. “Thank you for your compliance, Mr. Agostino.”

“I remember you, Sheriff, but you weren’t a Sheriff back then, you were, Detective Morales, as I recall.” He looks at me and smiles.

I wondered how long it would take him to remember me. Working in New Jersey, I got to see the scum of the earth. There are a lot of good people there but in the end I couldn’t distinguish the good from the bad. Turned me into someone I don’t care to remember. When I got this job, it was a lifeline, a way to start again, a way to forget my past.

I smile and lean into him, hand still on my hip. “Yes, that’s right, I was a detective but now, Mr. Agostino, I’m Sheriff Morales and I expect you to answer a few questions.”

He looks at my hand on my gun, smiles and continues towards the clubhouse doors. “I will answer your questions, Sheriff, but you should know Guido Lamberti is in town.”

Fuck, Guido Lamberti? That fucker is a stone-cold killer. I could never find anything to stick to him. When I had witnesses, they either ended up dead or were paid off and then ended up dead. My obsession with him cost me everything and now he’s here in Tourmaline. I look at Agostino and he smiles knowingly. I want to punch those very straight white teeth down his throat. He shrugs at me and I find myself grabbing him by his nicely tailored jacket and moving him backwards with everything I have. I don’t stop until his body crashes into the outside wall of the clubhouse and then the Savage Angels pull me off him.

I roar at them, “GET YOUR FUCKING HANDS OFF ME!” They all retreat and I stand there, taking in gulps of air, trying to control my rage. Agostino looks incensed; I bet it’s been a long time since anyone has dared lay hands on him. I turn away from him, unable to even look at him and have him remind me of the person I was. I’ve worked too fucking hard to create a life here, to have friends, to belong to a community. Then my phone begins to ring. I absently grab it from my pocket and say in a loud voice, “What?”

“Sheriff? Is that you?”

“Yes, who the fuck do you think it is?” I know it’s Deputy Barrett on the other end of the line and I know I am taking my anger out on him but at the moment I don’t give a fuck.

“Sorry, sir...ahhh...Sheriff. I did what you said, I spoke to Addy at The Country Inn and I looked in his room. But, Sheriff, there’s blood on the seat in his car.”

I hold my phone away from my ear and slowly turn around. My hand is still on my gun and I pull it out of the holster; I hear shouts around me as I point it at Agostino.

“You are coming with me to the station, to answer a few questions. Now move!”

Agostino fixes his jacket and says, “Calm down, Sheriff, I’m coming. No need to point your gun at me.”

Rebel walks up to me, hands in the air. “Sheriff? I thought we were going to talk to Agostino, show him the tape.”

I glance at Rebel and nod. I slowly put my gun in its holster. “You are right, Rebel, but we are doing it back at the station. New evidence has come to light.”

“New evidence?” he asks then he turns on Agostino and this time he grabs him and pushes him up against the wall. “What have you done?”

I place my hand on Rebel’s shoulder. “Help me transport him back to the station, Rebel.” 

“That’s not going to be necessary, Sheriff. If Agostino knows anything we’ll find out,” says a very

disgruntled Dane Reynolds

“Afraid I can’t let you do that, Dane, and you know it. Seeing as she’s your sister I will allow you to observe the interview but you cannot take part in it, is that understood?”

“Think I liked you better when you had your gun out, Sheriff,” Reynolds retorted.

I scoff at him and nod. “A moment of...madness. Let’s go, Agostino.” I grab him by the arm and walk him out of the Compound.