Chapter 22

Jason took a deep breath as he stood at the steps to the small building that housed the police station. Clutching the backpack tighter onto his shoulder, he stepped into the building. There was a small reception counter, and behind that were several desks with a few officers sitting around. As he stepped up to the desk, a young woman asked if she could help him.

"Uh, yeah," he started uncertainly, "I need to--"

His eyes caught sight of Deputy Watson's form across the room. The man's eyes held his, and Jason had a sudden feeling of dread. Shit, he'd really been hoping the man would be out on patrol or getting fucking donuts or something. What were the odds the man would actually be in the station at his desk? Damn small, low crime town. He managed a smile and a nod to the deputy, hoping the man would just go on about his own business.

He noticed the young woman looking at him oddly, waiting for an answer. "Oh, sorry. Yeah, I'd like to talk to Sheriff Marlin please."

He noticed that Watson picked up his cell phone and spoke quickly into it before nodding and hanging up. Shit, could he be calling Brad?

"Sure, come with me," the young lady led him toward the sheriff's office door.

The man was still at his desk eating his sandwich.

"Sheriff," she interrupted, "I have someone here to see you."

The older man looked up, surprise registering on his face as he seemed to recognize Jason. He rose, holding out his hand.

"Jason, right?" the sheriff greeted as they shook and then gestured to the seat in front of his desk.

Jason glanced at the open door, worried who might hear. Fortunately, Sheriff Marlin seemed to notice this and moved to grab the door.

"Hey, there!" Watson's voice came from the doorway. "I thought I recognized you. Jason Yates, right? Brad's new bodyguard?"

Jason forced himself to stay calm and smiled, honestly not terribly surprised that the deputy had come to butt in and sniff out why Jason was there. "Yeah, you guys have great memories."

"Is there anything I can help with?" the Deputy asked.

Jason shrugged. "I hope so. I'm just worried about my father."

Both men frowned at him although Jason suspected for different reasons.

Jason pointedly turned his gaze to Sheriff Marlin, addressing him specifically, hoping that would get him the chance to talk to the sheriff alone. "I'm concerned, Sheriff, that the nursing home that my father is in is neglecting him."

"Hmm, really? What makes you suspect that?"

Jason cleared his throat, wondering just how far he'd have to take this lie before the deputy would leave--maybe he'd even tell the lie to Brad, buying him even more time. "Well, I've started to notice bed sores. Have you ever seen one? They can be really gross. I may even have a picture here--"

He pulled out his phone like he was going to pull out pictures and noticed the deputy's face scrunch up in a look of disgust as he backed away, holding up his hand. "I think I have some paperwork to get back to. Should I get someone else to come--"

Marlin frowned, his grip tightening on the door. "Thanks, deputy, for you concern," he addressed Watson, who seemed to look relieved to leave and get back to his desk. "I'll go ahead and take this report. I'm sure you're busy. Why don't you send in McCaffry? He's still a newbie and needs to learn to write better reports."

"Sure thing," Watson smiled, tipping his head at Jason as he walked away, stopping at a young officer's desk.

Marlin closed the door carefully before returning to his seat. He steepled his fingers as he sat down.

"So, what's this really about, Mr. Yates?"

Jason's jaw dropped slightly in surprise.

"Sheriff, I--"

"Call me, Kyle," Sheriff Marlin stated, "because I suspect you're not here to talk about your dad's bed sores."

Jason smiled and shook his head.

There was a knock on the door. The sheriff called the young officer in. "McCaffry, come in here. Take a seat."

Jason had a moment of concern. Were either of these men on Brad's payroll too? Odds were at least one of them wasn't.

Sheriff Marlin seemed to notice Jason's hesitancy as he glanced between the two officers.

"Jason, Harris McCaffry is new to the station. He's come in from South Dakota last week," Kyle Marlin explained.

Jason couldn't help the relief that melted on his face. If he was new, odds were high that he wasn't working for Brad. Hopefully, only Watson was, but he couldn't be certain yet.

"Is this about Devyn Kennedy or Brad Milburn?" the officer guessed.

Jason let out a slow exhale. "Yes. Both. But, sir, you've got to promise me that what I show you and tell you that you'll do something about it."

The sheriff frowned. "And why would you think I wouldn't?"

Jason's eyes shifted to the door, then between the two officers. "Because I know reports get buried here. By a certain deputy. He's probably called or is calling Brad about my presence here right now."

Kyle Marlin's face darkened as he cast a glance at McCaffry who looked furious, and Jason was sure that what he was suggesting was not news to the men. "Fuck." He snapped up the phone. "Gentry, I want you to quietly find out the most recent numbers that Deputy Watson has called and received, cell phone first, then work extension."

Jason stared in shock at the man. "I've suspected something about the man since I got here last year, but I can't prove anything. McCaffry came to me last week wondering about some reports that he'd gone over that had been filed by Watson. I think he's working with Brad Milburn, am I right?"

Jason nodded. "I think so, but I don't know for certain. Just overhearing some conversations."

"I've had my eye on Brad Milburn for a couple months now, but it seems every time we try to catch him, he's one step ahead. That's when I suspected one of my guys might be helping him. That's why I have Gentry and McCaffy; new guys that I hired myself. When Watson insisted on taking the call about Devyn's assault, I suspected he might be my leak."

"That's why you came with him to the house Friday," Jason realized. "You didn't trust Watson to report the truth."

"Yeah," the sheriff shrugged. "But obviously there was nothing to report."

Jason shifted uneasily. "Actually, there was."

"What do you mean?"

As Jason sat in front of Sheriff Marlin and Harris McCaffry, he knew this was the moment that he was all in. If he handed over that bag and the videos, he was incriminating himself as well as Brad and everyone else. He had just handed over drugs for money in that apartment; the police would probably arrest him too for selling drugs. There was no going back once he handed over the evidence. He could still fold and walk away, but that would still leave Devyn trapped in that house.

He put the bag on the sheriff's desk and laid his phone next to it.

"Brad Milburn is a murderer and a drug dealer," Jason announced. "He's been using Devyn to transport drugs and has allowed the kid to be beaten, and I think, raped as well."

"What?" the sheriff gasped, his eyes hardening. Harris shot out of his seat like he was ready to rip into someone, and Jason just hoped it wasn't him. Obviously this was much more than what they'd expected to hear.

"I didn't know what was happening until this weekend, after Devyn showed up with the huge bruise on his ribs. Well, I probably should have realized it before, but...I believed in Brad. I was an idiot, and now it all seems so fucking obvious to me. I don't know why I didn't pick up on it all before," he sighed heavily, running his hand through his hair. "Devyn won't talk to me, but I've heard enough, seen enough to suspect that it's been going on since Devyn was between twelve and thirteen, when Brad got guardianship."

Jason could feel his hands shaking.

"I got evidence, recordings, of Brad talking about killing his father, and trying to kill Kieran, the guy who watched Devyn before me. There's a recording of one of his dealers too."

Sheriff Marlin slowly picked up Jason's phone. "Are you saying--"

The phone ringing interrupted them.

"Yeah?" Kyle answered, listening. "You're sure?"

A few seconds later, Marlin hung up the phone, cursing under his breath. "Watson called Brad Milburn's cell. Then he called a Nelson Rainier."

Jason's hands dropped into his lap as he felt his heart drop. "Shit, I've got to get back there. I've got to call--"

"Wait, calm down," Kyle said. "As far as Watson knows you're here about your dad. That's probably what he called them about when he called the second time."

Jason's heart hammered in his chest as he tried to slow his breathing, getting his racing mind back under control.

"Yeah, yeah, that's right," Jason breathed. "But I have to get back soon, or he'll be suspicious. It can't take that long to 'file a report', right?. God, what if he takes it out on Devyn?"

"Look, give me a few minutes to look at this and get things together. Half an hour max," Marlin said. "If we go racing in there blindly, and he has a chance to hide evidence, or even escape, we lose everything."

"Yeah okay," Jason said nervously. "But just a few minutes."

"It won't take me long," Marlin said, stalking to the door with McCaffry right behind him.

Jason watched as the man nodded silently to the side and another officer rose, following him. Sheriff Marlin's hand had already flicked the snap over his gun off and his hand hovered over it as he approached the deputy's desk. The other officer skirted to the other side.

"Watson," Marlin said firmly. "Stand up and put your hands on your desk."

"What the hell--?" the deputy shot up, but the other officer was faster and had the man shoved forward over his desk before he could even think about doing anything else. While McCaffry held Watson down, pressing between his shoulder blades, another officer named Gentry relieved the man of his weapons and cell phone before cuffing him.

"Kyle!" Watson yelled, "What the hell are you doing?"

"Hold him on suspicion of aiding and abetting," Marlin told the other officers, none of whom seemed disinclined to follow the man's order.

"Who--? What the hell are you talking about? I've been a deputy here longer--"

"Maybe too long," Marlin muttered as Watson was pulled upright. "Why were you calling your buddy Brad Milburn just now?"

"What?" the deputy actually looked a little panicked.

"Gentry, take him to holding, then gather Hanson, Upton, and Evans in the conference room," Sheriff Kyle Marlin ordered.

Jason grinned as the dirty cop was led away. He wasn't sure how long they'd be able to keep him there, probably a few hours at least. But that would be enough time to get back to Devyn. And get him out of that house.