“Stop,” Garrett said, blocking both men from entering. “Sorry, guys. We’ll let you know as much as we can, when we can.”
Harvey grumbled something under his breath and walked away, but Luke remained standing in the doorway. “Luke -” Garrett started to say, but Luke lifted his hands, palms front, in surrender.
“I get it,” Luke said. “It’s just after Arlo J blew smoke up Blake’s ass, I was hoping I could get in on whatever lead the FBI is currently chasing. Wearetalking about the same drug that almost killed my wife.”
Caden sighed and stepped in front of him. “Trust me to see this through, okay?”
Luke stared at Caden for a long moment, then gave him a slight nod and backed away, letting Caden shut the door.
“If you didn’t want him here, why did you tell him about this meeting?” Garrett asked.
“I didn’t,” Caden said, rubbing his neck and returning to the table. “But if there was a drug out there that almost killed Hallie, you better believe I’d have my ear to the ground, knocking down every door I could, whether I was welcome or not.”
Garrett sighed. “I can’t even imagine the hell he’s going through. It’s bad enough Russell Graham is still walking around free as a bird, but now we’re so close to -.”
“That’s exactly why he can’t be a part of it, Garrett.” Caden let out a frustrated breath. “When we take this to court, I don’t want some punk ass attorney throwing our case out on a technicality because the husband of one of the victims was working on it.”
“I know. You’re right. It’s just Luke has been dealing with this for so long, and -”
“Who do you think has been spearheading this case?” Caden shoved an agitated hand through his short dark hair.“Do you have any idea how many hours I’ve spent away from Hallie to get all this leg work done?”
“I get it. This affects all of us,” Garrett hadn’t missed the dark circles under his friend’s eyes or the intensity of his determination to see this through. “And I’m beyond impressed by all this data. But I’m still not seeing how I can be of help.”
Caden rubbed a hand down his face, then handed him a file. Inside was a photo of a high school along with a class roster of an English literature class, complete with the names of twenty-three students and their teacher. “You think the dealer is in this class?” Garrett asked.
Caden leaned against the table and crossed his arms in front of him. “I think the dealer is the parent of someone in that class, but the FBI can’t seem to get close enough to the parents to make a case against them. So, we have to go through the kid instead. That’s where you come in. These kids are known for getting in trouble. They can smell a cop or an FBI agent from a mile away, and they know exactly how to act and what to say to get guys like us to back off, or eat right out of their hands. Depending on what their end goal is at the time. We’ve got exactly one shot at this, and I'm counting you to make it happen.”
“Sure thing,” Garrett glanced at the class roster, then looked back up at Caden. “What is it exactly that you want me to do?”
“I’ve been in touch with the principal, and he tells me their teacher is going on maternity leave in two weeks. That gives us time to prepare, and get you ready to teach high school English Literature.”
Garrett barked out a laugh. “You can’t be serious.”
“Oh, but I am,” Caden deadpanned.
“Wait a minute, why me?” Garrett asked, suddenly feeling slightly underqualified. English Literature wasn’t exactly hisbest subject back in high school. “You said you asked for me specifically.”
Caden sighed and dropped his shoulders. “Because I think you could actually pull this off. You’re solid without being rigid. You’re fun, but responsible. You’ll give the kids enough leeway to make them believe you’re an actual substitute teacher who's been thrown into the fray, but you also have the mind of a law enforcement officer who knows how to get information from an unwitting eighteen-year-old.”
Wow. Garrett never thought of himself quite like that. He was just a guy who enjoyed life and did his best to be the best Texas Ranger he could be on any given day.
“So,” Caden said, pulling out a chair and sinking into it. “Are you ready to learn and teach, Mr. Cooper?”
Garrett didn’t have to think long. There wasn’t anything he would do for his friends, and if he could actually help move the Russell Graham case forward, he was definitely onboard. “Let’s do this.” He sat across from Caden and started reviewing everything about the school, the students and teacher, and most importantly, the student whose name was highlighted in yellow - Madison Grier.
Caden had extensive files on her parents, too, complete with their names, contact information, residential and employment backgrounds, and any other information that could be needed. Angela and Dale Grier. On paper, they seemed like ordinary folks. Angela was an accountant at a law firm and Dale was a construction foreman. If Garrett had to guess, his money was on Dale, but the job had long since taught him that the least likely suspect could just as easily be the guilty party.
Garrett spent the rest of the day reviewing intel and discussing possible strategies on how to get Madison to trust him enough to talk about her parents, and the drugs that one or both of them was likely responsible for putting out on the street.
By the time five o’clock rolled around, Garrett was mentally exhausted, and Caden was itching to get out of there to meet Hallie at her store. The Mystic Cow closed at six, but ever since Vivian’s attack, Caden didn’t like her being there alone after dark if he could help it.
Garrett hadn’t thought much about Reese all day, but as soon as he walked into his kitchen, he noticed the plate he’d given her last night sitting outside his sliding glass door. There was a note stuck to the bottom of it, the corner of the paper curling upward in the light breeze.
He smiled, opened the door, and picked up the plate and the accompanying note.Thank you for the s’mores. Maybe next time I can make something for you.
Garrett brought the plate and note inside. He’d never asked her if she knew how to cook, but since he’d been bringing her groceries every week, he should’ve assumed she at least knew the basics. There was so much he didn’t know about Reese.
Aside from needing her help with Russell, Garrett just wanted to be able to talk to her without worrying that she would run away from him the moment their eyes actually locked. It was odd how she seemed to stick to the dark and always avoid eye contact. Garrett knew that had to mean something; he just didn’t know what.
Standing in his kitchen, an idea suddenly came to him that would hopefully get her to come out of her shell. He just had to wait until nightfall.