The Invisible Hand - A crime novel

Chapter 32

The phone on the desk in the basement wakes Red. The book glued to his sweaty face rises with him. He peels it off. Tosses it back.

Red doesn't need to guess the caller. The phone is connected to an unlisted line. Had it set up for Internet access. No one is supposed to know it. Except for...

"Jane," Red says into the phone.

"I'm following up," Jane says back. Scrambled. Metallic. Like she's talking through a harmonica jacketed in steel wool. "Ready?"

Jane always talks in grunts. Like each word requires another step up a hill. Annoys Red.

"How did you know I was near this line? Are you tracking me?" Red says.

"Yes. Always," Jane says.

No surprise there. Jane tracked Red last time they worked together. Figures she must have access to satellite data or something. Red would rather not know.

"Why?" Red says.

"Protection. For me. And you."

Red rubs his jaw. Jane's as paranoid as he is sometimes.

"That why you sent a cross dresser to meet me back in St. Cloud?" he says.

"You've never actually met me. You never will. No one has," Jane says. "But you will meet my people. I am the cause. They are the effects. You met one of them in St. Cloud."

"Alright, enough with the cloak and dagger crap," Red says. Still groggy from being asleep 30 seconds ago. "Didn't you have a follow-up?"

"Yes," Jane says. There's a pause. Like she's away from the phone. "As you know, I found the truck. Didn't find the target."

Red's free hand works on untying the knot in his neck. "Where'd he go?"

"Questioned two others. They were with the truck. They're part of a larger operation. One I need to address. Many factors at play now, not just the target," Jane says.

"What about Wil, though?" Red says.

He won't refer to people as "targets." Seems inhuman. Targets are for shooting.

Red doesn't want Wil dead. Just back to Betrug for a quick chat. Then hand him over to the federal and state agencies heading the search.

Of course, Red has no plans to let them know about Jane's news. They'd cut him out of the investigation since the beginning. Now he's returning the favor.

"What about Wil?" Red says again.

"That's all, sheriff," Jane says.

The phone line goes dead.

Red sets the receiver down. Looks around the room. Checks the desk. Feels for bugs. Not that he even knows how they look or feel. Gives up after a minute or two.

Jane's not telling him something. That wasn't so much of a follow-up as a shutdown. She's distracted by something. Or not giving him the complete picture. Maybe she'd already found Wil, but for some reason won't tell him. Hard to say.

Gus had the sense to try to stop Red from hiring Jane. It's what Red told him to do after last time. Red had told himself the same thing, too.

Neither warning worked. Why?

Red picks up the book, Steps Forward: Finding Courage and Confidence to Make Big Changes. Turns to the first pages. Reads the dedication written in black pen. Reminds himself why it's worth working with Jane to get Wil back to Betrug.

Mary,

I can't wait for our new life together.

Red

*** PLEASE SUPPORT MY WRITING! ***

This story will only be posted on Wattpad for a limited time. If you'd like the full version, head to your favorite online e-book/book retailer and pick up your own digital/print copy. Search for "Invisible Hand Sobieck." Or leave a review of the book on Amazon once you're finished reading on Wattpad. Thank you. ~Ben