Chapter 2

7:30 am, Friday, September 24, 2021:

Jeremy Rodgers heard the car pull up in front of the two-story house where he had rented a room and looked out the window. He saw the attractive, 40-something blonde get out of the car and grab a carton of eggs from the back seat. She came to the front door and rang the bell as he watched.

He heard Mrs. Anderson, the 75-year-old widow who owned the house, open the door and speak briefly to the woman, who he now knew was Beverly Caldwell. Folks around here often called her the “egg lady” since she had a small business selling eggs laid by her chickens. Mrs. Anderson also told him she was married to the Sheriff, a fellow named Ryan Caldwell.

More than once, he fantasized about banging the pretty blonde woman, but those fantasies left him the first time he saw Ryan’s scarred face on television. Between the scar, the full beard, and the patch that covered his left eye, Caldwell looked like one mean son-of-a-bitch.

Mrs. Anderson told him that Caldwell shot a man on Main Street in broad daylight, putting a bullet right through his left eye. From what he read in the paper’s archives, the man he shot was a former FBI agent who went rogue, then had the nerve to hold Caldwell’s wife at gunpoint in the middle of the street. Both Caldwell and his wife were given medals for bravery by the Governor of Texas himself.

Jeremy would have loved to fuck that pretty blonde right in her ass, but he also liked keeping his head attached to his body. He watched her leave the house, her small, firm ass swaying as she walked. Caldwell was one lucky motherfucker to have that at home, Jeremy thought.

Thinking about the blonde also got him thinking about his beloved sister, Ginger, now sitting in the county jail on murder, torture, and rape charges. She had been there since Monday night when Caldwell had her arrested after a search of her boutique. He knew that once the locals detained her, they would also be looking for him.

They had talked about this before and agreed that the other would lay low if one of them was hauled into jail. He simply followed their plan, but still ... he missed his beloved Ginger. Thinking about her long flaming red hair, her firm B-cup breasts, her nice tight ass, and shaved pussy made his dick stiff.

He pulled out his phone and looked at pictures he had taken of her, her legs spread wide as she fingered her sopping wet pussy to orgasm. He unzipped his jeans and shamelessly masturbated to the image of her creamy pussy.

The two of them had been partners for years. Ever since their old man caught them fucking out behind the barn, they had been on their own. It didn’t matter that Ginger initiated it, nor did it matter that she offered to suck the old guy’s dick. He flew into a rage and demanded they leave immediately and never return.

So they left. Their father gave them a half-hour to pack whatever they could carry, and they were gone. They spent the first few months in Jeremy’s van and slept together in the back. She stayed naked most of the time, giving the truckers a good show whenever she could. Eventually, they started running out of money.

And that’s when they learned just how valuable Ginger’s pussy really was. They were amazed at how much money they got from the men who fucked her, and Jeremy was also surprised at how much he liked watching his sister get fucked. All-in-all, it was a win-win for both of them.

Soon, they had enough money to buy a really nice camera and a computer with wireless Internet access. He began making videos of her fucking, posting them to various websites. Eventually, someone contacted them and said they could earn serious money in the amateur porn industry.

Ginger took a stage name – Ginger Redd, for her flaming red hair – and began making full-length videos. It didn’t matter who she fucked or where. She did it all. And she did it everywhere. Men, women, in motel rooms, on the side of the road, you name it – everything and everyone was fair game.

At one point, Ginger wanted to see if she could fuck 100 men in a single session, so Jeremy set it up. Sure enough, she fucked and sucked them all, taking their cum in her mouth, pussy, and ass. She let them make her airtight and even took two big cocks in her pussy at the same time. She did 19 more videos like that, fucking 2,000 different men in two years. To be safe, they each got tested for STDs regularly.

Ginger eventually decided she wanted to try something a bit kinky, so she invested in some leather gear, along with some toys, whips, and strap-on dildos. That’s when she became “Mistress Ginger.” She loved the feeling of power she would have over these simpering cuckolds who wanted to be used and abused. Much of it was staged, but there were several times when it wasn’t.

Then they were contacted by a woman who said she was with some kind of mutual assurance society, whatever that was. She wanted to know if they would become contractors. All they had to do was punish cheating husbands the way the client wanted and provide video to the society.

Sure, they said. They could do that easily. The way it worked was simple. They would get an email with their assignment, and half of the fee would be sent by Paypal. Jeremy’s job was to subdue the husband using a specially-equipped ring the society would provide. Then they would usually shave the man’s body hair off and tie him up.

When the man woke up, Ginger would punish him. She would thrash the man with a cane or a whip most of the time. Then she would don a strap-on dildo and fuck the man in the ass. Afterward, they would have the man clean the dildo with his mouth. Yeah, it was nasty, but Ginger really got off on it, frequently having an orgasm as she fucked the poor guy.

Jeremy would record it all on video. Naturally, Ginger would be wearing her full gear so no one would be able to recognize her. Afterward, they would send the video to the society’s secure email address. The second half of their payment would show up in their Paypal account within a couple of days. Easy money.

Then everything ended. They heard nothing for at least six months. They returned to their normal porn production, but Ginger found it lacking.

In the meantime, Jeremy had purchased a boat. They often spent weekends on the boat, having sex on the ocean. Jeremy was good with a speargun and frequently went spearfishing. He did it for fun most of the time, but sometimes he would join a tournament and win some pretty serious money.

Then they received a text from someone with the initials AG, who claimed to be contacting them from overseas. She had a job for them, but it would mean that Ginger would have to move to Texas to a town called Hard Rock. AG said Ginger would start an erotic boutique, and the two of them would work with someone named Trudy Higgins. From that point on, they would take all their instructions from Trudy.

AG provided the seed money, sending it through several overseas accounts. Once the money was available, Ginger moved to the town, and Jeremy followed later. They set up the shop, and business began pouring in. Then they met Trudy.

Ginger barely tolerated the older woman at first, but Jeremy found her to be more than a little weird. She kept going on about the “sisterhood” of the “new way,” whatever the heck that was. Jeremy didn’t care about politics. All he cared about was money and pussy, especially the honeypot between his sister’s legs.

Trudy explained the scope of their work. It was basically what they had already done before, but this wouldn’t be just a one-time encounter. The idea was to continually cuckold the old man while punishing him. That meant Jeremy would fuck Trudy in front of her husband while Ginger played her “Mistress” role.

Jeremy had to admit he liked cuckolding the man. It turned out he was some kind of bigwig in the county. He enjoyed fucking the old man’s wife as he sat tied up in his chair, a ball-gag firmly placed in his mouth. Ginger would beat the man if he got too loud with his protests. Jeremy looked at his sister as he fucked Trudy in her marital bed the first time they did it.

“This is fucking hot, sis,” he said. “I see why you like doing this so much.” Ginger came over and pulled him off of Trudy and looked him in the eye.

“Just remember, don’t cum inside her. Only me. You can fuck anyone you want, anywhere and any way you want. But you can only cum inside your sister. Understand?” she said. Jeremy’s face beamed as he took in his powerful sister.

“Oh yes, Mistress,” Jeremy said, his heart full of love for her. “Only you. I love you so much.”

“And I love you, brother,” she said, kissing him full on the lips as he fucked Trudy. Watching this display of unfettered, shameless incestuous love between Jeremy and Ginger, Trudy exploded in an orgasm. Jeremy had a wicked idea and walked to her husband, then wiped his cock on the older man’s face, smearing Trudy’s bodily fluids on Bertram’s cheeks.

“Hah hah,” he laughed as the older man cried. Ginger silenced the man with her whip, then wrapped her arms around Jeremy. The two of them fucked on Trudy’s bed until he ejaculated inside his younger sister. Things went on like this for about two months. Then last Sunday night happened.

The three of them walked into the office and saw Bertram on the computer, reading an email. Only Trudy knew the contents of the short message. Ginger handed the speargun to Jeremy and pointed at Bertram’s back. Unknown to him, Trudy had already briefed Ginger on what was about to happen. Jeremy crept up on Bertram as Trudy spoke to him about that whole new way nonsense.

The gun had already been loaded and primed. The spearhead had been given a liberal coating of something Ginger said she got from AG. Still, she never told Jeremy what it was. He trusted her, fully and without condition.

At a signal that had been pre-arranged between the two women, Ginger put her hand on Jeremy’s and gently squeezed his trigger finger, causing the gun to fire. She knew Jeremy had never killed a man before and would probably balk at shooting a spear into Bertram’s back. They watched as the spear pierced the older man. He looked down for a moment, shocked, then slumped forward as Trudy said she loved him once upon a time.

Shocked, Jeremy dropped the speargun. Now he knew why Trudy said they should wear latex gloves. She didn’t want his fingerprints anywhere near her husband’s dead body. Jeremy looked at the man in the chair, blood pooling on the floor. For a few moments, he couldn’t move. He had never taken a man’s life before, and the experience horrified him.

“It’s okay, sweetheart,” Ginger said softly as she nuzzled up to him. “It had to be done, and you know it did.”

“I ... I’ve never ... killed a man before,” Jeremy cried.

“Shhh, don’t look,” she said. “Come with me upstairs. Let your sister make it go away.”

“I thought you said he could handle it,” Trudy barked. “He’s as big a pussy as Bertram.”

“How many men have you killed, bitch?” Ginger snapped. Trudy recoiled from that. No one spoke to her like that. Who does this little slut think she is, anyway? “That’s what I thought. None. So shut the fuck up. Upstairs. NOW!”

Shocked by Ginger’s tone, Trudy went upstairs with Ginger and Jeremy following. Ginger undressed her brother when they got into the bedroom, then removed her clothing and climbed on the bed, spreading her legs. Trudy started removing her clothes, but not quite as enthusiastically as she had done before.

“Come to me, my dear, sweet brother,” she cooed. “I need you inside me. Make love to me. Cum inside me and forget everything else. My pussy is all that matters now.” She grabbed his cock and stroked it until it was big and hard. “Oh, yes, that’s much better. Put it inside me. Fuck your sister’s pussy the way you like.”

He gasped as he entered her and began thrusting. She moaned in his ear and wrapped her legs around him. He thrust harder inside her, making her moan even louder. Soon, he was pounding her pussy, his balls slapping against her ass.

“Yes, baby, that cock feels so good in sister’s pussy. Fuck me. Cum inside me.” He let out a groan and thrust his head back as he filled her with his seed. She wrapped her arms around him and kissed his face.

“You want to control a man?” she asked Trudy. “This is how you do it. With love and compassion. And a warm, wet pussy. Now, get between my legs and eat his cum out of me. Clean me up.” Trudy looked at her, horrified.

“I can’t do that,” she said.

“You couldn’t kill your husband either. He did. He did it for you. This is the least you can do in return,” Ginger said. “Eat me, NOW,” she commanded, spreading her legs wide. Trudy looked down and saw Jeremy’s semen dripping out of Ginger’s wide-open pussy. She got on the bed and lowered her face to Ginger’s pussy.

“That’s it,” Ginger said. “Lick it out of me. Nice and slow. Do it like you enjoy it, and I’ll let Jeremy fuck you from behind, the way you like.” Trudy started getting into it, and Ginger held her head in place. Jeremy got behind Trudy and thrust himself into her from the back. She gasped out loud as he fucked into her. This went on for a couple hours, and the three of them fell asleep on Trudy’s large bed.

Trudy dropped Jeremy off at the Boardwalk Coffee House downtown the following day, then took Ginger back to her boutique. Following their plan, she went back home and called 911 to report her husband’s death.

Jeremy went into the shop and got a cup of coffee along with an order of biscuits and gravy he would eat in his room at Mrs. Anderson’s place. He never had biscuits and gravy until he came here and was surprised to find that he liked it. After getting his order, Jeremy walked out of the shop and looked around.

He saw the scarred, one-eyed Sheriff standing on the boardwalk talking to an older guy in an electric scooter. Seeing the big man there filled him with dread. He crossed the street and walked the three blocks to Mrs. Anderson’s place as fast as he could. Later that day, he learned Trudy had been arrested.

Jeremy knew it was only a matter of time before they came after him and his sister. He called Ginger at the shop, scared.

“What are we gonna do? We need to get outta here, as fast as we can, before they catch on to us,” he said nervously.

“We stick with AG’s plan,” Ginger said. “Lay low. Don’t do anything or go anywhere. Once we get paid, then we can close shop and go back to California.”

“I’m so scared,” Jeremy said.

“It’ll be alright,” she told him. “Just stay calm.”

But it wasn’t alright. Later that night, he saw the report that Ginger had been arrested. His universe imploded. She was his life, and now she was in jail. He had heard what goes on in these jails, and the thought of his beloved sister being gang-raped by hordes of surly rednecks made him sick to his stomach.

He stuck to their plan, but it wasn’t easy. He stayed away from the jail, as they discussed earlier. He often considered jumping in his van and leaving this place far behind. But he couldn’t just abandon his sister. He barely got any sleep the next four nights and became even more nervous and jumpy.

A plan was beginning to form in Jeremy’s mind, but he wasn’t sure if he could actually pull it off. He knew if he failed, he would probably end up dead. But he knew if he did nothing, he would either end up in jail for the rest of his life or dead at the hands of a state executioner.

...

Ryan sat at his desk and considered the growing pile of paperwork. The whole week had been difficult for everyone, and Bertram’s murder had hit the community very hard. Things were progressing, but not quite as fast as he would’ve liked.

Dr. Childress, the medical examiner, finished the autopsy on Wednesday, releasing the body to Bertram’s son, Ryan, who arrived from Lackland that same day. A special memorial service for Bertram was scheduled for Saturday, and the board asked Ryan if he would be so kind as to give a short eulogy.

Ryan agreed, knowing he wouldn’t be the only speaker. Part of him didn’t even want to go since he had promised Beverly he would help with a new chicken coop. But his wife didn’t even want to hear it.

“No, Ryan,” she said. “You’re a very important and respected man in this community. It’s only right that you do this. Besides, Juan and Rose had some free time the other day, so they came over and helped me with the coop.”

Juan and Rose Hernandez lived just down the road from them, and Beverly had known them for years and invited them to their wedding, where Ryan first met them. They were a really nice couple, and Ryan had sampled Rose’s Mexican cuisine more than once.

“Well, we’ll have to have them over for dinner to thank them,” Ryan said. “But I’m taking you out to celebrate your birthday Saturday night.”

Ryan took a sip of his coffee and fired up his video conference application. It was nearly time for the scheduled meeting.

Dr. Childress finished his chemical substance analysis on the spear tip late Tuesday. He told Ryan the analysis prompted a report to some new federal agency.

“What was it you found?” Ryan asked.

“Something I’ve never seen before, Sheriff,” Dr. Childress said. “Judging from the chemical structure, I’d say it was some kind of psychotropic drug combined with a paralyzing agent.”

“Would it have killed Bertram?” Ryan asked.

“Probably not right away, but it very well could have,” the doctor said. “By the way, it was the same stuff in that vial you recovered from Ginger’s store. We recovered two sets of fingerprints from that vial. One belonging to Ginger, and the other from Mrs. Higgins.”

“Speaking of fingerprints, Sheriff,” Ron said when he joined the Skype call, “we found Ginger’s fingerprints in the Higgins house, along with another set we haven’t been able to identify yet.”

“Interesting,” Ryan said. “At least we can put Ginger at the crime scene.”

“Absolutely,” Ron said. “We also completed the comparative analysis on Mrs. Higgins’ bedding as you requested. We discovered DNA from both women on it, and DNA analysis of the semen we found showed that it came from a man closely related to Ginger.”

“Like a brother?” Ryan asked.

“Exactly,” Ron said. Ryan nodded his head.

“So, we know that a man closely related to Ginger – perhaps a brother – was engaged in sex with one or possibly two women as Bertram’s dead body rotted downstairs in his office. Is that what you’re telling me?” Ryan asked.

“It sure looks that way, Sheriff,” Ron said. By then, Ray Hale, the detective working the case, joined the call and listened to what Ron and Dr. Childress said.

“Glad you could join us, Ray,” Ryan said. “I take it you were at the arraignment?”

“Yes, I was,” Ray said. “And I’m relieved the judge remanded them both into custody. At least we won’t have to worry about them taking off.”

“What have you found so far?” Ryan asked.

“A whole pile of crap,” Ray said. “This Ginger Rodgers is a real piece of work. From the videos and pictures we found, it looks like she and her brother have been doing this sort of thing for quite some time.”

“What?” Ryan asked.

“Well, this looks like the first murder they’ve been involved with, but not the first time they’ve sexually assaulted someone. From what we can tell, it looks like they’ve been doing it for at least a couple years now. Almost as if they were contracted out for this sort of work,” Ray said.

“Any idea who might’ve contracted them?” Ryan asked. Ray shook his head.

“No, none,” he said. “We did find a reference to an ‘AG’ in the text messages on her phone, but we have no idea who that is.”

“What else have you found?” Ryan asked.

“We finally got a response from the California DMV. According to them, Jeremy has a blue 1995 Chevy G10 van registered in his name. I’ve got the license plate number, and I’ve already updated the APB with that info.”

“Good,” Ryan said. “That should help considerably.”

“I’ve also gotten a subpoena for their phone records, and I’m waiting to get those in,” Ray said.

“What about their computers? Anything on them?” Ryan asked.

“The hard drive on the computer we recovered from the Higgins place was wiped,” Ron said. “We’re working to recover it now, but it could take some time. The computer we got from Ginger’s business didn’t have much. It looks like she used it mostly for business, but she did surf a lot of kinky porn as well.”

“No surprise there,” Ryan said.

“One other thing, Sheriff,” Ron said.

“What’s that?”

“Those whips and that strap-on thing we recovered from Ginger’s business tested positive for blood, feces, and other bodily fluids. It matched Commissioner Higgins’ DNA perfectly,” Ron said. Ryan nodded his head.

“Thanks,” he said quietly. “Anything else?”

“Not at this time, Sheriff,” Ron said. Ray and Dr. Childress said the same thing. Ryan thanked them all and ended the video conference. He sat back in his chair, wrapping his head around the information they had given him. He took another sip of coffee and considered taking an early lunch. His plans got changed when Elaine Bledsoe knocked on his door.

“Sheriff, District Attorney Olmstead, and a Special Agent Jackson are here to see you,” she said.

“Send them in, please, Sergeant,” he said. She nodded and motioned for the two men to enter his office. Ryan stood and shook Marvin Olmstead’s hand, and the other man held a set of credentials.

“Special Agent Thomas Jackson, Homefront Security Task Force, El Paso office,” he said. Ryan shook his free hand and looked at the credentials.

“Please, have a seat,” he said. “Care for some coffee?”

“That sounds great,” Marvin said.

“Please,” Thomas said. Ryan poured them a cup and sat down.

“Homefront Security Task Force,” Ryan said. “Never heard of it.”

“I’m not surprised,” Thomas said. “We don’t usually advertise ourselves.”

“So what brings you here to our little slice of Heaven?” Ryan asked.

“I’m here to follow up on the Form 3573 your Dr. Childress filed,” Thomas said.

“I’m sorry – Form 3573?” Ryan asked.

“My apologies,” Thomas said. “That would be the Chemical Substance Encounter Report as mandated by current law. According to the form Dr. Childress filed, the substance in question was found on the tip of a spear reportedly used to impale a Bertram Higgins.”

“Yes, it was,” Ryan said.

“And the same substance was found in a vial located in the business owned and operated by a Ginger Rodgers. Is that correct?”

“Yes, I believe that’s what Dr. Childress said. Do you have any idea what it is?” Ryan asked.

“We’ve seen a similar compound used before. It’s essentially a psychotropic compound, but this one looks like it has been mixed with a paralyzing agent. A form of this was used on a federal agent overseas,” he said.

“That’s all very interesting, Agent Jackson, but I’m curious to know why the federal government is interested in a local murder case,” Ryan said.

“Fair question, Sheriff,” Thomas said. “The agency I work for investigates crimes like this. What do you know about the marriage between Mr. and Mrs. Higgins?”

“From what I’ve heard, it started going south when she returned from a retreat about three years ago or so,” Ryan said.

“A spa retreat?”

“That’s what I was told. Why? Is that significant?” Ryan asked.

“That’s how MMAS recruited their people,” Thomas said. “Did you find any paperwork mentioning MMAS? Invoices? Statements? Anything?”

“First off, what’s MMAS?” Ryan asked.

“It stands for the Mutual Marital Assurance Society,” Thomas said. “It was started several years ago by a female lawyer named Mona Larsen. She divorced her husband for adultery but didn’t get the desired outcome. So, she set out to punish husbands who cheated on their wives. The group grew and morphed into a domestic terror organization. They’ve terrorized and brutalized thousands of men over the years. They’re also responsible for the deaths of quite a few men.”

“So, you think this MMAS has something to do with Commissioner Higgins’ murder?” Ryan asked.

“Not directly,” Thomas said. “The corporate entity known as MMAS was brought down quite some time ago. But there are still elements and spin-offs of the group working to realize their goals. There are also copycat groups operating all over the world.”

“I see,” Ryan said, not knowing whether or not to believe what Thomas just told him.

“I know you have Mrs. Higgins in custody, along with an accomplice,” Thomas said. “I assume you performed a full search when you brought her in.”

“Of course,” Ryan said.

“Did you find a subcutaneous capsule on her?” Thomas asked.

“A ... what?” Ryan asked.

“Did you find something embedded under her skin?” Thomas asked, clarifying his previous question.

“I don’t know that we searched for anything like that,” Ryan said.

“Might I suggest that you do? Especially around any of her major arteries,” Thomas said. Ryan looked at Marvin.

“Can we legally do that? Or would it be considered a violation of her rights?” Ryan asked.

“I don’t see any reason why you can’t do that, Sheriff,” he said after mulling it over for a few moments. Ryan picked up his phone and dialed the number to the women’s jail. Deputy Ruby Alexander answered the phone.

“Deputy, this is Sheriff Caldwell,” he said.

“What can we do for ya, Sheriff,” Ruby asked.

“Listen, I need for you to do a detailed search on Mrs. Higgins and Ms. Rodgers,” Ryan said. “I know you’ve already searched her, but I’m specifically looking for anything that might have been embedded under her skin, like a capsule or something. I’m sure it’ll be extremely small. You probably should get the on-call doctor and a female nurse to work with you.” Ryan looked and saw Thomas gesturing.

“Could you put that on speaker, please?” Thomas asked. Ryan pressed a button and put the headset down.

“Can you hear me, Ruby?” Ryan asked.

“Yeah, Sheriff, I can hear ya fine,” she said.

“Deputy, this is Special Agent Thomas Jackson. Listen to me carefully. When you do the search, be very, very careful. I strongly recommend using a portable X-ray machine if you have one. Look closely at the carotid artery. If you do find anything, have the doctor extract it very slowly. Don’t let your subject jerk or slap at it. This is extremely important. Do you understand what I’ve just told you?”

“Yeah, I got it,” she said. “What do you think it might be?” Thomas looked at Ryan before answering.

“Poison. A very fast-acting poison,” Thomas said. They could hear Ruby gasp at the other end of the call.

“I understand,” she said. “I’ll take care of it.”

“Call me when you’re finished,” Ryan said.

“I will, Sheriff.” Ryan ended the call and looked at Thomas.

“What the hell do you mean, poison?” he asked.

“MMAS was a ruthless organization that brooked absolutely no disobedience or failure,” Thomas said. “They were known for embedding poison capsules under the skin, usually next to the carotid artery. Then they would implant a chemically-enhanced hypnotic suggestion. Upon hearing or seeing a certain phrase, the victim would slap at the neck, popping the capsule. The poison would enter the bloodstream, killing the victim almost immediately.”

“Oh my God,” Ryan said. “We’re still looking for Ginger’s brother, Jeremy. That means they may have done the same thing to him.”

“I doubt that, Sheriff,” Thomas said.

“What makes you say that?” Ryan asked.

“To MMAS and those who followed, men aren’t even considered human beings,” Thomas said. “To them, men are little more than chattel property, worth less than your farm animals. Some would be useful for breeding or sexual entertainment, and others might be good as providers, but nothing more. Chances are, they wouldn’t even trouble themselves with this Jeremy character.”

“That’s monstrous,” Marvin said, shocked.

“Yes, they are best described as monsters. Of the worst kind,” Thomas said. “Do you still have their phones?” he asked Ryan.

“Yes, we do,” Ryan said.

“Can you get them here, please?”

“Of course,” Ryan said. He picked his phone up and called Ray, who answered on the second ring.

“Hale,” Ray said.

“Ray, this is Sheriff Caldwell. Do you still have the cell phones we got from Trudy Higgins and Ginger Rodgers?”

“As a matter of fact, I do. They’re turned off at the moment, but they’re on chargers,” Ray said.

“I need you to bring those to my office if you would. Also, bring the photos we found at Ginger’s if you would please. We have a federal agent here who’s interested in the case,” Ryan said.

“On my way,” Ray said. Ryan ended the call.

“I hope like hell you’re not just yanking our chain, Agent Jackson,” Ryan said. A couple minutes later, Ray came into the office with two cell phones and the folder containing the photos they found at Ginger’s. Ryan introduced him after he put everything on the desk. The first thing he did was hand Thomas the folder.

“These are the pictures you found at Ms. Rodgers’ business?” Thomas asked.