Chapter 45

The FBI liaison pulled Bryant aside as he left the briefing.

"I've discussed this with my superiors and we have a suggestion," the woman said.

The FBI had been extremely helpful in getting the more mundane aspects of the sting operation into place. Merton Lysander Beckwith had a valid Georgia driver's license and a divorce record registered in the county. He had a vehicle registered with the state and had all of his tax filings in order. Beckwith Construction had a few contracts under its belt including one to work on a nearby dwelling that the FBI was renovating into a safe house for those set to testify in close by federal cases.

They had even gone as far as to convince the neighboring Smithfield School District to register Courtney Isabella Beckwith, with the correct birth year, as a freshman in good standing in their database. The school had updated her attendance and grades periodically because no one knew fully how capable the suspects were with a computer.

Courtney Beckwith had a social media page and hundreds of friends. There were pictures there of her and her father along with shots of Cassidy from her years in gymnastics. An Internet search for Courtney or Merton Lysander would pull up a few innocuous mentions in various places. Despite what Morales had mentioned, Bryant had thought his federal counterparts had done everything they could. He wasn't about to turn down a suggestion from them without a hearing.

"Sure," Bryant said.

"We think now is when you go into character full-time," the woman said. "Now that names have been exchanged and she knows where to look for you, it would not be a surprise for her to contact someone to investigate you. If you are never at your home, it will be a huge red-flag."

"Cassidy has classes," Bryant said.

"Miss Bell is only needed on Wednesday nights and alternating weekends," the woman corrected. "This is the highest priority for the federal Exploited Children Task Force. If you weren't already so deeply involved, it probably would have been pulled away from you by now. I know it has been discussed on the upper levels. We will alert the local agencies to be watchful of your dwelling to ensure that no one is watching. The house we selected for you has been altered so the bedroom is identical to yours. It also has an entrance that cannot be seen from the street. I realize this puts a crimp in meetings here in Emerald Cove but we will make arrangements that you can attend via teleconference. Is this something you'd consider?"

"You think she's going to have someone spying on me?" Bryant asked.

"We believe it is a real possibility," the woman told him. "Mr. Tallmadge was correct in his assessment. People like Ms. Pahl are generally caught within a month of their initial crime. This couple has evaded capture for almost four years, we believe. It is possible that Melinda Pahl's excuse was to get more information about you – your name, your address, your daughter's name. My contacts at cyber-security have informed me that Courtney Beckwith's social media page was hit last night for the first time since it was established. Now that we have a warrant in place for the Pahl's ISP I would be very surprised if that hit didn't come from their computer."

"Yeah, I can see that," Bryant said. "You know, she didn't ask for my phone number. I'll have to get a new cell number since mine will trace back to here."

"It's done," the woman said, pulling a smart phone out of her pocket. "It's the same number you have now except the area code is 912 instead of 843."

"That must have taken some doing," Bryant remarked.

"Not really," the woman said. "I saw the number was on the reserve/hold list so I reserved it. You can transfer the calls from your old phone to this one but I would highly discourage you from having it on your person.

"So you will consider moving to Scottsville?" the woman inquired.

"Won't that mean I'm not in my jurisdiction?" Bryant wondered. He didn't want anything to stand in the way of a successful conviction – or of having the case tried in Emerald Cove.

"This is still a joint operation with the FBI and local and state authorities in Georgia and South Carolina," the woman pointed out. "That gives you broad jurisdictional leeway. If you think the investigation will extend past those two states I'll need to know in time to alert other agencies."

"No, no," Bryant said quickly. "I just didn't want her to try to break into my house and then lose the arrest because I'm 40 miles from home."

"It won't be a problem," the woman assured him. "And if she tries to break into your house, I would suggest you simply shoot her and save us the cost of a trial. This is my third year with the federal task force but I'm not sure I've ever been more disgusted. I'm glad you took a risk for solo contact. Our profilers have come to the same conclusion after viewing your weekend session: the woman is likely the one in control and that she has an interest in you. I was going to bring it up today. That was good thinking on your part."

"Herman Tallmadge came up with it," Bryant stated. "He has gone above and beyond all expectations from a CI. Is there anything we can do to help him out when it's done?"

"I don't see what," the woman replied with a frown. "I will admit that he is a low-level offender with an almost non-existent risk of reoffending but this is a hot-potato that no one is willing to touch. If he was a car thief or even a murderer, we might be able to convince the governor to grant him a pardon. A child sex offender? Not likely to happen until the next passing fancy hits the legislature."

"Jan and I think he might do something drastic when he doesn't have this case to focus on," Bryant confided.

"You mean hurt a child?" the woman asked. "I don't see that."

"No," Bryant shook his head. "I mean he is likely to commit suicide. We don't want to see that happen but we have no idea how to prevent it."

The woman nodded her agreement.

"I'll think about it and let you know," she said. "I think we have at least six months to a year before this case will end."

"Six months to a year!" Bryant exclaimed.

"Until we get through the trial and appeals and all that shit, yeah," the woman said. "We'll have to let Mr. Tallmadge know that he might be called upon to testify. That will keep him around. In the meantime, maybe we can all figure out how to find some way to help him out."

Bryant and Cassidy pulled into the driveway of the house in Scottsville, Georgia, a few minutes after five, that afternoon. Jan, Holly and Herman had arrived earlier and were waiting in the spacious living room. It was far roomier than the apartment above O'Bannon's Pub.

The flat screen TV on the wall was broadcasting from the camera lined up on Bryant's computer and the trio – instead of sitting on couches and chairs huddled around a cell phone were able to listen to what was said through ear buds similar to what Bryant and Cassidy would wear into the session.

"One thing," Cassidy said. "The bedroom here isn't soundproofed like at Bryant's apartment. You will want to be very careful of how loudly you talk out here."

"Noted," Jan agreed. She thought about making a ribald comment about being careful how loud she was later when she was in bed with Bryant but let it pass.

"Okay, here's the game plan," Bryant said. "Cassidy, you don't know about my plans for Friday or my private chat. Okay?"

"Got it," the young woman agreed. "We're going to agree to the New Year's Eve get-together. I assume the beach resort she spoke about was Emerald Cove. I saw that the Chamber is planning a New Year's Eve gala. I've also laid some groundwork for moving the meeting there if they want something else. I've played up the party and moved O'Bannon's Pub to the top of the 'Places to Gather' on my web site. If they are thinking Myrtle Beach or Hilton Head, I think we can point them to Emerald Cove pretty easily."

"Nice work," Bryant said.

"I had to do something to make up for acting like a little kid who had her toy taken way this morning," Cassidy said. "This idea hit me and I figured that even if we don't use it, it's still useful. I figured Chuck would have no problem booting everyone out of his place so the cops could use it for a sting. Just to be sure, I called him this afternoon and got his permission."

Bryant put his arm around her and kissed the top of her head.

"I'm sorry I was such an ogre this morning," he said.

"A troll," Cassidy remarked with a laugh. "Now, I think we should discuss how far we're going to let things go. Oh, and don't even think of slapping my ass again, Mister. I might be small but I am usually in the perfect spot to punch you in the balls. Got it?"

"Got it," Bryant said. "I only did that because I was worried that we were leading into somewhere we weren't prepared to go. I also didn't mean for it to be so hard a smack. I apologize."

"If you want to play with my bottom, it's fine," Cassidy said with a grin.

"I think you should push the boundaries tonight," Jan said. "Bryant, you've got a meeting with her on Friday. You might feel up Cassidy a little bit to make Emma jealous. Remember you haven't seen her since Sunday, so don't be afraid to be touchy-feely."

"Yeah," Cassidy said, pushing her small bust outward. "Don't afraid to be touchy-feely, Daddy. Give me a minute while I change clothes."

Bryant went into the bedroom – which looked eerily like his in Emerald Cove – and took a seat at the desk. He logged on to the web site and waited. Cassidy came in and joined him. She wore a white tank top that clearly showed her nipples and a pair of the smallest panties Bryant had ever seen.

"I figured you'd have given me a good going over as soon as we got home," she said. Her hair was messed up and she had dabbed water on her chest and forehead to look like sweat.

"I guess I should do the same," Bryant said. He splashed some water on his face and removed his shirt entirely. He had just resumed his seat – and Cassidy had just perched on his lap – when the private message window popped up. This was a name he didn't recognize so Bryant ignored it.

"It's a standard ploy," Herman said into their ear buds. "I think this is them seeing if you're serious about them or just playing the field. If the next one pops up, just type in that you're waiting for someone in specific and not interested in chatting."

The window popped up again and Bryant followed Herman's suggestion. Thirty seconds later the Westlakes logged on and Bryant smiled to himself.

"Hey, wanna go to cam tonight?" the message read.

Cassidy typed in "Sure" while Bryant got everything in order to record the session.

"Oh, goody, we all dressed alike," Emma said warmly when the window came up. She was sitting there with her two daughters. All three were dressed like Cassidy – tight white tank tops and, if Bryant had to guess, small underwear that covered barely anything.

"Great minds!" Cassidy said happily. "How are you tonight, Destiny?"

"I'm good!" the little girl said.

"And you, Hope?" Cassidy wondered.

"Good, too," the other girl said. As before they all had blonde hair and wore make up.

"Hey, Emma," Bryant said.

"Hi, Mitch," Emma said with a blush that was entirely too real.

"Where's Alan tonight?" Bryant inquired.

"He's not feeling well," Emma explained. "He thinks it's a case of the flu so he's resting."

"I hope he feels better soon," Bryant said.

"I'm sure it's nothing," Emma told them. "If he gets a hang nail, he thinks the next step is amputation."

"Show her your hand, Daddy!" Cassidy said. Bryant gave her look. He had a scar on the back of hand from a childhood accident but he wasn't sure that's what she wanted. Cassidy took his hand and held it up to the camera.

"He ran a nail clear through his hand when he was working on our house," Cassidy lied. "He was using a nail gun and I think I distracted him. He just pulled the nail out, poured some alcohol over it and went back to work."

"Wow!" Emma said. "What sort of work do you do?"

"Carpentry," Bryant answered. The company the FBI set up for him was label as general contracting and he was certain that the woman had already investigated his web site.

"Just carpentry?" Emma inquired.

"My Dad can fix anything!" Cassidy said. "He builds houses, does renovations, repairs roofs or decks or bathrooms. He's really good."

"I'll bet he is," Emma replied. The double entendre was meant for Bryant alone but Cassidy caught on and frowned her displeasure. Emma noticed immediately and backtracked. "I'm sorry, that was rude of me."

"Well, you weren't wrong either," Cassidy remarked with a grin. The two smaller girls looked confused so Emma leaned over and whispered in Destiny's ear. The little girl laughed and explained it to her sister, who smiled broadly.

"We were hoping the invitation for New Year's Eve was still open," Bryant said. "We'd really like to get to know you folks better."

"Of course it is!" Emma said enthusiastically. "Girls, wouldn't it be nice to get to know Kameron and Mitch?"

Both girls nodded happily.

"Where were you thinking?" Bryant asked. "Hilton Head or something like that?"

"There is this quaint little town a few miles south of Hilton Head," Emma said. "We go there a lot. It's called Emerald Cove."

"I'm not sure I've heard of it," Bryant lied. "Oh, hell, that's where all the cops were busted a couple of years ago for corruption. That's just a few miles from here."

Emma frowned. The arrest of the police force had put a big crimp in her plans for that summer. She had a nice young morsel lined up but the publicity from the arrests caused the parents to back out. It had taken her six more months to bring someone else along far enough for a meeting – and that meeting had been lackluster at best. Both the father and the girl were scared shitless. Emma and Alan had plied the girl with enough liquor to stop a rhinoceros and that meant she had been a dead fuck. The father hadn't even been able to garner a decent erection even when she and her two daughters were working on him.

"Sorry," Bryant said when he saw Emma's expression, "did you know one of the cops?"

"No, no," Emma said, although she did know many of the policemen now in federal or state prisons, "I just remembered reading about it and it brought back some bad memories of that summer. It's okay, really."

"If you're sure," Bryant said. "I didn't mean to spoil the evening."

"You haven't," Emma said, smiling again. "We thought we might put on a little show for you tonight if you're willing."

"A show?" Bryant asked. His voice was tight. He knew as soon as the girls got undressed Jan would notify the Sanford Police Department of what was transpiring and they would kick down the door and arrest everyone present.

"Nothing major," Emma told him. "We thought we'd dance for you. We've been practicing."

The two little girls were nodding eagerly beside their mother.

"That would be great!" Cassidy said. "Maybe when we all meet I can show you some of the moves from my gymnastic routine."

"You do gymnastics?" Emma inquired, sincerity dripping off every word. The woman was nothing if not an accomplished liar.

"I got a preferred invitation to try out for my high school team," Cassidy said, as though it was tantamount to having high tea with the Queen.

"Impressive," Emma said. "Isn't that impressive, girls?"

Again, both little heads nodded at the news.

"We play soccer!" Destiny said.

"One of my best friends is on the soccer team at my old school," Cassidy said. "I go to every game."

"Maybe you can come to ours in the Spring," Hope offered. "I mean, we'll all be good friends by then."

"I'm sure we will," Emma said. "I'm sure we'll all be very good friends by then."

The three females in Sanford, South Carolina, put on a routine that would make a stripper proud. They shook their barely covered butts and shimmied their chests. Both girls went down into splits as their mother pointed her butt toward the camera and shook it lasciviously.

"Gross," Cassidy muttered under her breath.

"You're supposed to be aroused by the display," Jan whispered through her microphone. "Bryant, slide Cassidy over in front of you and run your hands up the front of her shirt. Better. Now nibble on her neck or something. Make them think they're getting you all hot."

The dance continued for several more minutes until the three Westlakes resumed their seats in front of the camera. Bryant's hands were playing with Cassidy's small breasts and she had her head back on his shoulder enjoying the sensation.

"That was something!" Bryant said enthusiastically. "You three are really sexy when you move like that."

The two little girls practically beamed at the praise. Their mother had told them to be especially nice this evening and they knew better than to cross their mother.

"Thank you, Mitch," Emma said. "It looks like you two are enjoying yourselves."

Bryant jerked his hands out of Cassidy's tank top quickly.

"No, it's okay," Emma said, although the look in her eyes showed it was decidedly not okay with her in the least.

"We haven't seen each other in a few days," Cassidy said. "We had a quickie when we got home to take the edge off but seeing you three like that got us revved up again."

Cassidy enjoyed pissing the woman off – but then she thought that Emma might take it out on the little girls.

"We'll behave," she said with a laugh. "So long as you guys don't have any more hot dances planned."

"Well... ," Emma said, offering a smile that didn't reach her eyes. "No, that's all we had planned. Kameron, is there enough room there to show us some of your gymnastic moves?"

"Uh, maybe," Cassidy replied. It had been years since she'd done gymnastics but she had worked on her old routine in case the investigation called for it. "Dad, can you spot me?"

Bryant stood and pushed the chair out of the way.

"I can't do any tumbling because the room is too small," Cassidy said. "I can show you some basic moves though. Is that okay?"

"I think that will be great!" Emma said. "Girls, do you want to see Kameron do some gymnastics?"

Again, two little blonde heads bobbed furiously.

Bryant got down on his knees and Cassidy did a back walkover over his arms. The move caused her shirt to stretch tight against her erect nipples and her small panties to bunch up far enough that her pubic hair stuck out the sides. Then she did a hand stand and walked around the room. The camera's range didn't extend very far but all three Westlake females got a look at Cassidy's boobs when the shirt tail fell to her neck. She stopped and stood up immediately.

"Oops," she said, tugging the shirt into place. "Sorry about that. That's about all I can do without more space or specialized equipment. I could probably do a vault off Dad's back but he might not survive it."

"We wouldn't want that!" Emma said. Cassidy's display had been enough to convince her that everything Merton Beckwith had told her was the absolute truth. "So, do you have any shows planned for tonight?"

"We are summarily unprepared," Bryant said with a laugh as he sat back down. "Besides, I have a few skills with a hammer but nothing that you'd find interesting."

"I liked the show you were doing when we finished dancing," Destiny said after a slight nudge from her mother. "I really like it when someone plays with my titties."

"Me, too," Cassidy said. "But I'm not sure I'm ready to do that in front of anyone."

"That's okay, Dear," Emma said. "I understand. Have you two made any movies together yet?"

"Movies?" Cassidy asked, seemingly perplexed at the idea. "We have some of us building a birdhouse for my second-grade ecology project."

The two little girls giggled at the answer.