Chapter 47

"I wish we could arrest her right there," Jan said.

She was riding with Bryant in his truck. Allyson and the FBI agent were following close behind. They would take possession of the evidence as soon as Bryant was away from the house.

"They have to analyze the evidence," Bryant said. "But Allyson already has the arrest warrants drawn up. The first sign of illicit material and the cuffs go on. We can add charges as the analysis continues. I wasn't joking about what I told her. I just want this done and over. I want to go back to investigating robberies and car thefts."

"She's going to make a play for you when you get there," Jan told him. "You're all that she has left. She's going to throw the girls at you and come at you hard herself. Don't be surprised."

"Nothing this woman does surprises me," Bryant said. "Did you call Herman?"

"Yeah, the assistant manager had absolutely no trouble letting him talk this time," Jan said with a smile. "Apparently you still have the gift for chewing people a new asshole. That's what the woman said you did to her. Cassidy said that's what she felt like when you yelled at her this week."

"This has been a lot more stressful than I thought it would be," Bryant admitted sheepishly. "I'm sorry if I took it out on you and others."

"They understood and you've been great with me," Jan said, sliding over next to him. "I like these seats. I can snuggle with you while you drive. Why don't we have these in our cars?"

"They don't make bench seats very often nowadays," Bryant said, wrapping his arm around Jan's shoulder.

"We should see if the FBI will let us hold onto this truck," she said. "Did you know Emerald Cove has a drive-in movie theater?"

"I saw it but I haven't been there," Bryant said.

"We'll go next summer," Jan said. "As soon as we find a car with bench seats. I like this."

"Me, too," Bryant said, kissing Jan on the top of her head. "I like having you close to me."

"That's a nice coincidence because I like being close to you," Jan said. "You need to pull off up here and let me out. It's almost time for you to call your girlfriend."

Jan went back to the trail car to join Agent Meadows and Allyson while Bryant dialed Melinda's number. She answered almost before it rang.

"I'm coming into Sanford on Route 55," Bryant said tonelessly.

"That will lead you to Main Street," Melinda told him. "At the third light, turn left. Go two blocks and we live on the corner. It's a white house with green shutters. My car is in the drive. Do you remember what it looks like?"

"I remember," Bryant said. "There are a hell of a lot of cops out tonight. I'm going to go around the block to make sure no one is watching your place. If they are ... well, I'm sorry, you're on your own. I'm not going down for your husband's fuck up."

"He's not my husband!" Melinda seethed. "You can always park behind the house and come through the alley. That might be best anyway. That way none of our nosy neighbors will see you. Go past the house and take the next right. You can circle in behind us. Merton, please don't leave us. We need you. What will happen to the girls if I get caught?"

"Fine," Bryant said though gritted teeth. "I'll do it for them. But if I get caught I'm going to swear on 10,000 Bibles that I had no idea."

"That's fine," Melinda said. "I'll understand. And I promise, I will never mention you or Courtney to anyone. I swear I won't."

Lying bitch, Bryant thought. He knew the first thing she would do after her arrest would be to sell out every single person she'd ever seen commit a crime.

Bryant pulled around the block and parked. Outside of the local police who had been alerted to the investigation, no other cops were nearby. Bryant waved to one of the cops as he got out the vehicle. The man nodded politely as Bryant slipped through the fence and came up to the back porch. He hadn't even knocked before the door opened and two little girls wrapped themselves around his legs.

"Thank you for helping us, Merton!" Ashlynn, the older girl, said.

"Yeah, thanks, Merton," Danielle added from his other thigh.

Bryant knelt down and scooped the girls into his arm. They were both small enough that he could carry them with no trouble. They wrapped their arms around his neck and giggled to each other.

Melinda was a frazzled mess when he got inside. She was covered in drywall dust. It was all over her sweatshirt and her jeans. It was in her hair and on her shoes. Her eye makeup had run from her tears. For the briefest instant, Bryant felt a twinge of regret for what was about to happen.

"It's all in these boxes," she told him.

Bryant looked at the three large boxes and his mouth dropped.

"Are you kidding me?" he asked. "I was thinking a shoe box or something. I can't dispose of all this in one place."

He gave the girls a kiss on the cheek and set them back on the floor. Neither moved away from him. Instead they looked up him with fear and trepidation in their eyes. Bryant took a deep breath and looked at the ceiling. He wanted Melinda to see the anger but he didn't think the girls should be exposed to it.

"Fine," Bryant said. "For them."

Melinda nodded sadly.

"Can we come home with you tonight?" Danielle asked. "I'm scared to stay here. Mom said some bad people might be coming."

"I'm making sure the bad people can't hurt you," Bryant said. "But you need to stay here and be brave. It'll be fine, I promise you."

He looked from one girl to the other and then knelt on the floor so he was at eye level for them.

"Girls, I know you don't know me very well so I'm going to tell you something," Bryant told them with a slight smile. "I will never promise you something I can't deliver. My word means everything to me so I will never lie to you about anything as important as this. Everything will be just fine for you two. I promise."

The hug that Danielle offered obviously wasn't in the script that Melinda had prepared for the girls. Both Ashlynn and Melinda looked surprised.

Bryant carried the first box out to this truck and returned with a laptop.

"Take your computer apart and pack it up," Bryant ordered Melinda. "They can do all sorts stuff to recover forensics. You can use this one. It's one I got for Courtney. I'll get her a new one."

Melinda looked down at the computer.

"You don't have to do that," she said.

"They'll pull your internet usage from your ISP," Bryant stated flatly. "They'll know there is a computer in the house. If they show up and don't find one what's that going to tell them?"

"Oh, yeah," Melinda said. "Thanks, Merton. I'll bring our computer out. Will you have room?"

"I'll pull the hard drive and crush it," Bryant said. "The components I'll toss along the road after I remove the serial numbers. It's fine. I've thought about this a lot of the past few weeks."

By the time Bryant had taken the third box to his truck – which was watched over by a local police officer – the computer was disabled and waiting in the kitchen.

"I'm really sorry, Merton," Melinda said again.

"Yeah, I got that," Bryant replied. "You're sorry. Well, I'm more sorry. My daughter and I trusted you people and look at what you did."

"I didn't do anything!" Melinda whined.

"Vic sure as hell did," Bryant shot back. "And he wouldn't have had the chance if it hadn't been for you. Girls, I hope you have a very nice life. Melinda, good luck. I hope the crimes I'm committing now are enough to hide the crimes you've committed in the past."

"We're going to stop," Melinda said as she walked outside with him out of earshot of the children. "I talked to the girls while I was waiting for you. We're going to be a normal family from here on out. Please let us have another chance."

Bryant turned, still holding the box of computer parts.

"After this dies down – if any of us are still walking free – we'll talk," he said. "Until then, though, we can't. I can't let my family get dragged down with yours. If you need someone to take the girls while you run, let me know and I'll see what I can do. That's the best I can offer until we see how things play out. And Melinda, if my name or my daughter's name comes up, I won't be responsible for what happens to you and your children. I have a pretty good idea of what you and Vic did to the girl's father. If my little girl gets hurt because of this I will find you, Vic and your children and you will pay dearly. I hope you understand me."

Melinda gulped and stepped back, appalled that she had underestimated Merton Beckwith so severely.

"I understand," she said in a small voice. Bryant nodded and continued to the truck. He waited until the fence gate closed behind him before his face broke out in a smile.

The sun was barely up when Holly Garvin, Regina Post, Jim Andrews, Carlos Morales, Mickey Garrett and FBI Agent Lynette Meadows knocked on the door where Melinda, Ashlynn and Danielle Pahl lived. Bryant, Cassidy, Jan and Herman stood on the sidewalk with a social worker from Child Protective Services.

The state police forensic team had struck gold with the very first video they analyzed. It showed Melinda and Victor having sex with a young child. That was enough for an arrest warrant. Allyson had gotten a search warrant though she doubted she would find anything. Any evidence they would need had been voluntarily surrendered to an undercover agent the night before.

Melinda looked tired and bedraggled when she pulled the door open. She wore a nightgown that extended to her ankles. It was the most clothing Bryant had ever seen the woman wear.

The police officers and FBI agent flashed their credentials and showed her the search warrant. Melinda blinked hard but was unprepared when the diminutive Holly Garvin grabbed her arm, spun her around and shoved her against the door. The woman looked exactly like the picture she'd seen of Courtney Beckwith's mother.

"Melinda Pahl, you're under arrest," Holly said as she roughly cuffed the woman. "You're accused of multiple violations of Section 16 of the state criminal code, specifically crimes against person, to wit, sexual abuse of a child, possession of child pornography and incest. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be held against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided for you. Do you understand the rights as I have explained them?"

Melinda simply blinked. She could see Merton and Courtney Beckwith on the sidewalk. Merton had his arm around his daughter and a woman she didn't recognize.

"I require an answer, Ma'am," Holly said, tightening the cuffs another click. "Do you understand the rights as I have explained them?"