Total pages in book: 131
Estimated words: 131387 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 657(@200wpm)___ 526(@250wpm)___ 438(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 131387 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 657(@200wpm)___ 526(@250wpm)___ 438(@300wpm)
Hutched hated this too, but not as much.
“So we might have an idea of what’s going on,” Hutch said, “but we still have no cause to get warrants to get more information or go in and have a look around.”
“We don’t,” Cade agreed. “And it sucks, but we also might have another problem.”
“I don’t wanna be, but I’m all ears, Cade,” Hutch told him.
Cade took control of the mouse and found a picture of Sammy walking with her hair down.
He left that on screen a few beats before he clicked through to Enstrom and Taylor making out, one of them where Enstrom had his hand on her ass.
Cade let go of the mouse and turned to Hutch.
“Those held down too long find ways to rise up,” he said. “Those deprived find ways to get what they need. You’re not gonna live long in a castle with no defenses, downing roast pork and guzzling wine while your serfs starve in squalor all around you. In a community, you have common, often indelible goals and understandings. In a community, you might have mild levels of inequality, but you don’t have disparity. In a community, you pull your weight. What you don’t do in a community, one like that, is flaunt anything.”
With that, it clicked.
“The note to Mabel.”
Cade nodded. “The note to Mabel and the message to Lug are key to many of my theories. The men have freedom and transport. They go in and out. It stands to reason, for resources, protection, a change of scenery, they’ll walk their perimeter. It could just be a fluke one of them saw you leave that morning, Hutch. And I’d guess it was. They weren’t watching her. Those men don’t give a shit about the outside world and its heathen ways. Unless it’s in their face.”
“So, if they’re not watching her, how did they know I wasn’t her husband?” Hutch asked.
“Not watching, but you better believe they all keep their finger on the pulse. Even the group of men who are there for a different reason,” Cade answered. “Enstrom does it so he knows his turf and can identify any threats. The others know it simply because they’re out and about, see her in her truck, at the farmer’s market, whatever. Or they could hear news from Enstrom. But she’d lived there a long time, and one way or another, they knew about her and that she was flying solo.”
“So some guy was out checking on things, he caught me going, he went off script,” Hutch finished it.
But Cade shook his head. “No. He didn’t think he was going off script at all. If Enstrom had a word, as he says he did, that word probably didn’t go over too well.”
At this point, Cade took a deep breath, and Hutch braced.
“Shit like that causes a fissure,” Cade said. “A fissure can weaken an entire structure. Things start crumbling.”
“You think there might be a revolt,” Hutch surmised.
“I can’t say. But if it happened, in this situation, it wouldn’t be a revolt, it would be a mutiny. And one other thing, again, I might not have a lock on this. All I’m sharing are theories that were formed from a lot less information than I’d like to have. These men might be totally all right with everything. They’ve followed Enstrom into what appears to be a very cushy life for them, regardless they don’t have Internet. They may not chat with him because he’s identified himself as their leader, savior, prophet, whatever, and as such, it’s stand back and hands off until he gives you the nod to kiss his ring. So the people mutinying will be the women.”
Part of him hoped they did.
Most of him worried like fuck what might happen to them if they did.
“Is Mabel safe?” Hutch asked.
“I think they’d defend their home. I don’t think they’d go out and commit violence or violations. Even Enstrom doesn’t have any violence on his record. She’s not hurting them. She’s not interested in them. They left that note, and as far as they know, she ignored it, except they may have noticed she got a dog and put up some lights, but that would make sense to them. That note was a judgment, not a sentence. But at this point, they’ll be more focused on what’s happening inside that log fence and not worried about what’s going on outside.”
That made Hutch relax.
“So what’s next?” Hutch asked.
“What’s next,” Rus began, “is we start investigating lumber poaching. And we hope like fuck that leads to enough, a judge will sign a warrant to search that property.”
It was thin.
But it was something to go on.
And more.
Finally, the puzzle pieces were falling together.
TWENTY-FIVE
But I Won
Mabel
Ledger’s hand slapped on the massive pile of cards on the card table before I could get mine in there to gasp one last dying breath.