Chapter Eighteen

Navarro house

Titusville, Virginia

Wednesday evening

Tash looked up, cocked his head to one side, and said, "What's for dessert, Uncle Rebel?"

Tash pulled back. "I don't understand."

"The FBI believes your dad could be involved."

"He didn't call me either."

Rebel heard the fear in his voice and didn't know what to do. "We'll keep trying, Tash."

"I promise. The FBI will discover who is. You don't need to be scared, all right? We just have to wait."

Easy words to say to a little kid he knew was scared spitless. He was an adult and he was scared spitless himself.

Rebel kept his voice calm and smooth. "Tash, a dream can't make something happen, bad or good."

Tash thought his dreams were premonitions? No wonder he was so scared. Rebel pulled Tash onto his lap, cradled him in his arms. "Try to forget the dreams, Tash. That's all they are, just bad dreams. You and I—we're going to stay together until your dad can come home."

Tash laid his face against Rebel's shoulder. "Does everyone in town know about Dad?"

"Yes, very probably. News like this gets around really fast."

"Do Autumn and her mom and dad know?"

"Yes, they do, and Ethan's going to help however he can. And so will FBI agent Dillon Savich."

Tash was quiet, then he said in a hopeful little voice, "Do you really think so? You don't think Sasha will tell him she doesn't want me around at all?"

"Sasha has nothing to say about this, Tash. Will you believe me?"

Morales said, "There was an accident about ten miles east of here and we were held up. May we come in, Mr. Navarro?"

Special Agent Briggs stepped around her. He was older, in his mid- to late forties, tall and beefy, with a fringe of salt-and-pepper hair circling his head. He looked Rebel up and down and said, his voice deep and aggressive, "As Agent Morales said, we are here to speak to you about your brother, Mr. Navarro. We'd like to know where he is. May we come in?"

Special Agent Morales put her hand on Briggs's arm. "Go take care of your nephew. We'll wait."

Tash said from behind him, "Uncle Rebel, I don't understand. Why did they come here?"

Special Agent Briggs said, impatience shimmering in the air around him, "He's a big boy, he can brush his own teeth—"

Morales cut him off. She smiled down at Tash, stuck out her hand. "I like your name, Tash. My name's Loretta."

Tash gingerly took her hand. "My mama named me Tasher after her papa, but I'm Tash."

"It's a great name. You look like your uncle."

Morales smiled at Rebel. "Do what you need to do, Mr. Navarro. It was a pleasure to meet you, Tash." Morales and Briggs watched Rebel Navarro take the little boy's hand, walk with him up the stairs, and disappear down a hallway to the right of the landing.