important thing is Jenny’s welfare, Cy. I know you love her, but I also know you’re not in a position right now to give her the care and attention she needs. That doesn’t make you a bad person. But right now, the priority needs to be Jenny.”
Tanner hadn’t said anything for a bit but finally nodded. “When I was a kid my grade school teacher told us about the story of Solomon. Well, I’m not cutting up a kid. She needs to go where she’ll be okay.” He looked over his shoulder at the falling-down house. “I can live okay here, but a little kid can’t.”
Blum smiled. “Well, you just showed yourself to be a very wise grandpa.”
* * *
“I’ll come visit you every day, Jenny,” he told his granddaughter through the open window as she sat in the back seat of Pine’s SUV.
“Okay, Pop-pop.”
“You be good for these folks, all right?”
He leaned through and gave her a kiss on the cheek. She giggled and rubbed her skin where she had kissed him. “You’re scratchy, Pop-pop.”
“I’ll shave real good before I come to see you again. I promise, sweetie.”
Blum put a hand on his shoulder. “We’ll check on her a lot. She’ll be well taken care of.”
Tanner turned to her and said in a low voice, “I know. I…I just wish it hadn’t come to this.”
“In life, it almost always comes to something like this. And then you adapt and get through it. But I would check on your daughter and make sure she really is in rehab.”
“Yeah, I was thinking about that, too, Carol.” The two exchanged a knowing look.
She said, “We never want to think ill of our children, but sometimes it’s the prudent thing to do. Sometimes it’s the only way to help them.”
Tanner stepped back, and Blum climbed into the truck to sit next to Jenny. Pine started up the SUV. Laredo, who was sitting next to her, said, “There can’t be many people around here who might own a Pagani.”
“I can really think of only one,” said Pine. “Jack Lineberry.”
Chapter 50
THEY DROPPED BLUM and Jenny off at her new, temporary home to get settled in, and then Pine and Laredo drove back to the Cottage.
On the way Laredo made a call and sent some emails. He finally put his phone away and looked dissatisfied. “I can’t find a Pagani registered under Jack Lineberry’s name, but he could have it registered under a corporate entity.”
“He may very well have.”
“But why take such a conspicuous car on what might have been a stakeout of your old home?”
“Wish I had an answer for that.”
“I assume we’re going to check this out?”
“Yes, we will. But we need to lay the groundwork first.”
“You used to like flying by the seat of your pants, if I recall.”
She glanced over at him. “I like prep as much as the next person. But you don’t always have the time for it.”
“I imagine you have to think quick on your feet out in Arizona.”
“You would imagine right. I’m usually the only FBI agent around.”
“And you really like it that way?”
She gave him a sharp glance. “Why wouldn’t I?”
“I like having resources. Make a call and you got a team responding in minutes. Or I need some grunt work done and there’s an agent or team of admins to do it.”
“I don’t mind the grunt work if it leads to an arrest.”
“Along with doing a 411, your friend Blum read me the riot act the other night.”
“How so?”
“She was defending you. Telling me how high you set the bar. Wanted to make sure I wasn’t here to do you dirty.”
“She’s a good partner.”
“She also made it clear that as an admin person she’s really running the show.”
“I wouldn’t disagree with that.”
“I know Clint Dobbs runs the Phoenix Field Office. Hear he can be a real pain.”
Pine said, “But he gave me an opportunity to get things right, and I respect him for that.”
“And if you can’t get things right?”
“I’ll cross that bridge if I get to it.”
* * *
They parked in front of the Cottage and got out. Across the street was a small, open, grassy area. A group of kids was playing there with an old kickball.
“No school today?” said Laredo.
“Guess not.”
He headed toward the front door of the Cottage but then noted that Pine was standing there watching the kids.
He walked back over to her.
“Thinking about your sister or maybe Jenny?”
“Maybe both.”
Laredo watched the two biggest kids face off with the rest of