Cop Said “You Two Aren't Welcome Here” To Twins — Both Were Federal Agents Investigating Him
Chapter 7
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"I'm in the back of a police car," Lucy said. "Dempsey arrested me. He said I served a beer to a minor last week—some kid I never even saw. It's a lie, Agent Holloway! It's a lie! I've never served a kid in my life. They let me call one person, and Grandpa's phone is going straight to voicemail, and I didn't know who else to—"The phone went dead.Kendra lowered it slowly. Jayda was already holding the car keys.They drove to Main Street in silence. When they got there, Delaney's Tavern was dark. A bright orange notice was taped to the front door:License suspended by order of the City of Cold Creek.Hank Delaney was sitting on the curb in front of it in the same clothes as last night, his face gray. "They took her," he said when he saw them. "They took my Lucy right out of the kitchen in handcuffs, in front of everybody walking by. Dempsey smiled at me the whole time."Kendra crouched down in front of him. "We're going to get her out, Hank.""How?" Hank looked up at her, his eyes wet. "You don't understand. The cops here, the city, the courts—it's all the same people. Do you know who Gordon Pratt is?""The prosecutor," Jayda said."He's Kyle Dempsey's uncle," Hank said. "His mother's brother. Pratt got him the job; Pratt got him promoted. Every time somebody complained about Kyle Dempsey, the complaint went to Gordon Pratt's desk and it died there."Kendra and Jayda looked at each other. Kendra stood up and looked down Main Street: there were five other bars on this street—three still open, two with boarded-up windows. $500 a week from every bar for 11 years."That's a lot of money for one sergeant," she said slowly. "A lot of money to keep quiet. A lot of people to keep scared.""Too much," Jayda agreed."The money doesn't stop at Dempsey," Kendra said. "It goes up."Lucy's bail hearing was on Monday morning at the Hollis County Courthouse, a short, square brick building across the street from the police station. The twins walked in together at a quarter to 9:00; Hank walked between them in his only suit—brown and too big for him now—keeping his fingers on his tie.The hallway outside the courtroom was long and bright with a shiny tile floor. Halfway down it, two men were standing by a water fountain laughing: Kyle Dempsey in his uniform, and Gordon Pratt in a dark blue suit.Dempsey saw them first. His laugh stopped, then started again, louder. "Well, look who it is," he said. "Uncle Gordon, these are the two I was telling you about—the salt and pepper shakers."Pratt turned slowly, looking the twins up and down from their boots to their faces, smiling the same calm, warm smile he had used on TV. "Agents," he said. "Welcome to Hollis County. I hope you're enjoying your stay. It won't be a long one.""We'll stay as long as it takes," Kendra said.