“I don’t think Wes Taggart could find the state capitol with Siri jacked into his ass,” she said. “He’s a low-level turd. Nail his ass for what he did to Boom and flush the goddamn toilet.”

“You know good and well his people are tied in with Vardaman.”

“Of course they are,” Lillie said. “They’ve been tied in with that asshole back when Stagg was running the show. I just think you’re wasting your time with Wes Taggart. Only person around here who might connect the Syndicate with Jimmy Vardaman is Fannie Hathcock. And good luck with that.”

“Won’t hurt to ask.”

“Ask nicely,” Lillie said. “The whole ride up I wanted to crack that fucker’s head like an egg. But I applied the utmost restraint.”

“No kidding.”

“Why the fuck are you surprised, Ranger?” Lillie said. “I’m the one who trained you to use compassion.”

“Is that what you call it?”

FIVE

My family held out hope he’d gotten lost in those Big Woods,” Shaina Taylor said, sitting in lawn chairs in front of her small white house. Her three-year-old daughter racing down a Slip ’N Slide and hooting with laughter. “But after the fifth, sixth, seventh search party didn’t find nothing, they knew something bad had happened. Wasn’t like Brandon was the kind of kid to hitch a ride out of town. And even though I was only nine, I know it wasn’t the kind of house he wanted to escape. Daddy worked at the sawmill for Larry Cobb before he got into trouble with Mr. Stagg and them. Momma ran her daycare next to the Piggly Wiggly. Our sister Charlene was a senior at Tibbehah High. We weren’t the kind of people who invited trouble into our lives. My folks worked hard, took us to church twice a week. Ain’t nobody around here getting beaten or anything like that. Brandon wouldn’t have just got up and left one day. He had a life here. Boy had lots of friends at school. Even had a girlfriend who used to spend her summers up here with her grandmother. Damn, he loved that girl. Traded letters every week.”

“Maggie Powers.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“You don’t need to call me ma’am,” Tashi said. “We’re pretty much the same age.”

“I didn’t mean to imply you’re older,” Shaina said. “Just someone I respect.”

“How so?” Tashi said, sitting side by side with the chubby little woman in the flowered dress, both of them wearing sunglasses and drinking bottles of Diet Coke.

“For one thing, you’re the only person who’s ever done one thing for Brandon.”

“That can’t be true.”