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"I’et jollies out of frightening people, for which you should be docked pay" She texted so quickly

"And what’s that about?" he asked

She finished, hit Send and turned her phone around She had sent a text to Spencer Going with the police to answer questions about the co the public now?"

"I’hts and lock the door I’uys just give uess you never heard that story about honey versus vinegar" And with that she walked to the back of the clinic to close it up

"FBI is taking priority on this case," Mac explained as he and Devon made the drive to Coquille "And, just so you know, they can be very proprietary It’s their case"

"That’s been made perfectly clear," Devon replied "They better be a lot nicer to o as well as they think I don’t trust es After four years with Jacob, I could say especially if they have badges He spent four years trying to convince us that anyone associated with the police or any govern people I knew that wasn’t true, but these guys kind of make me wonder"

Devon continued, "I knew Jacob was a fraudbut he seeood food on the table and a nice place for me to live in"

"How did you know?"

"Aunt Mary, the woman who raised me, was devout We went to church and bible study a lot I’ious as Mary was, but I know my scriptures And Jacob didn’t"

"Maybe his interpretation was intended just to ion and the bible to his advantage?"

"That is definitely true, but he was so far off the map, anyone who knows their bible would knoas just an to see he wasn’t so harmless The women in that house--some of them became dependent on him and believed every word he uttered"

"But you didn’t?"

"No, but I still didn’t have anywhere to go or anyA couple of people just walked off while ere at the Farmers’ Market, but they didn’t leave children behind I could’ve done that, but I would never leave ot ry," Mac said "And scared"

"The nights were cold back in Seattle," she said softly

She glanced at Mac out of the corner of her eye and saw his jaw pulse It was quiet in the car for a while Then Mac said, "Devon, that’s not going to happen again You’re a part of the town You have friends You’ve been a friend Tell the FBI what they want to know That bastard has preyed on frightened young girls long enough"

Devon was taken to a small interview roo device Her two agents, McGrump and McGloere there, of course But she was relieved to be joined by a pleasant young woent, who asked most of the questions E She had to go through every detail of how she was first introduced to Jacob and The Fellowship Then she was asked about everything she knew of the background and personalities of every woed over four years--only one had been with Jacob the entire ti Brody, and he was mostly sullen and private and quiet

Then she had to try to describe Jacob’s evolution frorier, more paranoid man; a man who believed he had to protect his doovernment and their foolish laws and punitive taxation There were many questions about the treatment of the wo of marijuana

The intervieent on for hours and Devon did her best to recall as much information as she could about every detail of life at the corow-op

"Can you remember how many times you were in Jacob’s house?"

"Four times Within twoof how she had been foolish enough to believe that Jacob loved her She had listened to his grand plans and had believed every word

The agents then turned the questioning to ain, Devon was open and honest with the agents

"Soreeable than others," she told the agents "Jacob never forced anyone to sleep with him, but he did belittle wo by nature The only woree with him was Reese--the oldest in our house The only women to clean his house were Charlotte and Priscilla, and only when he was in his residence When Mariah joined us and Jacob began to seduce her, Reese fought with hi before Mariah was pregnant Getting a wonant thrilled hihed "For a little while Until he started to coing a hoentle and get along We didn’t always get along But we all had one thing in co him, I felt like such a failure, such a fool I felt like I had nothing and no one except the women I lived with I’d still be there if I hadn’t wanted a different kind of life for Mercy"

"Tell us rown Was it an acre? Quarter acre? Concealed? Did you have any contact with the plants or the transport or sale of the plants?"

She’d seen inside the buildings through open doors; she knehat it was but none of her duties had anything to do with it That was ardens, livestock, chickens, household chores and children

She had to list the na the family--there were quite a few over four years But no women who had children while they were there were allowed to leave with their child So they stayed

Question after question, and the only one who cajoled pleasantly was the wohtly older than Devon, maybe early thirties