Chapter 37
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
“It was a risky move, Matthew. They tried to kill her,” Jon Haversham said.
“I’m not so sure about that.”
She heard some static. Jane wished Hal had a better angle, but the miniature camera he’d planted in the living room that looked through to the dining room and kitchen didn’t have the best definition. She could see Scott frowning until he turned his back on her.
“Relax. We’ll hear what we need to.” Hal adjusted something, and the conversation grew crystal clear.
“What do you mean?” Haversham asked. “The report on the attack at the ferry listed Jenn Sullivan as the gunshot victim.”
“Yes, but she was there meeting with Jane Cannon.”
A chuckle, then Haversham said, “Your penance for sinning so much in your youth.”
“Is he wrong though, do you think?” Hal murmured.
“Shh.”
Scott huffed and warmed his food in the microwave. “Very funny. Jane is a wildcard. I wish she’d come clean with whatever Dan told her.”
Jane’s heart raced.
“We both know the Mazzucas found him out. They used you to do it,” Haversham said quietly.
“I know.”
That was it. The confession she’d been waiting for.
“If I’d been a little faster on the uptake, if I’d realized they were reporting everything back to Leo Mazzuca, I’d have taken Dan out of rotation. But I thought we’d compartmentalized what our mole had access to. I thought we had time.”
Hold on. What?
“Look, we both knew it was a risk. If I’d thought they knew about Simmons, I’d have ordered you to pull him out. He wasn’t supposed to be engaging with the crew at the warehouse, not without eyes on him at all times. Why was he down there that night?”
“I don’t know. I’m not sure Jane knows either.
That email exchange between her and Dan was obviously fake.
But even if she had knowledge, she wouldn’t tell me.
” He frowned and removed his plate from the microwave, then walked to his spotless dining room to eat while he talked to Haversham.
“I get the impression she doesn’t like me. ”
“None of them do.”
Scott muttered something under his breath as he ate one bite at a time, cutting his food into small pieces. He ate like a robot, controlled, precise.
Jane actually liked him a little bit better for that. But not much.
“Matthew, doing your best to keep on top of everything your squad is doing isn’t making you any friends. You’re micromanaging.”
“But I need them to know I’m watching so they won’t see you keeping an eye on them.”
Clever.
“Although, if you think about it, making yourself a common enemy should make the squad tighter.”
“So they can retaliate against me?”
“Exactly. We’re closer to finding out who’s been keeping the Mazzucas up to date on our progress. But we need a little bit more before we close in. I’ve narrowed it down to three—maybe four—names.”
Scott put down his fork. “I just can’t believe it’s any of them. Not on this squad.”
What four names? I thought he was convinced it was Sullivan. Jane tried to understand Scott’s actions. Apparently, he and Haversham had suspected someone in her squad of being the mole a lot longer than she’d suspected anyone.
Dan had come to her with questions about something not right with their investigation. She’d never expected him to go off on his own to investigate the night he died. Or that someone else would imply her involvement.
With ten members of the squad remaining, minus her, that left nine suspects minus the five Haversham didn’t think responsible.
She wanted to count Sullivan out but couldn’t.
That would be the obvious move. Despite what she hoped, she could only cross Haversham, herself, and now Scott off her list of possibly guilty.
She let that stew as she reviewed the team. Could Jim Broderick, Ian Tann, or Greg Minton be the mole? She didn’t want Williams and Sullivan to be guilty. But she had no proof they weren’t. And what if there was more than one Mazzuca plant? That would put a whole new spin on this.
“I need answers.”
“Jane, look.” Hal nodded to the monitor, and she stared at Scott’s face as he frowned at the phone.
“I tapped into his phone’s camera.” Hal nodded. “Because I am amazing.”
“You truly are.”
She watched Scott’s face as he spoke, seeing his frustration while she heard it. The more he spoke, the more she doubted he had anything to do with Dan Simmons’ murder. Instead, he’d been doing all he could to clean up the squad before something terrible happened again.
She not only heard but saw him beat himself up for Simmons’s death, for Sullivan’s injuries, even for Jane being suspended.
“It really is the best thing for Jane though,” Scott said. “I think Gambol’s got her working for him. I saw her with Gunther Rapp.” He gave a self-deprecating smile. “I almost believed they were dating when I saw them at McGrath’s. Except I caught her following me earlier.”
Shoot. He hadn’t bought it.
“Do you think she saw you paying Guillermo?”
Jane jotted down the name.
“Maybe. But he’s still going to follow Jim and Ian for me, and his brother has Greg and Sandy under surveillance.
” Guillermo was some kind of PI? “She hasn’t given up trying to find out who killed Dan Simmons, I do know that.
But I can’t have her in the way. Not if they’re actively after her now.
I don’t think that attack at the ferry was anything but a shot at Jane. ”
“I knew it.” Hal stared at her. “They were gunning for you.”
She shrugged. “I suspected, but they came at Sullivan too. And how did they know we’d be there?”
“They were probably following you. But I should have a look at your car and phone again to be sure.”
“After this.”
He nodded.
“We need to wrap this up,” Haversham said. “I can’t hold Bob off much longer.”
“I appreciate it.”
“I know. But I wouldn’t be backing you up if I didn’t think you were our best shot at cleaning out the muck in our HQ. I’m tired of constantly being one step behind.”
“Me too.” Scott sighed.
“You’ve got two more weeks. Don’t waste it.” Haversham hung up.
Scott pushed away from the table and walked into his living room, where he promptly threw himself onto a designer sofa and kicked back, groaning.
“My head hurts.” He rubbed his temples and swore under his breath, but she thought she heard her name mentioned.
“How am I hearing him?” she asked. From the angle of the camera, she figured it must have been hidden above the fireplace.
“I bugged the house for sound too. Just in case.”
“I really owe you.”
“Yep. But Jane, I think you owe someone else just as much.” Hal glanced at Matthew Scott now looking a lot less like a bureaucratic bully and more like a tired man just trying to do what was best for everyone.
“Aw, heck. I don’t like this at all. Before this is all over, I’m probably going to have to apologize to him.”
“Or you could just be really, really nice when you’re eventually cleared of all charges.”
Jane cringed. “I’d rather say a quick ‘sorry’ then avoid him for a while.”
But this news did serve its purpose.
Jane wouldn’t worry about Matthew Scott anymore. Knowing he was on track to find out who killed Dan Simmons made her feel better. She’d still push for answers, but she wouldn’t get in Scott’s way.
Instead, she’d do her best to help him find their Mazzuca spy. And she’d help Rapp and the team find Phillip Keiser before he struck again.
“Outstanding.” Hal brushed his hands together, having demolished the popcorn. “Now let’s go home. We can start on the video game tomorrow.”
“So soon?”
He frowned. “Yeah. And don’t even think of using work as an excuse. You owe me.”
“I know. I always pay my debts.” Thoughts of apologizing to Raine and Scott hit her hard. “Even if I would rather get a root canal.”