Chapter 22
The call to Diego went right through.
“Oh my gosh. Jane! Great timing! I’m so bored.” Diego Rivera, a twenty-seven-year-old lanky slacker who dressed like a perpetual high school computer nerd, thrived on sugar and energy drinks.
She’d worked with him on the special task force last winter, and he’d certainly proven he knew what he was about when it came to mining data.
“Diego, how’s it going in Denver?”
“It’s going.” He sighed and lowered his voice. “No one here has any fun. At least Rapp would let me do my thing. These guys are all about warrants and subpoenas and paperwork.”
“How terrible.”
“Right?” He slurped his drink—a Monster, she’d bet—and chuckled. “So how are you and Gina getting along?”
“Like two cats in a sack.”
He laughed. “I miss you guys. If I have to work for the Man, I’d much rather work for smart, attractive Feds than these losers.”
“We can hear you, Diego,” a deep voice growled in the background.
Diego cleared his throat. “So what can I do for you?”
“I’ve got a situation that needs your delicate touch.”
“Tell me.”
Jane briefly and carefully ran down her situation.
Asking Diego without asking Diego to look into the Hartes.
“Anything you can get me without leaving a whisper you were there. Nothing official, just as a favor for a friend, you get me? I would never use this information as evidence of anything.” After a pause, she added in a low voice, “We never had this conversation.” Which was why she’d called him on his cell phone.
“Got it. Give me an hour. I’ll call you back.” He hung up.
Like Hal, Diego would use any resource given him and make it appear as if he’d never been there. She would have called Hal for help, but she knew he had work to do for her uncle. Plus, she didn’t want to give Uncle Chris more ammo against her to leave the FBI and work for him.
They had that argument about once a quarter. Fortunately, he’d been distracted, or she knew he’d have been nagging about it already.
Her conversation with Diego done, Jane decided to pause on going to the Hartes’ home. She wanted information before she talked to them. She thought about calling Ray to go with her but then realized the time. She had a lunch to attend and more questions to ask.
She met Matthew at the coffee shop a few minutes late and found him already seated.
He looked handsome, as usual, in a suit and tie. Dressed as the ASAC and giving her the serious stare when she approached before his smile softened the harsh expression into a welcoming one.
He stood to greet her. “Jane. I got you a coffee and a snack. I hope that’s all right.”
“Depends on the coffee.”
He grinned. “It’s hot. A vanilla latte. I’d have gotten you a hazelnut, but they ran out.”
“You are forgiven for being so bold. And thank you from the bottom of my caffeine-deprived heart. I’ve been doing paperwork all day.” She sat and sipped with a sigh. “Ah, that’s nice.” Then she smiled at him. “It’s good to see you, too.”
“Well, at least I ranked a smile.” He looked her over. “I’m glad you made it here in one piece.” He frowned. “I need to talk to you.”
“And I need to talk to you. I found out some things you should know.” She paused, wondering who should go first.
“After you.”
After a glance around and noting that they were the only two in the corner, away from everyone in the less than crowded shop, she leaned closer and in a low voice explained, “It’s him. August.”
“You’re sure?”
She nodded. “I learned that Kaminski’s been under watch by some higherups for quite a while. Rook is his number one guy.”
“I knew it.” Matthew scowled. “Why— No, please. Continue.”
“I’m not sure what exactly is going on, but we know that the three families killed belonged to the Collective. The first dead family has been paying certain politicians for years. Same with the second family. The Harte name keeps appearing. And guess what? They’re on the Collective list.”
“Harte… Stephen Harte? Hmm. I know that name. Wait. He’s big with health care advocacy. His name pops up in conjunction with some large insurance companies.” Matthew grew introspective, and Jane let him reason it out.
He blinked up at her. “Lost my train of thought there.” He looked stressed to her, but she decided he was just focused. “So we have a lobbyist getting payouts from millionaires. Not surprising. But he’s part of the Collective?”
“It seems so. I’m guessing when we get the Strands’ information, we’ll find similar amounts. Hundreds of thousands, sometimes millions, to a number of prominent politicians and lobbyists—namely Stephen Harte.”
It was on the tip of her tongue to ask him about his senator father.
He sighed, as if reading her mind. “I’m worried, Jane. Senator Ronald Scott has deep, dark closets. I’m scared what skeletons are going to come out when I open those doors.”
“Yeah, but we don’t know a lot of things. We still don’t know how the murders tie together. Is it the Collective against an outside source? What’s being stolen from the dead families? Money, obviously. But I’m certain there’s something else. Data those families have.”
“Why do you think that?”
“I don’t know. Our thieves are too sophisticated. If all August Kaminski ever wanted was money, he’d be rolling in it. He’s been operating for years without getting caught, the puppet master behind a multitude of criminal organizations. Nothing sticks to the guy. He’s got to be wealthy as hell.”
“I agree. Information is more precious than gold.”
She nodded. “So the question is, who’s killing members of the Collective? August? A rival? Or are they perhaps killing each other for some odd reason?”
“What are you planning to do next?”
“I’m waiting to hear back about the Hartes. Then I’m planning a visit.”
“I’ll go with you.”
“No.”
He frowned. “What?”
“Matthew, you’re the ASAC and not involved in the investigation. Your last name is Scott. You’ll flag them to shut down right away.”
“My name can open doors.”
“And shut them. I want the element of surprise on my side.”
He shook his head and sipped his coffee. “Well, don’t go alone.”
“I plan to take Detective Ryan with me. We’re working the case jointly.”
“Good.”
“And you?” she asked. “How are you planning to get your father to admit to all his skeletons?”
“I don’t know yet.”
She didn’t have a good feeling about the path the investigation was taking. “Be careful. I don’t like that the murders are so brutal.” She paused in thought. “There’s a problem with our suspect—the killer, I mean. He’s not working with Kaminski the way he should be.”
“What?”
“The murders are vicious and attract attention. When has August Kaminski ever wanted to be front and center in the newspapers? The home invasions invited police involvement and an FBI probe. Kaminski can’t be happy about that.”
“You’re right. So we think it’s two separate entities for these crimes? A murderer and a thief?”
Jane looked at him. “How did you learn about Rook? I need to know who told you.”
She didn’t think he’d answer as he stared down at his hands on the table. Then he glanced up. “Let me hold on to that for a little bit longer. I promise I’ll tell you when I can.”
“You can trust me, Matthew. I could have told Lionel Gambol about how I heard about Rook. I didn’t.”
“Lionel’s on this? Makes sense. He works around the agencies and sometimes through us. But he’s not one of us.”
“What is he, exactly?”
“I have no idea. But he sets my father’s teeth on edge. I like him for that alone.” Matthew chuckled, but his mirth had no substance. “I’m going to do more digging. Carefully,” he promised. “You do the same.”
“I will. Trust me. I’ve already been lectured by Lionel and my uncle.”
“Ah. Good.” Matthew stared into Jane’s eyes. “So when are we having that second dinner?”
She smiled. “You beat me to it. I was hoping we could discuss what we learn. How about Friday night?”
“That sounds like a date.” He reached out to stroke her hand then took her fingers in his. After a gentle squeeze, he stood. “I need to get back. But Jane, promise you’ll be careful.”
She stood as well. “Careful is my middle name.”
“Liar. I still have gray hair from the Red Ribbon Killer case.”
“Well, look at it this way. I’m here. He’s not. And pretty soon, the same is going to be said for August Kaminski.”
“Your lips to God’s ears.”
Though not a religious person, Jane agreed. “Amen to that. Now I’m going to leave you and head back to the office. With any luck, I can reach the Hartes today.”
Unfortunately, the soonest she could meet with them was tomorrow. But at least she’d connected with Detective Ryan, who agreed to meet her there in the morning.
Jane spent the rest of the evening looking over the files Diego had amassed on the Hartes.
And boy, did she owe him big when she saw him again.
She texted Matthew, but when he didn’t respond, she decided not to bother him.
He had his hands full dealing with his parents. She had a bad feeling the Scotts might know more about August Kaminski than either she or Matthew would be comfortable with.
She texted him later that night.
He didn’t respond.
Jane ignored her unease and went to bed, intent on getting answers the following day.