Chapter 39 #2
“It’s not just some random group of meddlers who have nothing better to do than gossip about the love life of a cult victim.
They’re Veritas sympathizers,” Mia confesses, causing my spine to straighten, my protective instincts surging to the forefront.
Automatically, my gaze scans the street below, searching for anything out of place.
“The general theme and purpose of their online gathering is pretty apparent, but they’re also using code phrases to keep their seedier objective a secret from anyone who might stumble across them.
Too bad they didn’t anticipate Belmont Astor,” Mia scoffs.
“Explain,” I demand, unable to keep the gruffness from my voice.
“We have reason to believe that at least one of them is in contact with Ada Stillwater.” The fact that Mia even knows her name is telling.
I never mentioned it over lunch, and though it’s public record and could easily be found, I highly doubt Mia went in search of it just to fabricate some far-fetched story to scare me into rethinking my romantic entanglements.
“We’re trying to get access to the visitor logs at her treatment facility, but we don’t want to spook them or give them any reason to believe the new person they've granted access to is actually a mole.”
“Does O’Connor know about this?” I question heatedly. If he does and didn’t bother to tell me, I’ll hand him my two-week notice without a second thought.
“No.” Mia shakes her head aggressively. “And you can’t tell him.
The only people who know are the three of us and…
” she hesitates, biting her lip nervously.
I raise an eyebrow, demanding she finish her sentence.
“The Deputy Director of the FBI.” You could hear a pin drop from how intense the silence is following that revelation.
“I’m sorry.” I shake my head in confusion, trying to understand the string of words she just voiced. “Did you say the Deputy Director of the FBI?” Mia nods solemnly.
“Deputy Director Denvers was recently sworn in, so he’s fairly new to the job.
Prior to his promotion, it seems that one of the defense attorneys, Jerod Cantmeir, was already on his radar for possible racketeering, so he’d like to see the investigation through.
Based on the information that Bel was able to extract, it appears that whoever’s in touch with Ada is also passing along the information they’re gathering to said attorney.
There are message threads within the group that heavily imply he’s paying them for any incriminating footage they’re able to capture or manufacture.
He doesn’t seem to care if it’s legitimate, as long as it sows discord and breeds doubt amongst the jurors. ”
“Since when did small-town Chaplain become a hub for criminal activity?” I stare at my sister in complete bewilderment, shocked at the direction our conversation has taken.
“And how, exactly, did you become aware of the Deputy Director’s involvement?
” I ask, curious to know how they’ve gained the confidence of such a high-ranking official and how their paths crossed to begin with.
“He followed the same thread that Bel did, but instead of alerting them to his presence by poking around too much, he poked at Bel.” Mia shrugs her shoulders, like this is just another day in the life for the esteemed Belmont Astor.
“After discovering who he was, Denvers concluded that he was likely working on behalf of one of Veritas’ victims, and his involvement could benefit them both.
He reached out and wants Bel to lay low, remain a part of the Discord group, and relay anything involving Jerod Cantmeir.
” I press my fingers to my temples, trying to ward off the migraine that’s rapidly approaching the more twisted this becomes.
“So the FBI has two coinciding investigations taking place within Chaplain County,” I surmise, talking out loud and trying to wrap my head around how tangled this has gotten.
“And clearly Belmont confided in you because in order for him to remain a part of said group and not raise suspicions, he needs to be useful. Which means he’ll need more fodder, in the form of private photographs that he’s expecting you to take?
Am I missing anything?” The menace in my voice grows with every word.
“No, that pretty much sums it up,” Mia deadpans.
“Fuck!” I swear, slamming the side of my fist against the unforgiving brick.
The pain ricocheting up my arm barely even registers.
“What do I say to that, Mia? You want my consent to take pictures of my girl and me for the express purpose of trying to tear apart her character?” Like fuck am I doing that to Andi.
Deputy Director or not, he can figure out another way to get Cantmeir without sacrificing Andi’s reputation. ”
“You’re not getting it, Raiden,” Mia huffs in annoyance. “They already had photos. We added a few innocent shots to the mix, so it appears that Bel is bringing something to the table.”
“What photos?” I question, praying to whoever’s listening that Andi’s privacy hasn’t been violated in the worst way possible.