Chapter 39 #2
SSA Chase hits me with a rare smile. “I gotta admit, I had my doubts about this. Especially after our last talk about her. But I’m glad you proved me wrong. She’s very credible. I believed every word. With her cooperation, our odds of closing this case just improved dramatically. Good job, Hayes.”
Brushing off the unnecessary praise, I focus on what matters. “We can get her full immunity, right? She was clearly coerced.”
Chase glowers at me. “You know that isn’t my call to make.
” The harshness of her warning is softened when she adds, “I will say this—if anyone deserves to walk after this, it’s her.
I’ll call the ASAC and the assistant US attorney now to grease the skids.
I want to move on this today. Fortunately, Lila’s willing and ready to help, which betters her chances of avoiding serious charges.
If I can get a verbal approval from the powers that be, I’d like her back in that casino tonight for phase one. ”
Chase is going to bat for Lila. That’s a huge win.
I fill my lungs, letting the SSA’s words reassure me. “Got it.”
“Go see the team to get on the same page. Then have Lila call Silas with Carson recording and tracking it.” She turns to go, then pauses.
“We should also play the air vent recording for Lila to see if she recognizes the second voice at the murder. Don’t wait for me to do that.
I don’t know how long these calls are going to take. ”
Without waiting for my confirmation, she thunders toward her office. I head to the shared workspace in the corner of the office to get up to speed with the team. Not only do I need to brief them on what’s gone down with Lila, but they can tell me what I missed this morning.
I breeze into the room, noticing my steps seem lighter. McBride and Hemsley are staring at the wall where we’ve got an assortment of clues pinned up or written on the grease board.
When they notice me, I offer an amiable greeting, complete with individual smiles. “Good morning, Luke. Grant.” I lean back on my heels and swoop my gaze between them. “What does today have in store for us?”
They trade glances. Hemsley’s brows arch to his hairline.
He crosses his arms across his chest and stares me down. “Excuse me. How did you get back here? This is a secure area.”
Huh?
Luke tosses his head back and guffaws, then smacks me on the upper back. And I mean smacks the shit out of it. Hard enough to thrust half the air out of my lungs. “Don’t worry ‘bout him, rook. He ain’t used to you making nice with us.”
Hilarious.
“It won’t happen again.” I catch the rest of the breath he whacked out of me. “The SSA wants us on the same page. What did I miss this morning?”
The cowboy defers to Hemsley. “You can take this.”
After a nod of agreement, Grant cricks his head, flickering his gaze toward the conference room. “Did you finally get her to fold? Your girl?”
Oh, I sure as fuck did. Lila folded for me until she came. On my thigh, my bed, and my couch. And when we’re done today, I’ll make her fold for me all over again.
But that’s not what Grant’s asking.
Hiding my smug grin in the interest of discretion, I keep my face and voice flat. “Yes. I have officially made Lila Kent a CI.”
I also made her squirt all over my bed. Both huge accomplishments, but only one should be etched on my headstone. You can figure out which.
McBride tucks his thumbs in his belt. “What’d she give you?”
Her virginity, five years ago. The best orgasms of my life, last night and this morning. And blue balls, all the years in between.
Jesus. Fuck. Why does this conversation keep sending my mind to the gutter?
Agent Carson sidles up on the other side of me. “What the hell is that smile about, Hayes?”
We all flinch at her sudden appearance.
“Fucking hell, woman,” Hemsley grumbles at her, acting put out. “Give us a warning before you slither up like that.”
She cuts him a seething glare. “Save your breath, Grant. You’ll need it to blow up your girlfriend later.
” Without giving him a chance to react, her face falls lax, bordering on pleasant as she addresses me.
“Seriously, why are you excreting joy and farting rainbows? Someone you hate die or something?”
I spread my arms wide. “What the fuck is up with everyone this morning? I’m not acting differently than any other day.”
Bianca shrugs while twisting the cap off a water bottle. “If you say so.”
Luke cranes his neck to peer around me, trading knowing looks with Carson. “I ain’t buying his cow shit either, BB.”
A night of hot sex with the love of my life, and apparently, I’ve developed the bubbly personality of an activities director on a Disney Cruise.
Redirecting us back to the case, I answer McBride’s question, sticking to the facts.
“Here’s what Lila put on the record. She was forced to help them cheat after they kidnapped Kenzie, exactly as we figured.
Miraculously, they returned my sister unharmed after about five weeks.
Andrews and I will get her statement eventually.
I don’t think she’s worth looking at as a CI. She was a pawn.”
“Is she okay?” Hemsley asks. “Physically? Emotionally?”
“Haven’t talked to her yet.” I shrug. “Lila reassured me she’s doing much better since her release.
There were no sexual assaults or ongoing abuse during her time as their captive.
Just a little banged up from putting up a fight when they captured her.
Said they fed her and treated her fairly well, all things considered. ”
Glances are traded between the three of them like fucking Pokémon cards.
If I could trust myself to bet, I’d wager they’re wondering why I’m so detached when I speak about my sister. They’d understand if they knew how we were raised and what Kenzie did to Lila and me. But whatever.
Moving on.
“Also, the chemical traces we found in the air vent at Hartley’s house are likely the invisible dye they made Lila use to mark cards.
The cheaters wear special contact lenses or glasses to see the dye.
That’s further proof of Hartley’s involvement in the casino spree.
Which reminds me . . .” I reach into my pocket, retrieving the plastic bag.
“These are the rings she used. Each one emits a different color ink, so they knew face cards from the rest.”
Hemsley grabs the bag, inspecting the rings through the clear plastic. “Interesting approach. Wonder how they work.”
“Lila doesn’t know,” I respond, careful not to smile at her name on my tongue.
McBride watches Hemsley twisting and turning the rings around, then faces Bianca and me. “I reckon this is the reason Riddick and the unsub tortured the location of the chemical out of Hartley before killing him. Can’t mark cards without dye.”
Less interested in the science of the rings, Carson asks, “Is Lila willing to talk to Silas for us while wired up? We should also send her back to work at the casino under surveillance to help us catch as many players as possible. She game for that?”
I mash my lips tightly, trying to mask my instinctual reaction to putting Lila in danger. “Although nervous about it, she’s up for wearing a wire. She wants to take them all down as much as we do. Maybe more.”
Carson nods, her grin spreading.
I crick my head to the side to loosen the tension brewing. “Also, Chase wants Lila to call Silas ASAP after we’re done with this update.”
That gets a bigger smile out of her. “With any luck, he’ll answer, and we can get his location from a cell tower since we can’t find him any other way.”
McBride smacks the fuck out of my back again. “Good job, rook. Unlike the others, I never doubted you.”
Leveling him with a warning glare, I cough and sputter from his physical assault.
What the hell are they feeding the boys over in bum fuck Texas?
Damn sure more than corn to get jacked like that.
I don’t consider myself a weak man, but he could put me on the ground with little effort.
While I typically rely on speed and agility when I need to get physical, this fucker is brute strength.
After rolling out my shoulders, I take two steps to the right. I’m done being in the cowboy’s back pat range. “With that out of the way, what did I miss this morning?”
Finally done obsessing over the dye-marking rings, Grant sets the bag on the table. “The recently deceased Troy Hartley wasn’t some innocent victim. Based on the ME’s measurement, he matches our height and weight estimates of the male assailant who carried out the home invasions.”
Proving a dead man guilty of those crimes isn’t satisfying enough for me. I really wanted it to be Silas or Riddick, so I could pile on the charges and ensure they never see the light of day again.
I brush off the twinge of disappointment. “Height and weight isn’t enough evidence. Is that everything?”
“Not at all.” Hemsley flashes his eyes like he’s about to drop the hammer. “Ballistics on the gun we found under his bed match the warning shots they fired into the walls at every single scene.”
“Now we’re getting somewhere. However, I’m still not certain that’s enough to rule out Riddick for those jobs. What if he planted the gun there when he was there to murder Hartley?”
“We ain’t done yet.” McBride takes over. “Romero got Hartley’s time sheet from the auto body shop. He was either out sick or on personal leave for each of the out-of-state home invasions.”
“Not the local ones?” I ask.
Hemsley shakes his head ardently, jumping back in. “No. But they happened at night when the body shop was closed. With only a few hours’ drive time, he didn’t need to miss work for them.”
I point out a discrepancy in his justification. “What about the Janet Ross home invasion here in Tampa? It happened in the morning. Was Hartley working when that house was hit?”