Chapter Seventeen
As they approached the interrogation room, Maya’s heart pounded. If it was a suspect in there that wasn’t related to her,
she’d never feel this way, but this was different. Eric was her father. He’d become family and she felt a bond to him.
Maya stood back so the three agents could go in. She closed the door behind them and then went to watch the interview with
Josh and Pops.
Kessler pulled out a chair and sat down. Agent Ross stood in the corner and broke the rule of no arm crossing. Maya figured
maybe the FBI had different rules. They weren’t out on patrols like she was. His face was hard and tight, bringing out some
wrinkles. Agent Bernardo seemed more relaxed. He was the agent who’d worked the bank robberies with Abigail. What did he think
about her? And how close had they become during that investigation?
“Let me cut to the chase,” Eric said. “I’ll talk to you, Agent Kessler, but only under one condition.”
“I don’t think you’re in a bargaining position,” Kessler said. “You’re the one in custody.”
“True,” Eric answered. He leaned slightly forward. “But you forget I know the system too. If my condition isn’t met, I’ll lawyer up and you’ll never get answers.”
“I understand it’s your granddaughter who’s been taken. Don’t you think it’s in your best interest to cooperate?”
“Yes, and that’s the only reason I’ll talk to you. But that’s the thing. I only will talk to you.” Eric sat back and let that
sink in. “And I want Maya, Josh and the sheriff back in here too.”
Maya knew Kessler well enough to know he was considering Eric’s stipulation.
“Okay,” Kessler said. He turned around. “You two. Leave.”
“What?” Bernardo said in disbelief. “You begged us to come and now you want us out of here?”
“Yeah,” Ross said, uncrossing his arms. “If you want our help, then let us help.”
“Look, guys,” Kessler said. “We’re wasting time. Let me talk with Eric and then I’ll fill you in, okay?”
“Fine,” Agent Ross muttered.
As Agent Ross left the room in front of Bernardo, he was saying some profanities under his breath—something about Kessler
and teaching him everything he knew and now being a know-it-all. Maya stepped out of the way. “He’s serious about a partner
on the inside.”
“He is,” Josh said.
“Then we should take him seriously. I know he’s done some crazy things, but he knows Abigail better than anyone and this isn’t a normal case,” Maya said.
She glanced around to make sure the other agents hadn’t tried to sneak back in.
She understood. She’d be mad too if she was in their shoes.
People arrested for crimes didn’t get to dictate the rules. But Eric wasn’t a normal suspect.
“I agree.”
“It’s never boring,” Maya said as they stepped inside the room. She shut the door behind her. Pops stood in the corner. He
looked tired and Maya was certain he was. She’d been bummed when he announced a couple months ago that he wanted to retire,
but over the past year he’d aged. Now Maya was glad he’d made that decision. She turned her attention to Kessler and Eric
who appeared to be in a staring contest.
“Thanks for sending your other two agents out,” Eric said.
“Don’t thank me yet and don’t make me regret that,” Kessler said. “It doesn’t mean that I won’t share what I learn with them.
They’re right, I begged them to come help me so that we could find your granddaughter before it’s too late. It’s not like
they don’t have a case load of their own.”
“Fair enough. You should know that I only trust you because my daughter does,” Eric said. “If she didn’t, I would have lawyered
up.”
“Why are you being so paranoid?”
“Because the information I have could be deadly,” Eric said, leaning in closer to Kessler.
“I’m not joking about that. It’s information that could mean the death penalty for Abigail Harper.
I know her well enough to know that she may not care if she gets the death penalty.
Life in prison doesn’t even scare her. But that’s because she’ll get what she wants the most first.”
“What’s that?” asked Kessler.
“Revenge.”
“Why?”
Eric sat back. “She always thought she was smart and wouldn’t get caught. She thought she was above the law. Everyone was
scared of her and she liked it that way. She never did the actual dirty work. That way she could never be completely tied
back to any murder. Other crimes maybe, but not that. However, she’s deadly. Don’t underestimate her. There are very few people
who ever stood up to her and the ones I know of for sure are all dead.”
Maya clenched her fists knowing her mother was one of those victims. And her grandmother. She’d never be able to hug them
or talk to them again because of Abigail. That was something that Maya would never forgive. Or forget. And now this. If it
was the last thing Maya did, she would make Abigail pay for her crimes. It wouldn’t bring back Nana and her mother, but it
would bring some sense of justice. She thought she’d had that with Abigail in prison. Thinking about the moment Kessler told
her that Abigail had escaped, it seemed like the old wounds were instantly ripped back open and the pain was only stronger.
As if feeling her emotion, Kessler glanced her way and then continued, “I know about Maya’s mother and grandmother. Who else?”
“A young police officer, and I feel guilty about his death. I want to make up for never saying anything. If I had, that may have prevented his death. In that way, I’m no better than she is and I blame myself,” Eric said.
“Tell me more,” Kessler said.
Maya felt like this interview was like a poker match with high stakes. It was as if both Eric and Kessler had winning hands,
but each was trying to figure out who was bluffing. Maya wanted Eric to trust Kessler, but if Eric was right and Abigail had
a partner, someone she was close to and cared about, then that changed things. It meant they couldn’t trust anyone other than
their inner circle, but maybe, if they could figure out who this partner was, they could use that person to give Abigail a
taste of her own medicine and manipulate her. Someone had to make the first move. And like poker, either Eric or Kessler needed
to fold. For the sake of the missing girl, Maya hoped the guys could figure this out.
“Under one condition,” Eric said.
“What’s that?”
“I know you trust those agents. I know you trust everyone you work with, but the reason Abigail got away with things the way
she did was because she has people on the inside. I believe she’s had a longtime partner. Someone in law enforcement. I was
working on figuring out who it was when Hope was kidnapped,” Eric said.
“You’re telling me not to fill my guys in?”
“That’s right,” Eric answered. “I will answer your questions, but I ask that you keep certain details to yourself and anyone in this room. I think my granddaughter’s life and Maya’s life depend on it.
I know I can’t control what you say or do once I tell you more, but I’d like to have you consider what information you give out. ”
“Okay. I’m listening,” Kessler said. “Tell me about this murder for hire.”
Maya let out a deep sigh. She didn’t even know she’d been holding her breath. Eric hesitated as if he was trying to figure
out where to start. Maya guessed that might be the case. Nothing was ever simple with Abigail. Would Maya always be looking
over her shoulder when it came to Abigail? Law enforcement officers were like that anyway. When she and Josh went to the Black
Bear Café, they had a reserved table where they could sit and see the front door. Now with Abigail out, that feeling would
be heightened.
“Like I mentioned, Abigail was smart and kept her hands off the serious crimes. She had pawns to do her dirty work for her,”
Eric said.
He continued to tell Kessler what he’d told Maya, Josh and Pops earlier. Even though Maya knew about the murder this time
around, it still gave her chills. To have someone killed in the middle of the day in broad daylight was brazen to say the
least. It showed the level of revenge Abigail was willing to go to and her mental state. By now, thanks to being in custody,
her mental state most likely would be worse. Abigail probably sat in her cell planning this for the last few months and Maya
had to admit that frightened her. How far would Abigail go? Was Hope still alive or had she already taken out her anger on
an innocent kid?
“What did Drew do about her?” Kessler asked.
“He came to me and said he was going to go to the FBI. He knew the department was corrupt. Not just Abigail, but other officers as well. I told him to leave it alone. To look the other way. I was one of those corrupt officers and didn’t want anyone to know what I was doing.
I told him that Abigail was a line he shouldn’t cross.
She was gaining power and liked it. I think she also enjoyed the money.
Like all of us, she was greedy. Now I wonder if I should have joined him, although I appreciated the extra money too. ”
“Did he go to the FBI?”
“He did,” Eric said. “I wish I had gone with him, but I didn’t. I can’t take that back.”
“What happened after he went to the FBI?”
“I think they asked him to do things like wear a wire,” Eric answered. “He worked to also get some evidence. Anything that
would prove the number of illegal things she was doing. He was careful. I was the only one in the department who knew that
he’d become an informant for the FBI. But somehow, word got back to Abigail. I believe her partner is an FBI agent or in some
other federal branch that would have known about this investigation. A few weeks later, Drew was out on his driveway washing
his car when someone shot and killed him.”
“Was the person caught?” Kessler asked.
“Yes. It was a thug we all knew, Marcus O’Malley. I think he was also helping Abigail with the drug trade. He maybe even had
some organized crime connections. But there was no reason for Marcus to come after Drew except for Abigail.”
“So, no connections? Drew wasn’t investigating him?”