Chapter 59
At a proffer session with the state’s attorney, Ian spilled the beans.
We sat around the oak table in the conference room in cushy leather chairs.
Nothing Ian said during the session could be used against him.
He took the deal for voluntary manslaughter, five years, a suspended sentence.
He was getting off light. Maybe too light.
But he was our only connection to Holden.
He'd be disbarred and would need to find another way to make a living, but that was the least of his worries at this point.
According to Ian, everything went down just as Wesley had said.
"Wes was freaking out," Ian said. "Unraveling. Couldn’t live with the guilt anymore. Said he was gonna come clean and wanted us all to do the same. That just couldn’t happen. Holden paid him a visit, gave him the drugs, and it was just too much for Wesley to resist," Ian said, his eyes filling.
"Were you present when that happened?"
The tears spilled over, and he nodded.
"I need a verbal answer," the state's attorney said.
"Yes.”
"Were you aware of Holden's plans to murder Cameron and Landon?”
"They were all starting to crack. We’d all built lives for ourselves.
Nobody wanted to see that go down the drain.
Once things started unfolding, both Cameron and Landon expressed concern.
Holden didn't have to say anything. I knew what he was thinking.
I knew what he was going to do. We never talked about it directly.
Maybe I lied to myself and said it was a coincidence.
But I knew Holden was responsible for their deaths. "
"You’re going to call Holden right now,” I said. “I need you to get him to incriminate himself."
"He is going to know something's up if I'm too obvious about it.”
"So don't be obvious about it.”
Ian dialed Holden. We recorded the call.
Holden answered after a few rings. "Tell me something good."
"It's not exactly what we had hoped for," Ian said.
"What does that mean?”
"It means Zach didn't get the job done."
A frustrated exhale escaped Holden's mouth. "So, what? They’re going to match DNA to us?"
"Eventually."
"Well, that's just fucking great!"
"It wasn't my idea to put the panties on Darrell's boat,” Ian quipped.
"How was I supposed to know that 15 fucking years later that would come back to haunt us?”
"I told you it was a stupid idea at the time."
"Fuck!”
“They're going to connect you to Landon’s and Cameron's murder as well.”
"And just how are they going to do that?"
"Do you still have the gun?"
"I had nothing to do with that."
"Look, don’t bullshit me. We killed Wes for Christ’s sake.
You think I don't know you killed Landon and Cameron when they started freaking out? Landon practically had a nervous breakdown at Cameron’s funeral.
He called me several times for advice. He was days away from trying to make a deal.
I'm surprised you haven't tried to kill me yet.”
"Bro, I wouldn’t do that to you. You're not weak like the others. It's always been you and me, man. Those fucking guys were just along for the ride. They'd sell us out in a heartbeat, and you know it.”
Guilt tormented Ian's face. "Where's the gun?"
“This is a privileged conversation, right?”
“Relax. Nobody’s listening. They’d need a warrant to tap our phones, and they don’t have one yet.”
That seemed to satisfy Holden for the moment. Ian and Holden never had a formal client relationship. Asking casual advice from your lawyer friend over the years wasn’t enough to establish a true relationship.
"I’m going to take the boat out and throw it overboard somewhere," Holden admitted.
"Don't do that.”
"Why not?"
"Give it to me. I'll get rid of it. They’re watching us like hawks right now. The minute you get on the boat, they can board and search for any reason or no reason at all. Is it on the boat now?”
"No. It’s in my apartment.”
"Look, it's only going to be a matter of time before they convince a judge to get a warrant.”
"How long does it take for DNA results to come back?”
"Depends on whether they do a rush job. But the crime lab is so backed up, it could take weeks. I'm coming over now. I'll take the gun and get rid of it.”
Holden was silent for a moment. "Okay. What about the panties? What do we do about that? I can't do time, bro.”
"There's only one thing to do.”
“What’s that?”
“I know a guy. He can… well, look. You don’t want to know.”
“Great,” he snarked. “That worked out so well last time.”
“It will work out this time. I can’t do time either. I have a wife and a kid. I’m already in deep shit as it is. She’s asking me all kinds of fucking questions. This media circus isn’t helping anything. Trust me, I need this to go away as much as you do.”
“What are you going to do?”
“Stop asking questions you don’t want to know the answers to.”
Holden sighed. “Don’t fuck it up.”
“I’m on my way over now. I’ll pull in the main entrance. Meet me out front with the gun. I’ll take care of it. “
“Call me when you’re pulling in.”
“Will do.” Ian ended the call, then looked at us. “Did you get what you needed?“
The state’s attorney smiled. “When you get the gun, we’ll have everything we need to nail that bastard.”