Chapter Fifty-Four
“Was that a gunshot?” Maya asked Kessler.
Juniper had started turning circles in her compartment again.
Maya figured with Juniper’s reaction, someone had fired a gun.
She wanted to radio Josh and see if anyone was hurt, but she didn’t dare.
Not right now. If someone had been shot, Josh needed to manage the situation.
“I think it was,” Kessler finally answered.
“I agree,” Rory said.
Kessler glanced at his phone and muttered a few choice words.
“What is it?” Maya asked.
“The HRT guys are still a ways out. The weather in the valley is getting bad. This storm is hitting there first and moving our way.”
“Typical spring storm,” Maya said. “I think we should go. We have Juniper, Rory, and Wilson. I think we can do this.”
“I hate to say this, but I agree,” Kessler said. He went to his bu-car and found a black protective vest that said “FBI” on the back. He put on his gear and said, “Tell me more about this building.”
Maya gave him a quick overview of the layout with the single room. “There’s two entrances. If we enter on the east side, we can stay along the tree line on the road and hopefully not be spotted.”
“Okay, I like that plan. We’ll line up along the building.
I’ll open the door, you and Juniper go first. Let her work her magic and then while she’s hanging off someone’s arm, Rory and I will take down anyone else we need to.
If we do this quickly and have the element of surprise, I think we can make this work. ”
“Sounds good to me,” Maya said, heading to her vehicle to get Juniper suited up and ready. She hoped that no one had been hurt by the gunshot, but if they had, then she prayed it wasn’t Josh.
* * *
Pops was still thinking over his big decision and what it would mean for him when Lucas texted him that he had the woman in the interrogation room.
He headed that direction, stopping at the booking area and picking up the diamond bracelet that was now in an evidence bag.
They’d identified the woman as Arianna Jones.
She had a record a mile long and wouldn’t be easy to break.
But if, as Lucas suspected, the bracelet was payment to the gang leader or a gift from her deceased boyfriend, then she might cooperate just to make sure she was protected.
Or she might not. It just depended on her loyalty. And fear of retaliation.
Arianna glared at him as he walked into the room.
Pops was glad to see Lucas had cuffed her to the table.
He didn’t trust her one bit. Her long, dark hair hung down over each shoulder.
Her face had several tattoos including three dots by her eye.
Her right hand had E, W, M, and N on the fingers.
Pops wasn’t a gang expert, but he knew that the dots meant mi vida loca, or “my crazy life.” The letters stood for evil, wicked, mean, and nasty.
Based on her expression, those all fit her.
Pops sat down, placed what he called a “pedigree” on the table, crossed his arms, and stared back at her. “I’ll start by reading you your rights. Then I have some questions for you.”
Arianna said nothing.
This didn’t surprise Pops at all. Inside the pedigree, he’d put together everything he could about Arianna.
It helped not only for questioning but, as Spencer pointed out, so a defense attorney didn’t accuse him of asking her something such as writing a statement when she couldn’t read or something like that.
Pops wanted to make sure there was no legal reason she would get off for her crimes.
Based on her record, though, and the tattoo of a spiderweb on her elbow, Arianna was no stranger to any of this.
The tattoo signified lengthy prison terms, and she’d served twelve years starting when she turned eighteen.
This time, if convicted of all the crimes she’d committed just in Colorado, she wouldn’t be getting out again.
Pops and Spencer sat down across from her. Lucas stood in the corner. Pops didn’t know where to start, so he was happy when Lucas spoke up.
“We know you’re a member of the Dark Angels. What are you doing in Colorado?”
Arianna stared. No answer.
Lucas laughed. “You know, you can stay quiet, but it doesn’t matter. We can ask you questions all night long, not to mention you’ll be convicted no matter what. You give us information and we’ll let the DA know you at least cooperated a little bit.”
No answer. No change in expression.
Pops decided to cut to the chase. There was a good chance this would be the extent of the entire interview. Lucas could ask questions all night long, but he was getting too old to do that. He pulled out the bracelet and set it on the table.
Arianna stared at it, her expression changing slightly. Concern? Surprise? Pops wasn’t sure.
“We found this in your belongings when you were arrested. Care to tell me about it?”
No answer, but now her expression displayed anger.
“I think you either stole it or it was a payoff. I’d like to know which.”
Arianna’s lips tightened. Pops managed to duck as she spat at him. He hadn’t had that happen in a while. That was usually reserved for the patrol deputies. At least she missed.
“You know how to make friends, don’t you? Well, I can tell you don’t want to share, so this is over.” Pops started to stand.
“I want dinner. It’s my right.”
He stopped and stared at her. “It is your right. We have white bread and bologna. I’ll have someone bring a sandwich in your cell. I’d be happy to give you something better if you’d talk to me.”
“You stupid pigs. You think we’re all so dumb and will talk for food.”
“No, I don’t think you’re dumb. I think you’re quite smart and it’s a damn shame you’ve wasted your life the way you have. I don’t know the story behind this bracelet, but we’ll figure it out. If you decide you want one last decent meal before serving life in prison, let us know.”
He stopped by Lucas and said, “I’m going to see if we can trace these diamonds. Maybe we’ll get lucky and figure out if she did steal them or if they were payment for trying to kill Josh. Do you want me to help you get her back to the cell?”
“Keep me posted on the diamonds. And I got her.”
“Thanks,” he said, holding up the folder with the information he had on her. “Watch yourself. She’s a tough one.”
Pops turned to leave, hoping Arianna overhearing what he said to Lucas might prompt her to say something more, but there was nothing but silence.