Chapter 23 #2
“Just do what I ask. I’ll send you what I can including an updated picture of Briana Murphy. She was likely purchased by a man at one of the auctions. If so, we need to find her quickly. The members could be international. If she leaves the country, there’s a good chance we won’t find her.”
“What are you doing, Kendrick? Going undercover?”
“I already told you. I’m doing everything necessary to bring justice.”
“You’re insane.”
“You came to me. Remember?”
“Call me when you have something. And for God’s sake, be careful. You could ruin your career.”
What she didn’t understand was that I was past the point of caring.
As soon as I ended the call, I dialed Maverick. “Hey, buddy. I don’t like that you’re hanging out at your house.”
“Yeah, well, I don’t like being spied on.”
“Have you been compromised?” he asked.
“No, we’re fine. Your social media blitz just went live.”
He laughed. “So I noticed. Reese is very talented. I might hire her as my personal assistant.”
I tossed the duffle onto the bed. “We’ll argue about that later. Marvin Devonshire is dead, supposedly a suicide. The FBI is still involved with the kidnapping case so they’re buying that garbage.”
“Let me guess. You want me to use my influence with the FBI to open an investigation regarding his death.”
“Yep. My instinct tells me they’re getting rid of loose ends.” Where did I know the behavior from? The mafia. They were the masters of initiating sex slavery rings and utilizing blackmail and intimidation. And making anyone disappear who didn’t agree with them.
“I’ll see what I can do. Not promising anything. I’ve been out of the game for a long time.”
“Maybe, but you’ve got that bookish charm.”
He laughed. “Good one.”
Another call made. Another piece of the puzzle ready to fit. With the duffle in my hand, I trotted down the stairs, immediately placing the phone in front of her. “Call your father.”
Reese lifted her head. “What’s happened?”
“One of the girl’s fathers supposedly killed himself last night. A girl we helped identify.”
“But you don’t believe how he died.”
“No. While I don’t believe his death has anything to do with last night, I have a feeling once there’s been a takeover in a company, the girls sold, then the armed security of the Privileged are required to remove the target.”
“He believed or was told he could get his daughter back if he stepped down.”
“Likely. A typical tactic used by kidnappers who never intend on following through.”
“But what happened with Franklin was years ago,” she reminded me. “Why now, because I walked into the situation?”
“Maybe. You said you suspect Franklin lured Briana to Miami.”
“I’m certain of it.”
“Then he wants something from your father.”
Reese stared down at the phone. “What do I tell him?”
“Everything. And that he needs protection, which I can arrange.”
“What if my father doesn’t budge?”
“Convince him, Reese. I have a terrible feeling the next twenty-four hours could prove dangerous. With that blast on social media, it’s only a matter of time before the shit hits the fan.”
With her hand shaking, she snagged my phone. “Understood.”
I backed away, waiting as she dialed the number.
“Hey, Daddy. It’s Reese.”
Seeing her immediate tears all but tore me apart.
Franklin and I would have a full conversation in a cold, dark alley.
And only one of us would survive.
“You won’t believe this shit,” Chase said, pushing his way into my condo.
“And hello to you too.”
“Is this about my father?” Reese asked, her voice trembling.
“No, not yet. We have two Raven members heading toward your father as we speak. They’re going to take him and your mother to a safehouse. But this you needed to see, Kendrick.”
Hours had passed.
Hours of waiting and my patience was completely gone. “What do you have?”
“Show me to your computer.” Chase was far too excited, the gleam in his eyes what I’d seen before when the man talked about solving a particularly grueling case.
This had damn well better be good.
He slipped a jump drive into the system, leaning over the computer as he opened a file. “Tell me if that man looks familiar to you?”
“What am I looking at?” The picture was almost like a drawing.
“Ruger came through, his skills a little rusty but not bad. I ran it through the DEA database, confirming a hit. Think about your past.”
As I studied the picture, I realized what I was looking at. “Wait a fucking minute. That looks an awful lot like Dante Rinaldi, the son of Don Carmine Rinaldi.” The first man I’d ever prosecuted in Miami. And I’d sent his ass to prison for ten years for manslaughter and extortion.
“It is. He was released from prison a year ago. That’s Lucifer.”
“Fuck. Which means he knew who I was all along.” As I turned my head, Chase was already nodding. Sure, I was older and had worn a mask, but we’d faked photographs of Drake Cavanaugh.
“A good assumption, which means we have to go in with both eyes wide open.”
“That also means…” I threw my head back, scrubbing my jaw. “I’ll be a son of a bitch. Jackie led me straight to the man.”
“Maybe, although the question is why play a vicious game?” Chase had a good point. “With what we know about the chief of police, she could have been coerced just like you originally believed.”
“Yeah, maybe. Lucifer isn’t a stupid man. He learned well from his father. He likely knew there was a potential snitch in the organization.”
“The meeting last night proved his point. Why didn’t the man just eliminate Franklin the Catcher Duffries?”
I nodded, glancing at Reese.
“Because there’s an issue with the software provided to the Privileged.” Reese stood with her arms folded. While she was still anxious about her parents, she had the grin of a Cheshire cat who’d swallowed more than one canary.
Chase sucked in his breath with a hard whistle. “Just when Franklin thought he could initiate a coup with the Privileged, the software he’s sold, installed, and had been paid a pretty penny for had a glitch.”
“That’s why my father is still alive and why my sister was used as leverage.”
I shook my head. “Franklin will begin to spiral out of control. Tell them about how many hits the great chapter of Maverick’s latest bestseller has gotten.”
“Over the million and counting. People are quite eager to hear about the Privileged and the members.” Reese was quite pleased with herself.
“Is Maverick headed to the safehouse?”
“Yeah, with Ruger.” Chase checked his watch. “My guess is Catcher has already attempted to contact Maverick by now. The plan is coming together, which means both of you are in significant danger.”
“We need to play this out. Right now, if we change what we’re doing, the Privileged will fade into the shadows. And everything we have so far is fairly circumstantial. Especially if the women can’t be found.”
“Agreed. What about your detective friend?”
“That I’m not sure about.” And I wasn’t. She was either being used or playing me. Either way, she was the one in over her head.
The buzzing of my phone interrupted the conversation.
“Who is it?”
“Speak of the devil. Detective Abbott,” I said, curious as to what she would have to say. While I might not appreciate her style of handling cases, I’d never thought she could be corrupt.
“Kendrick. I got the picture you sent and, well…”
“Well?” Her hesitation told me everything I needed to know.
“I have a dead body in the morgue, a Jane Doe. I’m so sorry, but I think it’s Briana Murphy.”