"What good is that going to do?”
"Can't hurt.”
"Well, I'm going to burn these guys down to the ground. I'm going to go live with the data you gave me at the first opportunity."
"I think that's a great idea. But we don't have to worry about Frank Macy anymore." I told her the story.
"I definitely want to interview those kids. I'm just pissed that I didn't have a camera crew to catch the satellites falling out of the sky."
"Don't worry. I'm sure every other network got it."
She sighed. "You sure know how to make a girl feel good."
"Are you sure you’re okay?"
"Yeah. A little frazzled but not too roughed up. My virtue is still intact."
I chuckled. “That's good to hear.”
Paris was almost home. She told me she’d be in touch later and ended the call.
By the time we got back to theAvventura, I was ready to fall into bed.
I slept for a few hours, but not nearly long enough. By the time I woke, Paris had broken the story. It spread like wildfire across the internet and was picked up by the national media. The FBI, DOJ, DHS, FAA, the SEC, and multiple other three-letter agencies opened investigations.
There would be class-action lawsuits and congressional investigations. Subpoenas would be issued for every majorplayer at Valterion Capital. Would any of the real players go to jail? Probably not. But we’d done our part.
The shooter on the dock at Salt Point had been ID’d as Darius Malcolm. He’d had priors for petty theft, battery, and possession, and had known gang affiliations. He’d gotten popped on the theft charge with Jalen Reynolds and Terrance William Wilson—Jay Dub’s little brother. You didn’t need to be a brain surgeon to put it all together.
I’d deal with them later, but first, I had one more trick up my sleeve. It was a long shot, but worth a try. We just had one small problem.
The island was covered with snow. Completely unreal. Without any further manipulation, it wouldn’t last long, but the city was at a standstill. Without the infrastructure to deal with it, the roads were hazardous. There had been 50 fender benders across the island since last night. The city had no plows, no way to salt the roads. Many of the people here had never driven in snow before.
Fortunately, we had the Revenant. The XTV could handle anything.
After a late breakfast, we climbed into the beast and set out to find Ian Harrison. With the island virtually shut down, there wasn’t much traffic out. We passed a few cars that had mishaps along the way. Some had slid off the road into parked cars, telephone poles, and ditches. There they would remain until the roadways were clear.
58
The Revenant handled the snow like it was nothing. We parked in front of Ian’s house and plodded up the snow-covered walkway. Snow still fluttered down. My breath fogged the air.
JD and I were bundled up well.
I rang the video doorbell.
Ian responded a moment later, his voice filtering through. "Gentlemen, I have nothing further to say to you. If you have any additional questions, you can talk to my attorney.”
"That's okay,” I said. “You don't have to say anything. I don't have any questions. I’ve figured it all out. But I think you'll want to know what I have to say.”
He didn’t disconnect.
"Look, I don't know if you got to Zach or someone else in the department. Maybe someone in the lab. It wouldn't surprise me. You've got a lot of contacts as a defense attorney. Expert witnesses. Couriers don't make a lot of money. It doesn't reallymatter. When we turn up the heat, how long do you think it's going to be before whoever you paid to tamper with the evidence rats you out?”
He was silent for a long moment. "I think you've made some kind of mistake. I didn't pay anybody to tamper with any evidence."
"You really should keep quiet. Talking right now is not in your best interest. Just listen for a minute."
That threw him for a loop. Ian wasn't used to that kind of advice coming from a cop. But you had to play a different kind of game with lawyers.
