“What about his job?” Brand asked. “He works security.”
“But he didn’t before July,” Swede said. “At least not at the arena where he does now. The security department there has a policy that no members of the team can have tattoos.”
“In this age when body ink is as common as pierced ears?” Brand shook his head in disbelief.
“I hear you,” Swede said. “Good thing all bosses don’t feel that way.”
Brand thought a moment. “What else does his financials show he’s been purchasing.”
“Like what?” Swede said. “It’ll help me to know what I should be searching.”
“Rat poison,” the task force said in unison.
“Reilly Flynn was eating peanut butter laced with rat poison,” Brand explained.
“Got it,” Swede said and began tapping on his keyboard again.
Hank stepped in front of the camera and looked at them. “While he’s searching let’s talk about Adams. This has to be a touchy situation with you, a former cop who has already been thrown off the force. And you’re thinking that he may have murdered the guy who found evidence for Internal Affairs in the case against him?”
“You have summed it up nicely,” Brand said as the office door banged open and Don Juan rushed in.
“I found the tattoo parlor and artist who did Adams work on the first try,” he gasped. “She did my last tat so I trust her to be straight up with me. She also said he came back and talked to her about a good cover up cream to use on it when he took his last job.”
“Well,” Hank said. “That confirms it. Don’t you agree?”
“I got nothing,” Swede called. “He must have paid cash if he purchased it. I can start pulling CTV footage at local stores to see if I can match facial recognition for Adams, but that could take a day or two at the least to get a result for you.”
“What about checking out Clint Rogers,” Jett asked. “He lawyered up right fast for no reason at all. It didn’t make sense to us at the time why he’d do that when he was claiming he was innocent, but what if he weren’t? What if he was helping Adams out?”
“What are you thinking?” Don Juan asked.
“What if he was the one who bought the rat poison?” Jett said. “It wouldn’t have taken more than a box, maybe two depending on the size to do the damage that was done.”
Hank nodded from the monitor on the wall and pointed at them. “I think you might be on to something, Jett.”
The video feed switched to Swede at the computer. “Can you send me any of his particulars like you did Adams, Brand?”
“Sure, give me a moment,” he said.
“Here, I have his address.” Loverboy walked forward. “Will that do? If so, I can text it to you.”
“It’s a starting point,” Swede said. “Send it.”
“Done.”
In fifteen minutes, Swede came back with the necessary information to prove Clint Rogers had purchased the rat poison on two different occasions. He had dates and times, with store video footage of the transactions and credit card receipts. The only issue was whether he’d done it on his own or if he’d done it under Adams orders. Swede was unable to trace any cellphone records between Rogers and Adams to connect the two men around those dates. That was something the task force was going to have to find out on their own.
“This has been a productive morning,” Hank said. “I need to go warm up my frozen children and unthaw my Pop. I hear them in the kitchen. If I don’t get up there, it will be a huge mess if they try to make hot chocolate without me.”
They all laughed as the conference call ended.
“I need to get back to Colleen and Christopher,” Wyatt said. “I’ve been gone longer than a quick rundown to check on how things are going.”
“I’m sure if she needed you, she would have called,” Rookie said and patted him on the shoulder. “I get it man; it isn’t easy being away from your new family. I worry about Margot whenI’m away, but I know she can take care of herself and the baby in my absence.”
Wyatt nodded. “See you.”
When he was gone, the task force grabbed their coats and headed to the door. “I’ll call Hawkeye as we drive to the station,” Brand said. “Swede texted he sent all the information to him.”
