Bishop looked at me for a long moment, and then nodded carefully, as if he was placing pieces of a puzzle together in his mind.I had seen that look too many times on Quinn’s face not to know what it was.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Mann. Perhaps my approach to get in to see you was off, but it is important and it does involve the safety of Perrin Thayer.”
“Perrin’s safety is my priority, always.” I said, refusing anything that would make me acknowledge that Perrin and I were not together.
Bishop nodded. “So, you know he’s actually Perrin Stephens? He told you that, or at least you don’t seem surprised.”
My mind flashed back to Perrin standing in that tux at the fundraiser where I met his parents. How beautiful he had looked with his gold hair tamed, how he had reached for me instantly with the unexpectedness of his parent’s arrival. How he had let me be there for him in a new and even more intimate way. Quinn had told me later about how Perrin’s first reaction was to ask for me, to say that heneededme.
But this, I couldn’t help this. Unless Agent Frost was going to change that.
I blew out a breath, closing my eyes partly to that image of Perrin as it sent shocks of pain into my chest. The reality set in that I needed to play nice with this asshole. If there was even a remote chance that I could help Perrin, I wasn’t going to pass it up.
“Yes,” I said. “He kept his grandfather’s name, though. It wasn’t ever Stevens.”
“And he told you about Holden Davis?” Bishop asked.
“Some,” I said, filling in Bishop on what Perrin had told me, and where Perrin had left the gaps.
Bishop got up and began to pace a bit as I recounted what I knew. He nodded a few places along the story, but otherwise let me talk.
“Perrin Thayer is a smart man, Jack,” Bishop said when I was done. He had been taking in my appearance as he listened to me. “You know he pushed you away for yourown safety?” Bishop said it with a hand to my shoulder, and the personal tone was so unexpected I didn’t know how to take it. Now that we had talked, and he wasn’t being a complete asshole, I was starting to see that he was a competent agent.
“Yes,” I said, “I do. Doesn’t change anything.” I got up and called May to bring us some coffee; she was too composed to ask questions about why this guy had been in here for so long.
“Thank you,” Bishop said, when I hung up.
I gestured to wave him off, “No, I’m sorry about, earlier,” I said, feeling exhausted well beyond the still early hour. We had been there for well past an hour, but it still wasn’t even nine-thirty. “I am not usually like that,” I admitted.
“No, I . . .” Bishop started and caught himself. “It’s my approach that was off.”
May came in then with a tray of coffee and some pastries and she sat it on the wet bar. Feeling the mood of the room she made herself scarce after a look in my direction and my nod of assurance.
“I’ve told you what I know, Bishop,” I said as he made his coffee. “What can I do to help, why is the FBI involved, and exactly what kind of danger is Perrin in?”
“Ok, one at a time. First of all, what I am telling you is part of an FBI investigation, so by telling you I am assuming your cooperation in that investigation.”
“You have my cooperation on anything that keeps Perrin safe.”
Bishop nodded. “Okay. Then anything that is said here is between us, you are now an agent of the government for these purposes, do you understand? I know you are an attorney, so, you know you have the right to consult . . ..”
“No, I understand. Just -please- Perrin?”
Bishop nodded again. “We believe Holden Davis is a serial killer.”
“I’m sorry, what?” I asked as my blood ran cold.
“What Perrin told you, it is true as to what he knew. And he knew also, instinctively, that Davis is dangerous, beyond wanting to settle some score for a patient death. We believe Davis is responsible for hurting a friend of Perrin’s to get to him,beatinghim close to death. Davis botched a surgery where Perrin was in the OR, and Davis tried to pin it on Perrin. Perrin was eventually dismissed out of the suit. There was literally no evidence on him, Jack. But, Perrin successfully fighting the case put the blame on Holden. Although he settled with a non-disclosure agreement, it was a mark on his career. Not one his ego tolerated easily.”
“Wait,” I said, “you gotta tie in the serial killer part for me.”
“One reason repeat killers do so is to show they are smarter than the police,” Bishop winced, “smarter than the FBI. We believe that the death in the OR was not malpractice, it was intentional and one of many. When Perrin fought the accusations he allowed Holden to have blame for his actions, to get caught out in a way, and that’s very dangerous for someone who thinks they are smarter than everyone and isn’t worried about a little murder.”
Bishop took a pause, and handed me some documents. “We had Davis on some tax-evasion stuff at that time, nothing other than wanting him to pay, really, but it was enough to revoke his passport.”
“So, that’s why Perrin stayed in Europe,” I said, not looking yet at what Bishop handed me.
“Maybe? That’s always been my guess. And my guess also, Jack, is that Perrin told you enough for you to know about this, and what he knew, but also enough to keep you safe.”
