I nodded his way, waiting for him to go on.
“Everything I have to confirm what I’m telling you is in there,” he nodded to the papers he had handed me. “I’ve looked at the files for years, followed him for years. Holden Davis has been my entire life for the past four years. I think Davis botched surgeries intentionally, almost a game for him, to see if he could get away with literally playing God. When he pushed it too far, when the death was questioned - only three times out of what we suspect are many more - he found someone else in the operating room to take the fall. All took it, but Perrin.”
I felt a stab of pride and surge of love for Perrin, not backing down when he knew he was in the right, even with the domineering older surgeon that played games with him. Little PaulBiandi inside cheered for that.
“What happened in the other two cases?”
“Davis got to them some way? I’m not sure on each one, but he got the case settled and his name cleared with the blame squarely on someone else, another non-disclosurein place, off to a new hospital. Perrin’s case is the only one where Davis was found to be in the wrong, even marginally.”
“So, what, Davis is here for him? To . . .” My voice broke a bit and I moved to fix some coffee. The two drinks I had earlier weren’t that much, but I now needed to be alert and caffeinated. Up to that point, I really wasn’t too fucking sure what the FBI and Agent Frost wanted from me, but now it seemed we were getting to the point where I could give some sort of assistance and actually help Perrin.
“It would be consistent with our profile of Davis for him to have attached to Perrin some sort of role as his partner in some way . . .a side-kick, if you will. The records show that for over two years, he had Perrin on 90% of his surgeries.” Bishop told me.
I felt my hands in my hair, before I knew I was doing it, again. “Perrin thought it was a mistake, Bishop. I know he did, he didn’t . . .” I trailed off, realizing Perrin was far in more danger than he thought he was. “Holden got into his head pretty deep, I think.”
I felt Bishop’s hand on my shoulder again, as he moved to sit down.
“Jack, I need to ask,” he hesitated. “Our information was gathered after Perrin left for Europe, with some things that were thrown up in the investigation of Davis’s tax issues, and with some subsequent issues brought to our attention. . ..” He looked at me, apologetically. “Did Perrin ever indicate to you that he thought Holden was capable of inflicting actual harm, or . . ..”
“I don’t think Perrin ever suspected the extent of things, he just knew Davis was dangerous, and Perrin was hurt that Davis wouldn't take responsibility for his error in the case.” I supplied. “He had a friend he said, that was mugged right after he left town. Idon’t think Perrin even equated the harm to his friend until months after he made it out of the country. It was months before he evenknewabout it. But, that Holden was harming people on purpose? Perrin never indicated anything like that. And . . ..” I paused for a moment. “I know Perrin pretty well, Bishop, and if he thought that is what was happening, I can’t imagine him leaving for Europe with Holden able to go to another hospital and hurt more people. That’s just not how he is.”
“We have contacts at the hospital, speaking with Perrin. In fact, it was a contact at the hospital that created the open position and then alerted us when Davis applied. Our hope is that he can draw out of Davis the information we need to get some answers. That’s where you come in.”
“Wait. Holden is here on a set-up?”
“Given our profile of him, the ability for Holden Davis to wait when he knew he could work with Perrin again was something we knew he could not resist. Holden was already looking for Perrin once he got word he was state-side again. We just opened a door.”
“So you want Perrin to draw out information from him? Like a — pawn? Bait?” I started, feeling the anger rise up again.
I was really beginning to like Bishop Frost, right until then.
“I know you don’t like it, Jack. I don’t either. But without it, Davis gets away. I have to have something that gets me the warrant - you know how this works. It doesn’t matter how much I know there is incriminating evidence in his possession, I need a reason- beyond what I have - to go after it.” Bishop said just as forcefully. “Perrin may be the only person capable of doing this.”
Something about his look then, a haggard one he hid under his maintained appearance, dropped my anger. I was worried about Perrin, but Bishop had been working on this for years, and his job was to put away dangerous people. Despite my initial reaction to him, I found myself easily wanting to trust him.
“Perrin has already agreed. He doesn’t know we are talking to you, Jack.” He looked at me with sympathy. “But when he figured out he could help us get Davis, it was like he was seeing the sun for the first time inmonths. They were close. Davis will slip up, talk to him, want to brag to who he believes to be his partner in crime or convince Perrin to join him, and we will be there.” Agent Bishop said with certainty. He paused. “I’m not going to lie to you,” the agent said. “If he refuses Holden, I don’t know what Holden will do, but he could be in some danger here, I won’t deny that.”
I was on my feet again, but I didn’t know when that happened. A million thoughts raced through my head.
“I’m not expecting a goddamned confession. I just need enough to get in his computer, in his home. And when he decides to talk to Perrin, I need the ability to move fast,” he said.
“You are using Perrin,” I accused.
“Maybe. But he’s agreed, so we are doing this anyway, Jack. And when I do my job, Perrin no longer has to look over his shoulder,” Agent Frost said.
Bishop was too smooth to say it outright, but what he meant was that he suspected Perrin and I were apart because of Davis, and that there was nothing that could be more motivating to me than to be reunited with Perrin. Helping Bishop meant getting Perrin back sooner than later, and permanently.
I admired that he could read the situation and come to those conclusions so quickly.
“I told you I have no cards to play here, Bishop, not when it comes to Perrin. What do you need, then?” I asked.
“I need to have equipment in the hospital to record, I need access close to his house. You control both of those due to your role with Mann Properties and as Chair of the Mann Foundation, along with my contact in the hospital. You can also keep it quiet. If I work with you, only one person knows who we are and what we are truly doing. I need your access and your cover and your willingness not to expose this. I need places for my team to be strategically placed. Davis is a wild card. We don’t know where or when the switch will flip, so we have to be ready and able to execute immediately. Including executing anything that may be required to remove Perrin from the situation. All of that is much easier if I have your cooperation.”
I nodded. “Carte blanche,” I said. “Whatever you want, you can have it. You tell me, I’ll make it happen.”
Bishop nodded, “Thank you, Jack - we . . ..”
Smug asshole, he already knew I was going to agree.
