Yeah, he bet.
“We thought it was Ben because I needed trace done, and it seemed like he was blocking us. Did you take Jarod from his house?”
He nodded.
“Yeah, I did. He was at home, and I got him before he could go inside. The cop I took outside in his backyard. He had some people over, and when they left, I took him.”
Gene knew they’d only been a day in. Given another day, he would have worked through a lot of what Lucas was saying.
“I didn’t have enough time to figure this out.”
He sighed.
“And your partner?” he asked.
Gene played that off.
“He’s just a profiler. He doesn’t solve shit. That’s my job. He’s screwed without a partner who solves. You know that profilers don’t do the heavy lifting.”
Gene had to hope the man had little experience with the FBI offices outside of this one because Ethan was a force to reckon with in his own right.
Profilers also solved.
They did double duty.
The man went over to a hole in the wall, and reached in. The whole time, Gene was watching him. Someone had stashed his tools of the trade inside it.
“Do you want the whole effect?” he asked. “Or do you want this fast? I have nothing against you, so torturing you sickens me a little bit. Like I said, Gene, this isn’t personal. I really wish you would have stayed out of it. Jarod couldn’t either. I tried to talk him out of investigating, and even tried to distract him by hanging out. The man wouldn’t give up.”
He wanted anything but fast.
“I’d like to know why you’re doing this,” he said. “Did you steal his laptop?” he asked.
Lucas pulled the bag out, and began dumping it out on a counter not far away.
And there was the laptop.
“Guilty as charged. I’ll slip it back somewhere, so it’s found, after you tell me what’s on it. I noticed Greyson got you access.”
Oh, shit.
Greyson might be in danger, too.
“Why?” Gene asked, keeping him talking. The man was smart because their laptops, if need be, could be traced. If he’d kept it here, they’d never figure this out.
Gene had to hope it went to Lucas’ boat at some point. Eventually, Greyson or Ethan would think to trace it.
“Gun money is big money, Gene. We get paid shit. Here I am, busting my balls daily to keep this shithole island safe, and men like Jared Medin, Rodrigo Cruz, and Samuel Padilla are getting richer. That bank man was giving out loans to those assholes, and getting kickbacks. I’m tired of being poor.”
Gene let him talk.
“So, I got into the gun running as a side hustle, and when Jared Medin was cutting me out because his partners were itchy over me being a cop…”
Gene was curious.
“So Rodrigo knew you were his partner?” he asked, going to kick the man’s ass if he got out of there.
He shook his head.
