An outsider might observe Richie and me and see a relationship that was akin to siblings. He, like a little brother to me. But Richie and I had no blood in common, while he and Banning did.
As I stared at the phone, a text popped up from Frank, who must’ve been standing beside Banning.
You can say “I don’t know.”
I stared at Frank’s note.
“We don’t lose agents, right?” I said to Banning. “You said that once at a speech. My first year at the Bureau.”
“I can’t remember that,” he said.
Another text popped up from Frank.
Be careful.
“If it were my daughter, Camila,” I said, “I’d administer the medicine.”
“Okay,” Banning said.
The screen went black. He’d hung up.
I sat in the dark after the call, but I couldn’t go through any more case files.
When I came out of the office, the floor was empty. Only one light on. Detective Brian Johnson was still in his office, his window lashed with rain.
Did I just make a life-or-death decision for Richie? For his family?
“Y’all done?” Johnson asked.
I stared blankly at him, my body numb. “Yes.”
“Good,” he replied. “Boss made me stay until you finished. I got two kids and a wife waiting on me.”
He shut off his light and guided me through the bullpen, which was now a maze of empty desks.
“Do you know the area well?” I asked.
“Grew up two miles from here,” Johnson said.
“We met with a local woman earlier,” I said. “Wealthy. Confident. Insular.”
“Yeah.” Johnson smiled. “I know the type.”
“She thought she might’ve recognized our suspect.”
The detective pulled a notepad from his back pocket. “You want me to follow up with her?” he asked.
“No,” I said. “But there was something she said. That most of the places north of town got sold off to resorts or hotels in the last twenty years.”
Johnson blinked. “Agent Camden, are you looking for a place to stay the night?”
Frank had left with the car, and I could hardly keep my eyes open. “Yes,” I said.
“Well. As to a hotel recommendation, if your reimbursement policy is anything like mine, I’d try somewhere closer to town. Not some bougie-ass place on the beach.”
He hesitated. I could tell he was about to add something.
“As to what the woman said about the resorts north of town, she’s just wrong.”
