Wells shook, his cuffs catching on the metal ring on the table as our hands met.
Frank and I stepped out again, and the attorney met us in the hallway. Told us he would write up the details in the nexthalf hour and pass Wells back to us so we could brief him on next steps.
We turned in to the observation room, where Cassie was bouncing on her heels. She pointed at Frank.
“You didn’t believe us.”
Frank flashed his eyebrows at her, still skeptical. “We need to embed an agent with him.”
“We don’t have time,” I said. I had considered a similar option already and dismissed it. “This guy needs to be out and about by morning. Briefed sooner.”
“Then I need to get ahold of Poulton,” Frank said. “Expedite his paperwork.”
“And Wells needs a story,” Cassie said.
I looked to her and nodded.
“Maybe he ran off with a girl for a few days,” she said. “Ignored his phone. Drunk in the Keys?”
A tale like that would explain why Travis had dropped off the grid for the time he’d been in jail.
“So write it up,” Frank said. “Then let’s get Tech from Miami up here, stat. I want software installed on this guy’s phone. A GPS tag on his person.”
Frank had been pacing as he spoke. I watched him, then turned to Cassie. “You mind if I talk to Frank?” I said. “Alone?”
She nodded and grabbed her phone. Stepped outside of Observation A.
I waited until the door was closed.
“I’m glad you’re back,” I said.
“I’m here,” he replied. “I don’t know if I’m back.”
I studied Frank. I wasn’t good at laying out the perfect words in these situations.
“For this to work,” I said, “we need to figure us out.”
He nodded. “We could each take a case.”
“No.” I shook my head. “Hierarchy matters. You taught me that. And with two cases, one a serial killer that might be tied back to this investigation, the other ghost guns in D.C.? These are both heavyweights.”
“True,” Frank said.
“I’ll work with Cassie on briefing Wells,” I said. “But in terms of both cases, you need to be Frank.”
“That’s all I can be.” He smiled.
I hesitated. “What I meant to say is—I’ll work for you. Like before.”
He stared at me without saying a word, then shook his head.
“Man, I forgot.” He crossed his arms and rocked back on his heels. “You don’t have any ego, do you, Gardner?”
“There’s no logic in it.”
“So I’ll be me,” Frank said, motioning with his head. “Which would leave you to be you. Our secret weapon.”
I smiled. Which I don’t do often. My first partner, Saul, had been like a father to me. Frank was never that. But he was the best boss I’d ever had.
