“Unfortunately, I can’t stay here. The mole is moving fast and could easily be heading right for Ciara.” The words taste like poison in my mouth.
Even though Kieran and Stephen are with her, it doesn’t feel like enough.
My control over this situation is slipping further and further out of my grip with each second that passes, and I don’t want Ciara to get caught in the crossfire.
I close my hands into fists. “It’s our turn to make a play.”
Brennan glances down at the mangled body at our feet and grimaces. “What do you suggest?”
“Do you still have your contact on the force?”
“Yeah, why?”
“Get him on ballistics. I want to know if the killer’s gun pops up anywhere."
Brennan nods before ducking back outside, his phone already at his ear.
Cormac crouches by the stairwell, plucking a shell casing that fell behind the console table. "Clean rounds. They’re military grade."
“Why am I not surprised?”
"There are no signs of forced entry either. So, either they were let in, or they were already inside somehow."
I walk down the hallway and peer into the living room, noting the bottle of wine on the coffee table and the two half-empty glasses. “They thought they were safe.”
"Until someone made an example of them."
I ball my hand into a fist, slamming it against the doorframe. “I really need Lorcan to answer his fucking phone. He’s our best chance at finding Finn.”
“What about the other names on the list? Do we abandon them and throw all our resources into tracking Finn down?”
“No. I don’t want to narrow our focus. For all we know, the mole could be using Finn as his scapegoat, and I’m not willing to take any more chances. We’ve already lost three lives; I don’t plan on losing any more.”
“Good idea.”
“Look into the rest of the names on the list. I want to see if any of them have airtight alibis for the last twenty-four hours."
My phone buzzes in my pocket, and Cormac takes that as his cue to start digging.
I hope it’s Lorcan finally getting back to me, but when I catch the name flashing on the screen, a wave of relief washes over me.
“Ciara.”
“Hey. Kieran said to call and tell you that we’re back at the house.”
“That's…good.”
It’s not, but I don’t want to worry Ciara. She’s already been through a lot, and I don’t want her to panic when it’s not necessary. I want her to think I have this completely under control, even though I feel anything but.
“There are like twenty people just hanging around downstairs. It’s a lot.”
“Good. That’s what I want."
"Ronan…”
“Yes?”
“It was bad, wasn’t it?"
