“We need a Laronda,” Jules said. And at Sam’s sharply puzzled look, he said, “She’s Max’s executive assistant. She basically runs his entire counterterrorist team.”
“I know who Laronda is, Squidward.” Sam was a tad affronted. “I’m just wondering,runsorran? If there’s anyone in your former team who couldn’t stomach staying on at the Bureau under the current clusterfuck, it’s Laronda.”
Jules realized that hadn’t been puzzlement on Sam’s face but rather calculation. “Yeah, no,” he said. “Sam. Get real. Laronda’s never leaving Max.” Years ago, recognizing greatness in the raw, Max Bhagat had pulled his administrative assistant Laronda out of the typing pool. He’d made sure she stayed with him every step of his rise in the organization, and she was likewise as loyal. If Max was still working for the FBI, she was, too.
“Laronda lovesyoua shit-ton, too,” Sam pointed out. “Can’t hurt to ask. Give the woman some options.” He got out his phone again. “She’s friendly with Alyssa. I’m texting her right now, asking her to reach out. And Wig-Milt gets a text, too. Call me, ASAP, motherfucker.You got some ’splaining to do.” He glanced at Jules. “You get to call Harper. He creeps me out.”
“Thanks ever so much.” Jules sighed as he dialed Harper’s office. The sooner they spoke to the lawyer, the better. But Sam was right. Ugh.
“Ernest Harper, Esquire,” the receptionist answered.
“Hi, Greg, it’s Jules Cassidy, from the Devonshire case? I have some additional questions for Mr. Harper, when he’s got a few minutes. In fact, I’d love to stop by, maybe first thing tomorrow...?”
“This week his schedule’s crazy,” Greg reported, “but I know this is a top priority for him, so... Lemme check.”
“Ooh, before you do, I still need contact info for the security team leader, his name’s Clayton Spencer. Can you remind him about that—unless that’s something you can give me...?”
“I’m gonna have to check and... I’ll call you back.”
“Thanks.” Jules pocketed his phone and looked at Sam. “Okay, then. I’m ready to go back in there and find out more from Rene about how Wig-Milt threatened to kill Milt the Senior after getting out of jail for killing an innocent woman while joyriding in Daddy-Milt’s car—which is breaking news to the allegedly crack investigative team.” He exhaled his disbelief. “Is this my life? I had a friend, back in high school who always used to say that:Is this really my life?”
“We’ll figure this goatfuck out. One step at a time,” Sam said soothingly. “We got this.”
“Right,” Jules said. And Sam was right. Theyweregoing to figure this out. “It isn’t as easy or uncomplicated as we thought it would be, but at least the danger factor’s zero. At least no one’s trying to kill us.”
Sam nodded as they headed back into the house. “At least there’s that.”
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Jules: Age Seventeen
Connecticut
Rachel and Diana wouldn’t talk to them.
They were the girls that Belle had flagged as being fellow survivors.
Jules and Sadie had approached them together and gave their whole spiel about three other girls being drugged and assaulted in the exact same way, and how they were going to catch the rapist, but neither girl was willing to talk.
“Cowards,” Belle fumed, back in Jules’s bedroom.
“You have no idea,” Shelly quietly countered.
“You’re right. I’m sorry.” Belle immediately deflated as she hugged her friend.
“So now what?” Sadie asked, and everyone turned and looked at Jules.
Like they expected him to have all the answers.
Hobbit had gotten his markers out,in hopes they’d add two more colors of checks to the board, but now he put them away.
“We... keep digging,” Jules said, and yeah it sounded as toothless when he said it aloud as it had in his head. “We don’t stop. We can’t stop. Maybe...Bellecould?—”
“Be bait,” she finished for him, eagerly.
“Whoa,” Jules said as Tom sharply looked at him likeWhat the hell. “No. No! That’snotwhat I was gonna say. I was gonna say maybe you could approach Diana or Rachel. Separately, see if maybe they’d talk toyou?—”
“But we know his MO,” Belle argued. “Suspect X. There’s another party tonight. Brian said Carter’s mom isn’t home after all this weekend, and that Brian’s brother was getting a keg. I’ll go, and make a lot of noise, you know,Poor pitiful me, Tom just dumped me?—”
