Schaffer lowered her feet to the floor and leaned forward. “I know you’re good, Tanner, but do you really expect to be able to outmaneuver the man who taught you everything you know?”
Annette as well as Schaffer stared at him as they awaited his answer.
Was he crazy to think he could do this? Maybe. Probably. But he was desperate at this point. And, as he’d already recognized, he had nothing else to lose.
“Yes,” he said at last.
When Schaffer hesitated, he tacked on, “I’ll take full responsibility for everything if this goes wrong. I’ll swear that I presented false evidence to you, causing you to misuse resources. Whatever I have to do, I’ll do it, if you’ll help me make this happen.” To some degree he was doing exactly that.
Now it was Annette who was startled and staring at him.
Schaffer shrugged. “What the hell? It’s your career on the line. And if we break this case, we’ll both be elevated to legend status.”
Carson took his first deep breath since calling Schaffer to ask for this meeting.
“Let’s do it,” he said, determination rocketing inside him. He might not win but he damned sure wasn’t going down without a fight.
“I can have my people in place within the hour,” Schaffer said, entering a number into her cell phone as she spoke.
Carson pulled his cell from his pocket. “I’ll make the call to Moore.”
Before he could select the attorney’s name from his electronic address book, his cell rang. His uncle Max’s name appeared on the screen. Shit. Not now. He didn’t need this now. But he couldn’t not answer.
The instant he pressed the button to accept the call he could hear his uncle’s frantic shouts. “They’re after me, Carson! Help me! I’m hiding in my shack ... but they’re breaking through the door!” Each sentence was punctuated by shattering and crashing.
The connection ended.
Dammit. Dammit.
Maybe he could send a patrol unit over there.
“Is something wrong?”
Carson glanced up at Annette’s question. “It’s my uncle. He’s evidently gone off his meds again. Sounded like he’s tearing the place apart.” Carson stood. “I’ll have to get someone over there. He could hurt himself.”Or someone else,Carson didn’t add.
“I’ll go.”
His gaze collided with Annette’s.
“I can’t help you with Wainwright,” she explained. “There’s nothing I can really do right now except wait.”
“My team is making preparations,” Schaffer said.
“I’m calling Moore now.” Carson focused on his phone, selected the name and number. He still had to do something about his uncle. Annette’s offer was damned generous. “Okay,” he said to her before Moore answered. “You go take care of Max. I’ll do this.”
“You’d better use my car. No one will pay any attention to it,” Schaffer offered to Annette. “A warrant could be issued for you any minute now. You’d be no help to us behind bars.”
Moore answered as Schaffer scrounged up her car keys for Annette. Carson didn’t get a chance to say anything to Annette before she was gone.
He hoped like hell she didn’t get spooked and run.
Right now, everything pretty much depended upon her being able to back him up.
That and their dead witness.
43
5:00 a.m.
