Luke could push Bill further, but he had what he needed. Well, some of it. “This Tiger? What does he look like?”
“Man, I wouldn’t know. All I know is people say he’s Asian.”
“Height? Weight?”
“I heard not tall. And I heard lean and fast, and he stalks people like a tiger.”
“He stalks people? How would you know you’re being stalked?”
“You know when the guy jumps out at you out of nowhere and starts asking questions.”
Luke wasn’t convinced, but if someone had been in physical contact, then maybe he was a real person. “What did he ask?”
“He needed a rifle.”
Luke could believe that. “Accent?”
“Not much. English was good.”
“Was it you?”
“Nah. Buddy of mine. Scared him pretty bad, and he’s not the type to scare, if you know what I mean.”
Luke did. Some of Stevsky’s men were the meanest people Luke had ever had the misfortune to know anything about. Scaring them would require a special kind of awful.
“To recap. You’re telling me that the Stevsky family isn’t targeting the Secret Service because you already know we didn’t kill the old man and because no matter what, you don’t come after Feds. You’re saying you didn’t kill Thad and you aren’t responsible for the events of this week. And you’re also telling me that none of the usual suspects here in Raleigh are responsible, and you’d appreciate it if law enforcement would ease up off your backs. And to help with that, you’re willing to give up this Tiger guy and send us chasing after him.”
Bill snorted. “Sums it up pretty well.”
“How do I know you didn’t make up the Tiger? You took a calculated risk, killed off some agents, and now it’s too hot. You want us to back off, maybe drop our guard, so you’ve made this guy up.”
“Man, I wouldn’t drop your guard at all. Not until you find this guy.” Bill’s rapid response had a ring of authenticity to it. “None of us are dropping ours.”
“Are you looking for him too?”
“Only to stay out of his way, but there’s some chatter about trying to get rid of him. He’s messing things up for us.”
That was an epic understatement. “You gonna call me if you get a lead on where he is?”
Bill hesitated but then said, “Yeah. I am.”
“Why?”
“If we take him out, it ends, but y’all don’t quit looking. You never quit. Not after something like this. But if the Feds get him, he goes to jail, everybody relaxes. Things go back to the way they were.”
Luke considered the logic. It didn’t seem like something most of the gangs in town would come up with, but Stevsky had always been a smart criminal. Maybe his sons weren’t idiots. Could they have dragged the other criminal elements along with them?
FAITH’SPHONEBUZZED.
Luke.
Why did her shoulders relax at the sight of his name on the screen but then tense as she answered the call, nerve endings trilling through her arms and fingers?
“Hey.” That sounded casual enough. Right?
“Are you busy?” Luke did not sound casual at all.
“What’s up?”
