“You are a hard man, Roman Justice.”
“Tell it to Uncle Sam.He took credit for making me this way.He can take the blame, as well.”
If the situation had been anything else, Ryder could have laughed.As it was, he almost felt sorry for the man who got in his brother’s way.
He glanced at the clock.It was almost noon.Where the hell was Lash Marlow with the money?He kept remembering what Roman had told him about Marlow’s financial situation.It seemed to him that there was a fault in the theory that Lash should be responsible for its deliverance.It was like giving a starving man the keys to the cupboard.
The doorbell rang.Ryder jumped, then started down the hall, unwilling to wait for Joshua to let whoever it was in.Maybe there was news of Casey.But the Feds beat him to it.Lash was admitted carrying two large duffel bags.
“I’ve got it!”he crowed.
Two men in dark suits relieved him of the bags, leaving him standing in the hall with a jubilant smile on his face.Lash could hardly contain his joy.It was almost over.
“The armored car was late,” Lash said, by way of an explanation for his tardiness.
Ryder listened without comment.
Lash smoothed a hand over his hair.“Any news?”
Ryder shook his head.“No.”
What seemed to be a genuine grimace of dismay spread across his face.“You know, sometimes this all seems like a dream.”
“More like a nightmare, if you ask me.”
Lash nodded.“Of course, that’s what I meant.”
A man Ryder had never seen before came out into the hall from the main salon.Another Fed.
“Mr.Marlow, Detective Gant wants to speak with you.”
Lash straightened his suit coat and followed the man into the room.Ryder was right behind.
Gant waved his hand toward the open bags.“It’s all here, I presume?”
Lash nodded.“Three million dollars in unmarked bills.None of them larger in denomination than a fifty, none of them smaller than a five.”
Gant nodded and turned back to the desk while Ryder struggled with a notion that wouldn’t come.Something Lash had just said rang a chord of memory, but he couldn’t figure out why.
Lash started toward the door.“If you have no further need of me, court awaits.”
Gant paused and looked to Wyandott, who was officially in charge of the investigation.Wyandott didn’t bother to look up.Gant shrugged.“I guess not.But if something comes up, I’ll know where to find you, right?”
Lash chuckled.“One can only hope.”
Ryder’s hands were itching.The urge to grab Lash was overwhelming.It was all he could do to stay put as Marlow left.But at this point, Ryder couldn’t pinpoint what it was that was bugging him.
The front door slammed behind Lash as Roman walked in the room.
“Who was here?”Roman asked.
“Marlow.He brought the ransom money.”
Ryder pointed toward the bags on the desk and the men who were working on securing tracking devices within the bags.
It was when Roman started toward the desk that the notion hovering in the back of Ryder’s mind started to take shape.
“Hey, Gant.”
