"They told me if I call the cops or involve the FBI, they would kill Tonya.”
“Newsflash, I’m a cop.”
"I'm calling you from a new burner phone. There is no way anybody has this number or can tie it to me. I called you because you can be discreet and you have a good track record. I've done my research on you.”
A slight smirk tugged my lips. "Where are you now?”
"I’m at Key Bean, in a booth in the back.”
"We’ll be there in a few minutes. I want to know what is on that data drive. I want to know everything. No more games."
"No more games. Promise. I'm the first one to admit that I am in over my head. I completely misjudged the situation.”
I had her stay on the line with me as Jack drove to Key Bean.
We found a place to park, hopped out, and hustled into the coffee shop. It bustled with activity. Chatter filled the air, along with the sound of the espresso machine and the delightful aroma of fresh coffee. People tapped on keyboards, doom scrolled on their phones, and held business meetings full of hollow corporate speak.
I spotted Paige making herself small in the booth. JD and I joined her, slipping into the bench seat across from her. Paige’s nervous eyes darted about, constantly checking her surroundings.
“You weren’t followed, were you?”
“No,” I assured.
“This is all my fault,” she said, her face full of despair. “I knew this job was going to be trouble.”
“Tell me what’s going on.”
She took a deep breath. “Evelyn approached me with information. Evidence really. Stuff that could put Rory behind bars for a long time.”
“What kind of stuff?”
“You’ll need to see for yourself.” She paused, and the look on her face told me it was something grim. “I think Evelyn was trying to do the right thing. Maybe. But you can’t blow a whistle like that and not pack a parachute.”
“You were supposed to be that parachute.”
“I already had buyers lined up for the evidence. It’s worth billions to Rory, and I was sure he’d pay a hefty sum to make this all go away.” A regretful frown tugged her face. “After Evelyn died, I didn’t have a client anymore.”
“But you still had the data and wanted to monetize it.”
She gave a guilty nod.
“Let me guess. You tried to extort Rory directly.”
She chose her words. “I gave him an opportunity to make the evidence disappear. But Rory is not a guy to take something like that sitting down.”
“Where is this evidence now?”
43
“Son of a bitch!” Paige grumbled when she accessed the hiding spot for the data drive.
I deflated with an exhale. “You hid it in a fake rock!?”
She had placed the fake rock in the shrubs that bordered the parking lot at the Coral Cottage. The synthetic rock with a hidden chamber, typically used for hiding spare keys, was empty.
“I didn’t want to keep it on me or in the room,” she said, distraught. Her face tightened. “Somebody must have seen me.” Rage boiled as a potential suspect flashed in her brain. “That bastard!”
“Who?”
