The drive takes under ten minutes through the empty morning streets. Remy's waiting in the conference room with our cyber specialist, Blake Harrison, and a spread of monitors showing data I need to see.
"Show me," I say.
Blake pulls up the first message. "These were buried deep. Separate encryption from the communications the FBI presented at the press conference. Armand used a different protocol for his most sensitive traffic. Took us all night to crack it."
The message is dated the same day I was kidnapped, hours after Julien grabbed me:
LaSalle compromised. Liability. Eliminate immediately. Make it clean. No connection back.
The response comes from a burner number:
Understood. Half now, half on confirmation.
"We traced the payments," Blake continues, switching screens. "Wire transfers from the same shell corporation that funded the surveillance operation. Matches the timeline exactly."
"Murder for hire." Remy's voice is flat. "Direct evidence Armand ordered the hit."
"Who's the contractor?"
"Marcel Fontaine." Blake pulls up a file. It shows a professional headshot, basic information from criminal databases. "We got his identity from the burner number registration. He has a record - assault charges, weapons violations, suspected involvement in several contract killings but never convicted. He's smart enough to stay off most radars."
"Where is he now?"
"That's the problem." Andy's voice comes from the doorway. He's in full detective mode, badge clipped to his belt, case file under his arm. "The FBI coordinated with us for arrest warrants an hour ago since Julien's murder is NOPD jurisdiction. By the time tactical reached his apartment, he was gone. The place was cleaned out. He knew exactly how to disappear."
"How long ago?"
"Can't have been more than a few hours. Landlord saw him yesterday evening." Andy moves to the table, spreads out surveillance photos. "We've got an APB out, FBI's coordinating with Customs and Border Patrol in case he runs for Mexico or tries to fly out. But my gut says he's still in the city."
"Why?" Remy asks.
"Because running smart means disappearing immediately. Fontaine had time to pack, clean the apartment, cover his tracks. If he was running, he'd already be gone. He's still here for a reason."
I study Fontaine's file. The kind of operator who doesn't leave loose ends. Who plans exits before he makes moves. Who understands that the evidence we just found makes him a liability to anyone who hired him.
"Loose ends," I say quietly.
"Simone." Remy gets it immediately. "He knows we have the communications. He knows we can tie Armand to Julien's murder. If we have Simone's testimony about the surveillance operation plus evidence Armand ordered Julien killed, that's a federal conspiracy case that puts Armand away for life."
"Unless key witnesses disappear." Andy's jaw sets. "Fontaine's specialty is making problems go away. If Armand's going down anyway, Fontaine might be cleaning house. Eliminating anyone who can testify."
"Or eliminating witnesses who can tie him to the murder." Security feeds on my phone show clear perimeter. Derek'spositioned at the guest house entrance, no movement on the cameras. "Either way, Simone's a target."
"I've got murder-for-hire charges drafted against Armand," Andy says. "This new evidence gives us the direct link we were missing—communications ordering the hit, payment trail, identified contractor. Federal prosecutors are confident. But without Fontaine in custody, he's the missing piece. We need him alive to testify that Armand hired him."
"And if he's hunting Simone, we can use that,” says Remy. “He comes for her, we're ready."
My expression hardens. "I don't like using her as bait."
"Neither do I, little brother, but Fontaine's a professional. He won't make a move without surveillance, without planning. That gives us time to set the trap."
I hate that he’s right, but I know that he is. I look at Andy. "How fast can you get surveillance on known associates, properties he might use as staging areas?"
"Already coordinating with FBI. We're pulling everything we can on his network." Andy checks his phone. "I'll keep you posted on any movement."
The meeting runs another hour. We coordinate protocols, and we establish communication channels between Rapier Strategic, FBI, and NOPD. By the time I head back to the estate, the sun's fully up and I've got a tactical plan for keeping Simone alive while we hunt the man who killed Julien.
Derek's still posted when I return. "All quiet. She's been inside the whole time."
