Billy opened a drawer and pulled out a sheet of paper. His hand flew across the blank sheet as he hastily wrote out something. The camera angle didn’t allow for them to make out what he was writing, but Grant had a feeling he already knew.
“It’s a confession.” Both men looked at him. “Brynnon told me he kept apologizing over and over again when he called her. She thought he felt bad for her having lost the cabin, but I think it was because he felt responsible.”
“I spoke to Eric before I came here,” Derek said of his detective brother. He pointed to the screen. “If that’s a confession, the police didn’t find it.”
Grant continued to watch as a desperate man wrote down his greatest sins. “That’s because the shooter didn’t want them to.”
Sure enough, after fast-forwarding to the hour EMS was called, Grant’s prediction was proven accurate. He wasn’t surprised when the man who shot Billy picked up the letter and shoved it into his pocket. What he hadn’t been expecting was the face he saw staring back at them.
“No way.” Coop stared at the frozen screen, slack jawed.
Beside him, Derek whispered a disbelieving, “Jesus Christ.”
Grant remained silent. He studied the man’s face, his blood turning hot with fury knowing the son of a bitch was under their noses the whole time.
“Of course, it’s him.” Derek ran a frustrated hand through his hair. “Should’ve fuckin’ seen it.”
Shaking his head, Coop looked at the frustrated man. “Nah, D. No way you could’ve known.”
“But Ishouldhave. Think about it. The guy worked side-by-side with Billy at Cantrell Construction. He would’ve had access to the paperwork and the connections required to pull off a cover up of this proportion.”
Still attempting to placate their teammate, Coop said, “He’s also been a part of the senator’s family for years. Hell, the guy is Billy’s best friend. No one suspected him.”
The image of Martin Downing pulling that trigger was permanently burned into Grant’s mind. After a late-night visit to Billy’s apartment, the two men had argued. Tempers flared, Martin appeared to have panicked and shot Brynnon’s brother.
“He had no idea the cameras were there,” Coop stated softly.
Derek shook his head. “Nope. He avoided the ones in the building entryway and hallways but didn’t bother trying to hide his face once he got inside the apartment.” Taking a deep breath, he asked, “Who wants to tell the senator?”
Coop’s eyes bounced between Grant’s and Derek’s. “Rock, paper, scissors?”
“I’ll tell him,” Grant offered. With one final glance at the man who’d been a part of Brynnon’s family for years, Grant headed for the door.
“I want Brynnon out of the room and away from Downing first. He could get desperate and do something stupid.” The last thing he wanted was for her to get hurt. “When we get there, I need one of you to come up with a reason for her to leave.”
“Like what?”
Grant thought for a minute. “Say her friend, Angie, is waiting downstairs or something. I don’t give a shit what excuse you give I just don’t want her anywhere near the prick when he realizes we know the truth.”
His heart broke for Brynnon, knowing this was just one more blow she’d have to endure. As Grant and his teammates made their way back to the ICU, he made a silent vow to be there for her. Every fucking step of the way.
****
“Martin, what are youdoing?”
“What I should’ve done a long time ago. Now, walk toward me, slowly.”
Brynnon’s mind raced, her heart beating hard and fast. As she took a tiny step forward, she wondered if it might actually explode from fear.
Rubbing her cold arms with her hands, she glanced up toward the ceiling. “Martin, there are cameras in here. This is a secured Homeland facility, for Christ’s sake. How the hell do you think you’re going to get away with this?”
“Easy, actually. The staff schedule is posted on the wall in the emergency area for all to see. Shift change doesn’t happen for two more hours. Cafeteria’s closed for the night and security is surprisingly minimal. It’s still dark outside, and I parked around the corner, as far away from the nearest light post as I could. The security gate is a couple hundred feet away, next to the road, and with the sound of that wind, there won’t be anyone around to hear you if you scream.”
Brynnon felt herself grow pale.
“See? That, right there is the problem with you.” Keeping the back of the gun pulled in snuggly against his chest, he moved toward her, instead. “You’ve always underestimated me. Always thought you were smarter and better than me. Still do.”
“No.” Brynnon shook her head. “I-I didn’t. I don’t.”
