“And did you?” She stared back at him pointedly. “Need extra cash, I mean?”
“You know what went down at the agency after the clusterfuck in Afghanistan,” he charged. “What do you think?”
“What went down was that I took the fall for something that wasn’t my fault, and you got to keep your career.”
“Mycareerwent to shit right after you left. Wanna know why?”
Actually, yes. She did.
“Do tell.”
“Because no one wanted to work with someone they couldn’t trust to get the job done. They saw me, they saw some schmuck who stood by while his team leader fucked everything up.”
“I followed orders as they were given.”
Keith shot forward in his chair so fast, she barely managed not to jump. “Our orders were to locate and rescue those hostages!” Spittle flew from his mouth. “Instead, we lost themandone of our own men!”
“Those deaths weren’t on me.”
It wasn’t, dammit.
“Well, it sure as shit wasn’t on me. Yet, I get pushed out of a job I loved, can’t get hired by any reputable company all because I had the shit luck to be assigned on that fucking op with you. And here you are, the one on that side of the table.”
“And you’re the one wearing cuffs,” she shot back. “So I suggest you start talking sooner, rather than later. Because we will verify your story, but I’m also going to be speaking to the rest of the men from the port, just as soon as I’m finished with you. If one of those men gives up the goods on Sanchez first,there won’t be any deals left to be made. So come on, Keith. I know you. Which is how I know you aren’t about to take the fall for two murders when you can put the blame on someone else.”
“Lawyer.”
Shit. Shit, shit, shit.
In the movies, cops always kept talking to the criminals after they lawyered up. Tried smooth-talking them into folding. Threaten to take away the perp’s kids.
As far as Natalia knew, Keith was still single and he hadn’t fathered any children. Even if he had, it wouldn’t matter because in real life, those tactics were illegal as hell.
“That’s how you want to play it, fine.” She pushed herself to her feet and casually placed the pictures back into the folder. “I’ll make sure a lawyer is assigned to you within the hour. You change your mind and decide to be smart about this, just tell them you want to see me.”
“Thanks, but no thanks.” Keith fell back into his chair with a shake of his head. With his cold, uncaring eyes locked onto hers, he said, “You’re the last person I want coming to my rescue.”
Feeling’s mutual, dick for brains.
As she slowly made her way to the door, Natalia contemplated her next move. If she asked the one other question burning into her brain, she ran the risk of revealing things she’d rather keep hidden.
On the flipside, if she didn’t say something now and those things were somehow still revealed later…
It could be like Langley all over again.
“I have one more question.” She stopped at the door and turned to face him once more. “I promise, it’s completely unrelated to this investigation.” That she knew of, anyway.
With a frustrated hand flailing her direction, Keith growled back a deep, “Just ask whatever it is and go.”
“Where were you in the hours leading up to the job at the port?”
“In my hotel room…asleep.” Keith frowned. “Why?”
“Anyone there with you who can verify that?”
“I just told you, I was asleep.”
“Doesn’t mean you were alone,” she pointed out what should have been obvious. “Could be you had a woman with you. Or maybe you woke up and got hungry.” Talia shrugged. “You could’ve ordered a pizza.”
