“Good.”
“Why good?” Reese asked, hearing something foreboding in his tone.
“Because we’ve got a case.”
All conversation died instantly, all eyes shifting to Brantley.
“I don’t have much yet,” Brantley said, nodding toward the conference room.
Reese followed the others into the space JJ had converted into a room big enough they would all fit, along with a conference table and some fancy computer system.
Brantley passed his phone to Reese. “I need you to set up the call so we can get audio and video in here.”
“Who’re we callin’?” Reese asked, glancing at the phone screen.
“The governor.”
Well, hell.
Reese connected the phone’s Bluetooth to the audio/video system then showed Brantley what he needed to do. While he worked on that, Elana delivered coffee to everyone as they began taking seats at the table. Because he was already finding it difficult to breathe in the confined space, Reese chose to stand near the door, a few feet behind Brantley.
Brantley remained standing when the phone started to ring. A second later, the governor’s face appeared on the television screen, his voice coming in stereo on the fancy phone system.
“Good morning,” Governor Gerard Greenwood said, looking grim.
“Mornin’, Governor. We’re all here,” Brantley told him.
Reese noticed his tone held a hint of frustration. Probably residual runoff after being disbanded by the man who now needed their assistance.
“First, let me say thank you for making your team available to assist with this,” the governor said politely.
“What’ve you got for us, Governor?” Brantley replied, his tone curt.
No doubt about it. Brantley still held a grudge.
“This is not the way I like to start my day,” the governor said, his eyes shifting, as though he was looking at each face on his screen. “I received a call this morning from a very concerned friend of my wife’s. Evidently, their top-level executives are being picked off—two of them found last week, their deaths ruled as suspicious. The third did not show up for work today.”
“Sir, bein’ that it’s just after oh-eight-hundred, how late to work is this person?” Reese inquired when no one else spoke up.
“According to his secretary, he comes in promptly at six every day.”
“But not today?”
“No.” The governor’s expression remained bleak. “And because his partners’ deaths were ruled suspicious, I have a bad feeling about this one. Hence the reason I’m calling. I need you to look into this. ASAP.”
“Of course. Do you have any information you can send us?”
“Rhonda’s working on that,” the governor confirmed. “JJ should have it shortly. At this time, we’ve got two different departments looking into both the deaths and the missing person. I want your team to take point.”
“You understand our services aren’t free, Governor?” Brantley countered, still hot.
“I understand. At this point, I don’t give a damn. I just want him found. And I want him found alive.”
“We’ll do our best,” Reese said when Brantley didn’t speak up.
“Keep me updated, Brantley.”
Brantley nodded, and the call disconnected.
