Atticus stood back and stared at oneof the electronic boards they’d relocated to the conference room.It’d taken almost two hours for them to get everything they needed transferred in with help from the team.Not that they’d required a whole lot.Two case boards, their laptops, a couple of notepads, some pens, their desk chairs—because they were more comfortable—and chargers for phones and computers.
Becs had assisted in ensuring they had all the files allocated to this particular case, rearranging per his request so that they made more sense.At the moment, there were a dozen folders on the screen, all containing bits and pieces of information that were supposed to lead them to answers.
Atticus feared they had a long road ahead of them.
“Where do we start?”he asked his partner when Archer got to his feet and walked around the table to join him.
“I think a timeline is key,” Archer answered, staring at the screen.“And let’s identify the key players.We know we’ve got a couple of FBI agents, plus now there’s Decker.If we can start from the beginning and work forward, we’ll know what questions to start asking.”
“Works for me.”
With that, they started going through the data, rearranging even more as they went along.Their starting point was with Meredith Prescott and Decker Bromwell in 1998.Atticus wasn’t sure how, but Luca had managed to find some of the incriminating photos that were in the FBI’s clutches.As soon as Atticus realized what they were, he made a mental note to never open that file again.
In 2003, the FBI opened a RICO case, looking to take down the Southern Boy Mafia.Archer had noted who the agents assigned to the case were, as well as some details that, again, Luca had uncovered.
As for Meredith Prescott supposedly witnessing Max Adorite kill a man in August of 2004, the only thing they had to go on was Decker’s statement and the newspaper article that had been published about it.Oddly enough, the article hadn’t been published by a reputable newspaper such as theDallas Morning Newsor theFort Worth Star-Telegram,or even in theDallas Observer.That made the information suspect in Atticus’s mind, which he figured was what prompted Holt to lean toward conspiracy.
In 2005, Meredith Prescott walked away from her life, leaving her children and husband behind.JJ had found a list of credit cards and bank accounts she had at the time and noted that a withdrawal of $10,000 was made just before she left, which made sense because none of the credit cards were ever used after that point.She clearly wanted to be off the grid.
Atticus noticed that as they worked, more data was coming in from Luca and JJ.They seemed to be following the same timeline, confirming the information and providing detailed backup.
The following ten years were pretty scarce on data, but in July 2015, Samuel Adorite, the head of the Southern Boy Mafia, was killed.There was some information speculating that Max killed his father to take over, and spottier information that claimed Samuel’s wife, Genevieve, killed him.At that time, Maximillian Adorite stepped in as the acting boss of the Adorite Crime Family.
While they outlined, Archer started adding questions on the second board.Atticus skimmed over them, thinking of his own.When he had one, he asked so that Archer would add it to the list.
By the time they reached 2018, when notes from Luca stated that Meredith Prescott was suspected of living in Massachusetts, it was after five.
Taking a break, Atticus walked out of the conference room to find that everyone else had left for the day.He figured Luca had to be working from home since he was still pushing data their way.
After a quick trip to the restroom and a pass back through the kitchen to get two bottles of water, Atticus made his way back to the conference room, leaving the door open since they had the barn to themselves.
“You game to push through?”Atticus asked, setting one of the water bottles in front of Archer, who was sitting at the table, typing on his computer.
“Absolutely.”He looked up.“What time is it?”
“About that time,” Atticus joked.“A little after five.”
Archer stretched his arms over his head, then cracked his neck.“Why don’t we order dinner?”
“I’m game,” he told him, pulling out his phone.
“I’ve got it,” Archer said.“What sounds good?”
“Anything.”And that much was true.He was starving.After the day they’d had … hell, after the past few days, Atticus felt like he was running on empty.The thought of sitting down and hashing out some of this case work sounded about perfect.
They agreed on Chinese, which Archer ordered through one of the food delivery apps.While they waited, they walked through the timeline again, discussing what little bit of information they had.
“I’m tellin’ you, if I never see pictures of two people naked again, it’ll be too soon,” Atticus said, shuddering at the thought of the images of a teenage Decker and his teacher.
Archer laughed.“I’m with you there.But now there’s proof that it happened.”
“I would’ve gladly taken Decker’s word for it,” Atticus said with a laugh.
Someone cleared their throat from behind him.Atticus turned to see Slade standing in the doorway, glaring at them.
“Hey.I thought you left for the day,” he told Slade, stepping away from the case board.
“We’re supposed to be at my parents’ house havin’ dinner,” Slade said, his tone harsh.
