“Exactly.”
Brantley wasn’t sure if they were giving him the runaround on purpose or if they hadn’t thought this through all the way.Whatever the reason, he was starting to think they were wasting his time.
“How do you think we can help?”Brantley asked because he wasn’t sure what else to say.
“I was hoping we could all sit down and map out a timeline, including the most recent occurrences.”
“What recent occurrences could possibly have anything to do with the Adorites?”
“Kylie Walker’s death.”
“What?”Brantley frowned.“What the hell’re you talkin’ about?”
“We think it might be related,” Holt said.
Brantley stared at the man, almost positive he’d lost his damn mind.Kylie’s death had nothing to do with the Southern Boy Mafia.It was the tragic result of an unhinged woman.
“Did you know about this?”Brantley asked Reese.
“Know what?”
“That they’re lookin’ into Kylie’s death?”
“We’re not,” Holt said quickly.
Reese spoke over him, answering Brantley.“No.It didn’t come up.”Reese looked at Holt.“Related how?”
“We believe—” Holt looked at Simon and amended his statement.“Ibelieve it’s possible the FBI used Kylie’s death as a way to draw her mother out.”
Brantley couldn’t hold in his frustration.“Did it work?”
“No.”
“So why the fuck would you think that?”
“Because it was a convenient opportunity,” Holt said.
“Convenient?”Brantley ground his molars together, expecting them to crumble into dust.There was absolutely nothingconvenientabout Kylie’s death.Tragic?Absolutely.Catastrophic.Awful.Deplorable.Those were all words that made sense.Notconvenient.
“It won’t be an easy subject to broach,” Holt started, as though he was oblivious to Brantley’s internal rage.
“No.It’ll be hell,” Brantley snapped.“We’ve lived through it once.I’m not sure I’ve got it in me to...”
He let the sentence trail off rather than say what he wanted to.I’m not sure I’ve got it in me todredge up all my mistakes.
“Why do you need to bring Kylieinto it?Why would anyone?”Reese asked when Brantley spun on a heel and paced to the other side of the room.
“Because there’s someone out there who wants to take down the Adorites that damn bad,” Simon answered.
“Who?”
“That’s a good question.And one we need to answer.Which is why we need your help.If anyone has half a chance of connecting the dots on this, I think it’ll be your team,” Simon said.
Figuring it was best to just launch right into it, Reese glanced between Simon and Holt.“Have you talked to Travis?I mean, after your conversation about…”
Holt filled in when Reese let the sentence fade.“About Kylie’s mother and the Southern Boy Mafia?”Holt shook his head.“I haven’t.Nothing more than pleasantries in passing.And by that, I mean he’s no longer trying to kill me with his death ray glare, but we aren’t exactly friends.Why?”
“You?”he asked Simon.
