Never seeheragain.
That’s not acceptable. I’ll hunt her down if I need to.
Might even be more fun that way.
On the TV, the news anchors are discussing the robbery, and the FBIis mentioned. It grabs my attention.
“…they’ll have automatic jurisdiction here, Kenny. Bank robbery is a federal crime, and we’d expect to see the Bureau involved in the investigation going forward, likely in coordination with local law enforcement—”
I grab the control and hit the off switch, not needing the reminder. But I know I have to check in, explain myself. May as well get it done.
My burner phone sits beneath a loose board in the corner of my bedroom, because the classics are classics for a reason. It rests on my gun, a couple of passports, my laptop and a wad of cash. I lift it out, turn it on, and the messages start coming in.
Diana Mercer is pissed.
I stop reading after the first few, and instead hit the dial button for her number.
She answers on the second ring. “Where the fuck have you been?”
“I assume you’ve seen the news.”
“Exactly, and it’s got Renner’s marks all over it,” she says coldly. “Three weeks since your last check-in, and now this? You’re supposed to be getting into Renner’s crew, not fucking around with Briggs.”
“I am in his crew,” I reply.
That stops her. For a moment. “What? You mean to say you were there? You knew this was coming and you didn’t say anything?”
“I knew.” I sit on my bed with my back against the headboard. This room is a mess too. When did I last wash the sheets? I’m going to clean the whole damn apartment. Tomorrow’s task. Ready for when I bring her here. “So what? It’s just a bank job. No one died.”
“Tell that to the body we have in the morgue.”
“No oneimportantdied. No civilians, no cops, no bank staff. A few wealthy people lost money they won’t notice has gone.”
“Wealthy people with political pull.”
“Your problem, not mine.”
“Yeah, it’s mine. Now I get to make it yours.” Mercer sighs down the phone. “Give me one good reason why we aren’t smashing our way into Kurt Renner’s house right now?”
Because I’ve no idea where he lives.
But I have my answer ready. “This bank job was nothing more than a precursor. Someone is givingRenner instructions, and I don’t yet know who that is.”Probably. Possibly.Either way, it buys me time. It buyshertime. “Do you want the mouse, or the cat?”
Mercer doesn’t miss a beat. “What’s your evidence?”
“He told me so,” I lie. “It was in the briefing. Next job is bigger.”
“We’re under pressure here, Maddox.” Her voice has gone flat. “You’ve been six months on this case.”
“Hale,” I correct. It’s bad form to use my real name when I’m working. Mercer knows that. “And I’m making progress.”
“Yeah,” she admits grudgingly. “All right. Don’t go native on me, you hear?”
I scoff. This isn’t my first rodeo. “No chance.”
She pauses. “In fact, we should meet. It’s been too long since I had eyes on you.”
I don’t like that idea, not one little bit. “Operational security, Mercer. I can’t be seen—”
