Burton rubbed a hand slowly across his beard.
“When Clara brought me the sketch she’d done of the tail number, I called SBI trying to identify the aircraft.” A bitter laugh left him. “Within two hours federal agents were sitting in my office.”
Grant’s eyes narrowed.
“DEA?”
Burton nodded once.
“They told me Hollis had ties to Vicente Varga and they’d been building a case against that organization for years.”
Izzy sat completely still now.
“They told me to back off.”
Tension moved through Burke’s face.
“And you did.”
Burton looked at his son directly.
“They took Clara out of Jackson County that same night.”
Confusion crossed Caitlin’s face first.
“What do you mean?”
Burton looked between them quietly.
“They placed her in witness protection.”
Silence.
Then—
“Oh,” Caitlin whispered.
Izzy blinked hard.
“Witness protection?”
Burke nodded slowly beside her.
WITSEC.
The realization rolled across the table in waves.
Grant sat forward.
“You’re telling me Clara Vale’s alive?”
Burton swallowed once before answering.
“Yes.”
The word hit like thunder.
Izzy stared at him.
