Kat Attalla Special Edition (44 page)

“We knew we had dirty agents, Jack. That doesn’t mean Ms. McGrath isn’t involved.”

“Give me a break. She’s about as green as a Christmas tree and naïve enough to still believe in Santa Claus.” Or at least trusting enough to believe in a sterling knight who would come riding to her rescue. Right then, he felt tarnished.

Winston laughed. “Are you going to tell me that a woman never had you fooled, Murphy?”

“Not this one.”

“If she’s as innocent as you say, then she has nothing to worry about.” Winston paused, staring pensively. “She is at least as innocent as when you found her, isn’t she?”

“Meaning?” Jack fumed.

“Let’s not beat around the proverbial bush, Murphy. Did she charm the pants off you or didn’t she?”

Jack grinned. Those were the same words Lilly herself had used one night back in Morocco. “And if she did?”

Winston blew off like a cork on New Year’s Eve. He pounded his fist against the desk, sending a spray of papers around the room. “You jackass.”

“Cut her loose before you blow your entire case against Santana,” Jack warned his boss. “And don’t think that isn’t what Santana is counting on. He’s got someone inside advising him every step of the way.”

“You better pray that she’s willing to testify against him, Murphy. If I find out you set this up, I’ll make an example out of you that will have generations of agents thinking twice before accepting a payoff.”

Jack clenched his hands into fists of rage. “I may have gone over the line, but I’m not dirty and you know it. Whoever he is, I’ll find him.” He stared out the window at the murky waters of the Hudson River. Lilly wouldn’t be charged, and for that he was thankful. When she found out why, she might want to kill him.

Do the right thing. Make Santana pay for his crimes. Work within the system and everything will turn out all right. If that were true, he wouldn’t have a job.

Lilly wanted her day in court, but she wasn’t hard enough to stand up to the grueling cross-examination. Santana’s lawyer would destroy her on the witness stand, and she wouldn’t receive one shred of help from the prosecuting attorney unless she was their own witness. She wouldn’t be charged, but she hadn’t been pronounced innocent either.

“You better find him, Murphy. Your job depends on it.”

Jack thought to tell Winston just where he could stick the job. His paycheck was the least of his worries. Until he brought down everyone involved, Lilly wouldn’t be safe. Someone would always be looking to silence her.

He gave Lilly his word that she’d have nothing to fear once she came in and made her statement. She was in more danger now than before because they knew where to find her. “I’m taking her out of here.”

“Not until she finishes giving her statement. We also need the original file.”

Jack shook his head. “Not until I know who else is implicated. It will convict Santana and it’s in a safe place.”

* * * *

Lilly’s gaze darted around the small interrogation room. Her stomach cramped. With Mr. Lassiter seated next to her, she mentally prepared herself for the worst. Especially since Agent Krieger, seated in the folding chair across from her, ogled her.

“How long did you work for Edward Santana?” he asked.

“Two years.”

He picked through the file of photocopies. “And how would you describe your relationship with him?”

“I don’t have a relationship with him. He used to be my boss.”

A smirk twisted the corners of his mouth. “So you say.” He shuffled some of the papers around, as if deliberately trying to stall. “There are a lot of documents here. How long have you been collecting this information?”

Refusing to be baited, she inhaled deeply before answering. She wished Jack had been allowed to join her. “Since I noticed there was a problem. About six months.”

“And did you tell Mr. Santana?”

“Of course.”

“So, you threatened to expose his dealings.”

Mr. Lassiter placed a hand on her arm. “You don’t have to answer that.”

“I don’t mind. I never threatened him.”

Krieger rolled his eyes. “You just said you told the man you were keeping a file on him.”

“No. I said I told him there was a problem.”

“And what did he say?”

“He said there was no problem. That everything was fine.” She twisted her fingers together in her lap.

“And that’s when you started to take company files from the office?” His voice resonated with accusation.

Her rising temper sent a shiver down her spine. “You make it sound like I planned to blackmail him.”

“Did you?”

She raised her head in angry defiance. “No.”

“Then why were you hiding out in Europe?”

Before she could answer, Mr. Lassiter cut in. “Ms. McGrath was not charged with any crime. She had the right to travel wherever she wanted to.”

“Yeah, right. Everyone takes a European vacation after their home is bombed,” Krieger grumbled and shoved the papers back in the file. “How long have you known Agent Murphy?”

“What?”

“Do you need the question repeated?”

She wanted the question clarified. Jack worked for the same branch of the government as Krieger. They knew how long ago Jack had been assigned to tail her. What was this man getting at? “I know he was following me for two months, but I didn’t meet him until a week ago.”

“And you had no personal contact with him prior to that?”

“I believe she’s answered you,” Lassiter interrupted again. Krieger eyed her suspiciously.

“I’d like to hear her say it.”

“No,” Lassiter insisted before she could answer. “Unless you plan to charge her with a crime, I believe she has answered all related questions. She should be allowed to leave.”

She rolled her shoulders to relieve the tension that settled in her neck. Although Jack had warned her about Santana’s accusations concerning her, she still hadn’t been prepared for the way Agent Krieger deliberately tried to make her sound like a thief, a blackmailer and quite honestly, some kind of whore. If not for the presence of Jack’s lawyer, she had a feeling the questions would have gotten more accusing and a hell of a lot more personal.

Krieger looked ready to heap on more sarcastic questions when the door opened. An  older man walked in and pulled the agent aside to whisper something. Krieger let out a nasty laugh and shot her a blatantly sexual glare.

Tell me this is almost over
, she silently prayed.

* * * *

Jack wore a path in the carpet in front of the interrogation room. The longer he waited, the more time someone out there had to prepare a plan of attack. He didn’t even know who he was looking for. Anyone who so much as picked up a phone in that office became a suspect.

Every five minutes, he checked his watch, wondering how long it could take to make a statement. An hour had passed since they had begun. Winston had gone in earlier to redirect the line of questioning since she would no longer be a co-defendant, only a witness. Still, the emotional pressure had to be wearing her out.

The door clicked open, and Winston waved him in. He ignored the others in the room and joined Lilly. Her elbows rested on the table propping up her weary head.

He placed a hand on her shoulder, and her head jerked up. “Are you okay?”

“I guess. Is that it? Can I leave?” she asked.

Winston shot an angry glare between Jack and Lilly. “I want you to understand first that you aren’t going to be charged for now. But if I find out that any of what you told us is lies, then you’ll be pulled back in here so fast you won’t have time to sneeze. And your boyfriend too, for that matter.”

She blinked and shook her head. “Excuse me?”

“Forget it, Lilly,” Jack said, helping her up by the arm. Winston and the other agent left. He spoke to his lawyer for a moment and then led Lilly out of the stale, windowless room. He kept a firm hand on her arm, moving her along at a quick pace.

“Hey, Murphy,” someone called out across the office. Jack turned in the direction of the voice and saw Krieger, one of his least favorite colleagues, speaking to Winston. His leering gaze rested on Lilly as if he’d never seen a woman before. “I might be tempted to blow a case myself for a night with her.”

The temper Jack had barely managed to keep under control snapped. He took off across the room. It took three men to stop him from lunging into Krieger and wiping the smirk off his face.

“Take it easy, Jack. We all know he’s a loud mouth jerk,” Winston said, sending a scathing glare at the other man.

“We know he is,” Jack agreed. “But now we know you are too.”

He yanked his arms free and held his hand in the air to show he was under control. Remembering that he’d left Lilly standing alone, he whirled around, but she was gone.

He sprinted across the office and out into the hall just as the elevator doors were closing. “Lilly!” The indicator above the doors showed the decent of the elevator. He ran down the entire five flights of stairs.

Chapter
Fourteen

Lilly slumped against the wall of the elevator and closed her eyes. The movement of the hydraulic lift left her stomach in her throat, sharing space with the lump she couldn’t swallow. Humiliation spread like fire through her body. Jack might as well have taken out a space ad and announced their affair to the
New York Times
.

The entire time they questioned her, that agent probably thought she’d been sleeping with her boss too. Jack said the question of their relationship wouldn’t arise. She told them the decision to return and testify had been her own. She could handle Santana making the accusation, but not Jack boasting about it.

He might have been trying to cover his own rear end, but it backfired, making the situation worse. Now she understood Winston’s warning. He was afraid that Jack had deliberately blown the case—that they were all working together with Santana. Now she would have to worry how convincing Santana’s lawyer could be in court. She still might find herself being charged for a crime she didn’t commit.

The elevator reached the bottom, and so did her spirits. Knowing that Jack wouldn’t be far behind, she ran across the lobby and out into the street. She rounded the first corner and slammed into a parked car. A pain shot across her hip. She rubbed the sore spot and continued quickly down the road. Afraid Jack might see her on the street, she turned the next corner and wound up in a blind alley.
How appropriate
. She pivoted around. The bright sun descending into the western sky blurred her vision, and she bumped into a passing pedestrian. He gripped her shoulders to steady her.

“Excuse me,” she mumbled. “That’s all right, Miss McGrath.”

His use of her name startled Lilly. She raised her head and looked at the man who still held her arms. “Do I know you?”

“I don’t know. Do you?”

She tried to place his familiar face. Where had she seen him before? Perhaps from her work? He looked like one of Santana’s associates who had visited the offices a few times. “Mr. Stockton, is it?”

He smiled. “So you do remember? That’s too bad.”

She heard footsteps approaching from behind and squirmed to free herself. She didn’t want to talk to Jack. As she turned, Stockton caught her around the waist. She heard a click, and the pressure of cold steel pressed against her side.

She froze.

“That’s far enough, Murphy,” the man warned.

Jack stopped. His mouth tightened to a thin white line, and his eyes narrowed to tense slits.

“You don’t look too surprised to see your old friend returned from the grave.” Jack took a step forward. “Let her go, Stucky. You’ll never get away with it.”

“I’m already dead.”

Stucky. Stockton. Why hadn’t she connected the two names sooner? Jack was wrong about her. She wasn’t naïve; she was an idiot.

“Santana’s in custody,” Jack said. “He can’t get to you. If you come clean, you could get off lightly.”

Stucky let out a deep laugh, chilling in its villainy. “You know, you are almost as naïve as your little friend here. Santana doesn’t own me. I own him.”

Lilly lowered her eyes and prayed Jack wouldn’t chance making any kind of move with Stucky’s revolver cocked and ready to shoot. He had nothing to lose by killing her.

Jack assessed the situation and moved back. “What do you want?”

Stucky stroked the barrel along her cheek. “Pretty little thing, isn’t she? It would be a shame if anything were to happen to her.” She turned her head. The end of the pistol settled in her neck making her gag. “I want the file.”

“I don’t have it anymore.”

“Yes you do. You’re too good of an agent to walk in with it until you knew who was involved. My guess is that you stashed it in a safe deposit box. Turn around and walk towards the car on the corner. And keep your hands where I can see them.” The gun slipped under the back of Lilly’s tee shirt. A warning tap against her shoulder blade urged her out of the alley toward the parked car. “Bring the file to the old boathouse in Newark. You know the one. And come alone but don’t take too long. I’m not quite as careful as you when it comes to administering drugs. I might go too far in keeping her asleep while I wait.” He opened the door and pushed Lilly inside. “I’d hurry if I were you, Murphy. The banks close in half an hour.”