Total pages in book: 49
Estimated words: 47606 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 238(@200wpm)___ 190(@250wpm)___ 159(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 47606 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 238(@200wpm)___ 190(@250wpm)___ 159(@300wpm)
“How old were you the last time you saw him?”
“I was nineteen.”
“You were just a baby.”
“That’s true.”
He shrugged. “It’s time to cut it all loose, don’t you think?”
“Easy to say, harder to do.”
“No. You’re giving him power he doesn’t deserve.”
And that was very true too.
“You’re smarter than you were nine years ago. You’re a grown-up and can see things for what they were.”
I sighed deeply. “You always know.”
“It’s a gift,” he deadpanned, kissing my forehead and then letting me go before turning to Calhoun. “Okay, so are we good to go?”
“I’m sorry?” Walker nearly shouted at him.
It made sense. She was reeling from the loss of her partner.
“You have Csokas to make your case with. Rokov is in custody, and he’s probably the top stop here in the US, but you have the information now to take down a large criminal organization, so there can’t possibly be anything more you need from us.”
“We need to discuss the diamonds,” Walker rasped.
“No,” Calhoun advised her. “Because of Mr. Walsh, on both the day he left and the part he unwittingly played in drawing everyone out with these supposed diamonds, we have the case Mr. Gates outlined. And because Mr. Gates is good under pressure—”
“It was the Army, sir. They teach you not to panic.”
“They do, it’s true,” Calhoun agreed. “But because Mr. Gates here knows the streets of Chicago so well, he saved you and Mr. Walsh, and also allowed us to bring your wayward partner to justice.”
“I—”
“You have to give a statement now about Hall, while everything is clear in your head, and then you need to get on a plane home, Agent, to be debriefed by your SAC.”
She took a shaky breath. “How do we know Mr. Walsh is giving us the truth?”
“We don’t, but thus far, he’s the only one who has,” Calhoun told her flatly.
The fact of the matter was, no one but Antonov, Csokas, and Rokov had ever seen the diamonds. No one except for Gen could say with any certainty that they had ever been in his safe at all. I didn’t really mind that he was on the hook for them, nor did I care that him not having them meant he couldn’t go live the rest of his life on some tropical beach somewhere. If I had derailed his plans, I was glad. He had certainly done a number on mine.
“If there were ever diamonds in that safe,” Calhoun said, “they weren’t there the day of Mr. Walsh and the others’ exodus.”
“Yes, but—”
“Lattimer said Mr. Walsh denied finding diamonds the day he gave him everything at the airport. Of everyone who ran that day, Mr. Walsh is the one who retained his name. All the rest vanished. Perhaps the diamonds went with one of them, but the bottom line is, they’re gone. My money’s on Erast Antonov, the cousin. I suspect he took them, and Rokov made the mistake of blowing up the one person who could have returned them to him.”
“Sir, I—”
He held up his hand. “You’re keeping this agent waiting. He needs to take your statement and put you on a plane home. Your ex-partner will be traveling shortly as well.”
She stood up and was almost to the door when she turned and looked at me. “I’m sorry we didn’t end up protecting you, Walsh.”
“That’s okay. I really only expect one person to never disappoint me.”
“Yeah,” she said. “You should think about marrying him.”
I was smiling as she left.
Special Agent in Charge Zane Calhoun—Zane, how cowboy was that?—had some pictures to show me and Colton.
In his office, we sat at the table where he held meetings with his staff, Colton and me flanking him, and on his tablet, he pulled up pictures of Gen’s house after I left it on that fateful Tuesday morning.
“Holy crap.” Colton was both stunned and impressed.
“You microwaved the phones,” Calhoun said with a grin. “Is that right?”
“I didn’t want him to be able to track anyone.”
“The computer hard drive at the bottom of the pool was a nice touch, though all the things that went in as well was a bit overkill.”
So much furniture, practically all the appliances, the TV from the living room, glassware and all the plates, bowls, and so many bottles of liquor.
“I didn’t do any of that. It’s kind of a blur, though. I remember being frantic and wanting to go, but I guess while I was destroying specific things, the others went wild.”
“You sound pleased,” Colton said.
“I am. That’s a lot of therapy right there.”
“You’re not wrong.” Colton choked on a laugh. “I love how the fish tank is pristine.”
“Not surprising. I hope they got a good home.”
“I’m certain the tank and fish were removed by a service,” Calhoun apprised me. “When we seize property, everything is calculated down to the penny. That’s what forensic accountants are for, to not miss anything. Like, there’s a fortune in art in this house, and again, no one touched any of that or the cars.”