“Sorry, Dominic, I didn’t recognize the name. After the shooting yesterday, the wife and I are both a bit jumpy. Did you catch the shooter?”
Dominic reached down to pet the soft curls on the dog’s head. “We’re still working on it. How’s your wife holding up?”
“She’s still pretty shaken.”
“We have some questions.” Kanas flashed Dominic a look and got straight to the point. Patience was another thing she needed to learn. “We believe you found the body?”
The man paled, flesh going dull gray. “Yes. Yes, I did. Worst thing I’ve ever seen in my entire life.”
“Would you mind if we came inside?” Dominic asked quietly. The last thing he wanted was to further traumatize one of Van’s friends.
Gabany checked his shoulder and shook his head, instead motioned them out onto the back porch. “Reza is asleep. I don’t think she’ll ever leave the house again after what happened.”
“I know how she feels.” Kanas took a step back and waited for Sam Gabany to be seated.
Dominic couldn’t imagine Kanas running from anything. More like standing on a hilltop, shaking her fist at the world. But everyone dealt with grief differently. He buried his under a stoic front. That was how he’d learned to survive. He saw no reason to change now.
“Can you tell us if there was anything unusual about the night Van died, or any of the nights leading up to it?” Dominic asked.
Sam Gabany shook his head, clasping his hands between his knees. His dog took turns sniffing first Dominic and then Agent Kanas.
“I spoke to Van on the Sunday when we were both doing yard work. I borrowed his lawnmower because mine wouldn’t start.” Gabany’s watery eyes glimmered with fresh tears. “I thought I heard what sounded like a gunshot around 10 PM on the Tuesday night. The TV was on, and I didn’t get up immediately as I thought it was part of the show I was watching. Reza was in the tub and called through to me. Said she thought she’d heard something too.” He scratched his nearly bald head. “I checked the window, but it was dark outside, and I didn’t see anyone in the street. I called Van’s cell.” He cupped his face with his hand over his mouth. “I liked to get his advice on security issues.” His indrawn breath sounded like a sob.
“Go on,” Dominic said softly after a few moments of pained silence.
“I checked the back yard and saw Van’s car in the driveway—he didn’t generally put it in the garage except in the winter.”
A kid on a bike rode along a footpath that ran along the back of the property. They all watched him turn the corner out of sight.
“I figured if he was home and there had been a gunshot, he’d have been outside, investigating, you know? I forgot about it. Convinced myself it must have been on the TV and went to bed. I never imagined…” He sniffed. “Next morning, I noticed the newspaper on Van’s lawn so I picked it up and let myself in—I still keep a spare key on my fob. Reza and I used to spend a lot of time over there when Jessica was ill and Van was working.” The man closed his eyes as grief washed over him. “I should have spent more time with him when he retired—”
“We all should have,” Dominic told the man, razors carving out his heart.
“I thought he was doing okay. I never thought…” Gabany gulped loudly.
Dominic let the silence linger. Silence was a much-underutilized tool for getting answers. Kanas watched him, clearly trying to gauge where they were going in the interview.
“He was sad about Jessica, but she’d been so sick there that at the end I think he was secretly relieved her suffering was over.”
“Cancer sucks,” Agent Kanas said, her jaw working.
Dominic wondered if she’d lost someone close. He knew nothing about her family or her background. The poodle headed into the yard. For a moment it felt as if they were all waiting for Van to appear on his back porch and wave before joining them.
“No one should ever have to doubt how much they meant to one another,” Gabany said cryptically.
Dominic glanced sharply at Gabany. “Do you know if Van had started seeing anyone since Jessica died?”
Gabany turned his head away and stared at the big maple that dissected his and Van’s yard. “No.”
Kanas caught Dominic’s eye. They’d both noticed the defensiveness. The clipped response compared to his previous answers.
“No, you don’t know or no, he didn’t start seeing anyone?” Dominic probed. There was something here worth digging at. Something meaty and meaningful.
Gabany shrugged but wouldn’t meet his gaze. The man had put his shields up. The question was why?
“Aside from Sarah and Amy, she’s the only woman I saw visiting.” Gabany nodded toward Kanas, resentment gleaming in his eyes. Sarah and Amy were Van’s daughters.
“We were colleagues and friends,” Kanas reassured the man, which seemed to make Gabany relax a fraction. “Van was like a father to me.”
“It sounds as if you’re upset by the idea of Van being involved with someone new,” Dominic said carefully.
“It’s not that, I…”
“What is it then?” Kanas pushed.
Dominic sighed. Patience was a virtue. Thankfully it could be learned.
Gabany pressed his lips together. “We all met at church, okay? Reza and Jessica were best friends. I know Jessica is gone and all, but the idea of having…relations outside of marriage…bothers me.”
“Relations?” Dominic held Kanas’s gaze, willing her not to say anything. To let the other man fill the silence.
There was something Gabany wasn’t telling them. Maybe it was nothing. Maybe it was gossip or narrow-mindedness. Whatever it was, Dominic wanted to know.
Gabany scratched his head and lowered his voice to a whisper presumably so his wife didn’t overhear. “Sexual relations.”
Again, Dominic let the pause ride and could practically feel Kanas grinding her teeth. She remained silent this time, fingers clenched in her lap as if physically holding back the need to force answers from the man. He felt like he’d won a major victory.
Finally, Gabany spoke again. “I know a man has needs, but it felt wrong.”
“Felt wrong?” Dominic mirrored the words, pulling out information one word at a time. Mirroring built rapport and forced the speaker to expand on their thoughts. It was a common technique negotiators used to build trust.
“Yes, wrong. When I went into the house, I could tell from the smell something terrible had happened.” Gabany shuddered. “I went into the office and found Van…” His knee started to bounce.
The dog whined, ran back to the deck and went over to comfort his master.
Two shiny stripes appeared on Gabany’s pale cheeks. “I didn’t want everyone to see him like that.”
“Like what?” Kanas asked.
“His pants were undone and…” Gabany swallowed. “He was exposed.”
“His genitals were exposed?” Dominic clarified.
Gabany nodded, red deepening in his cheeks.
“So, you, what? Zippered him back up?” Agent Kanas’s eyes were huge. She needed to work on her poker face.
“I didn’t want him found that way,” Gabany said defensively.
He’d messed with the body which could mean nothing or could mean everything.
“What do you think happened?” Dominic asked softly, shooting a quelling look at Kanas.
Gabany shifted his feet. He was obviously uncomfortable talking about sex in front of a woman. “I don’t know.”
“Well, there are two choices. Either he masturbated alone or there was someone with him.” Kanas had no such qualms. “Was there any evidence of semen?”
Gabany’s mouth dropped open in shock as if a woman wasn’t supposed to know about basic human biology. Yeah, tact was definitely not high on her list of attributes. Kanas had switched to full-on investigator and Gabany was still thinking about the death of his friend.
Dominic was trying not to think about Van at all. “Can I clarify a poin
t?”
The man looked aghast but nodded.
“You adjusted his boxer shorts to cover his penis?”
A quick nod.
“What about his pants?”
Another nod. “I zipped them up and fastened the button.”
“He never mentioned another woman? Not even in passing?” asked Kanas. “Because he definitely didn’t mention anyone to me.”
Gabany shook his head, looking defeated. “No.”
Dominic paused. He wasn’t sure quite how this changed things. Perhaps Van had been knocking one out before ending it all. But would he really have wanted to be found that way?
Or was Agent Kanas right and someone else had been in the study, someone who’d helped that bullet find his brain?
Or had Van had a sexual encounter that evening and been so overcome by guilt and remorse and self-hate for cheating on his dead wife that he killed himself and left his humiliation right out in the open for everyone to see as some sort of twisted self-punishment?
The trouble with that scenario was that no way Van would have wanted anyone in the FBI finding him that way. Van understood the black humor and notorious urban legends that abounded within the Bureau. He simply wouldn’t have wanted that humiliating detail to be his legacy.
But if there was another woman involved who was she and when had she left? Before or after Van ended up with a bullet in his brain?
“Would you be willing to make an official statement?” asked Dominic.
“Will it get me in trouble?” Gabany sounded defensive now.
Dominic let out a breath through his nose. “It might get you a caution. But as long as you tell the truth I can’t see the District Attorney being keen to prosecute.”
Gabany went white around the mouth. “Does my wife have to know? Or the general public? I did it to protect Van’s reputation…”
“I can’t guarantee someone won’t find out,” Dominic told him honestly. “But no one inside the FBI wants to see Van’s memory sullied in any way. He was a highly respected agent whom we loved and esteemed. No one is going to release the information unless we have to.”
Gabany nodded slowly. “Give me your card, and I will send you a signed statement.”
It didn’t quite work that way, but Dominic would figure out how to handle it when he had the document in hand. No way would the DA go after a conviction for this. Dominic handed over his card, and Kanas did the same.
The poodle whimpered as they walked away and made Dominic think about his own dog who was probably curled up on his bed even though he wasn’t supposed to be there.
“What are you smiling at?” Kanas asked between gritted teeth.
He raised his brow at her. “You have a problem with me smiling?”
“Considering what we just learned about Van, yes.”
“Lighten up, Kanas. Van’s dead no matter the state of my face.”
Her eyes did a shocked flick around his features and darted away. She muttered something he didn’t catch.
He checked his watch. “I need to get back to Quantico.”
“What?” Kanas stopped and faced him, incredulous. “We need to go talk to the medical examiner. See if they took swabs for DNA. We need to trace Van’s movements the day he died. We might be able to place him with someone—”
“We’re not actively assigned to this investigation, remember?” Although he had an excuse as Aldrich had asked him to look at the files. Kanas didn’t. “You need to get back to the office before your boss notices you’re AWOL. I’ll contact the ME and the lab and—”
“No. No way.” She put her hands on her hips, her t-shirt stretching tight across her full breasts. He had to force himself not to let his gaze get distracted. Ava Kanas had the sort of body that could make a man break every rule in the book, and Dominic was not a rule breaker.
“You are not sidelining me on this,” she insisted.
And the sort of mouth that could drive a man insane. Not in a good way.
“Sidelining you?” Was she serious? “Taking the lead on something is not sidelining. Ever heard of teamwork? Cooperation? Or plain old saving your ass?”
“Saving my ass?” Gold flecks sparked in the depths of her eyes. “You wouldn’t even be here if it wasn’t for me.”
Dominic strove for his natural calm, the one that usually came so easily to him. “I’m trying to protect your FBI career from the kamikaze spin you seem determined to put it into.”
Her lips parted and her chest rose and fell rapidly as she clearly tried to hold on to her temper.
“There are rules and procedures for this. We have no solid evidence. We have no witnesses. All we have is a man who claims he adjusted the clothing of what is most likely a suicide victim.” He reined in the temper that was starting to fray. Ironic that he found it easier to deal with bank robbers and terrorists than Ava Kanas. “I’ll check the files and see what evidence was collected at the scene and ask the ME what samples they took during the postmortem.” The funeral had been postponed but, given the embalming process, Dominic couldn’t be sure what evidence might still be present. At least he was in a position where he could get them to check without losing his job.
She swallowed tightly. “What am I supposed to do?”
“Just do your job until we have more answers.” He pulled his tie from his pocket and slid it along his collar.
Her eyes followed every movement of his fingers. “I’m not letting this drop just because my ‘superiors’ are telling me to. That’s not what Van taught me about conducting investigations. Question everything. Don’t let anyone tell you to ignore your gut. Trust your instincts.”
God, she was infuriating. “You’re deliberately missing the point. I’m not letting you fuck up your career because you’re torn up with grief.”
“You’re not letting me?” A muscle flexed in her jaw.
“That’s right, Ava.” He got in her face. It would have been a hundred times easier to stare her down if he hadn’t wanted to crush her against him and kiss her until she couldn’t breathe. Fuck. “I’m not letting you. That’s what Van taught me—how not to fuck up a career.”
She stilled at his vehemence. After a long beat of silence, she finally said, “Fine.” But it sounded more like “fuck you.”
She brushed past him, her stride long and confident and pissed. “Let me know if I can do anything else to assist you, sir.”
He shook his head. God she was stubborn, but pissing off her superiors was not a great way of keeping her position. No way in hell would Ava Kanas let this go. The question was, how far would he be willing to go to protect her?
Chapter Six
An hour later, the sun was slanting through the blinds at an oblique angle that seemed determined to burn out her retinas, although that wasn’t what was bothering Ava.
She was still so mad with Dominic Sheridan that even writing her FD 302 for the incident with Jimmy Taylor that morning hadn’t cooled her off. Jimmy was safely back in custody and Maria, the girlfriend, was at the hospital suffering from a concussion after hitting her head on the dashboard. They were saving her a place in jail.
Ava spied Ray Aldrich coming into the office where she had a cubicle along with the other agents in their little Resident Agency. She eyed him warily.
He was all smiles and charm today. Even at their meeting first thing that morning he’d calmed down. He was like a dog with no teeth, but he might grow some if he figured out she’d been investigating Van’s death against his explicit instructions.
“Nice job on the arrest this morning, Ava.”
“Thank you.” She gifted him a belated, “Sir.”
Van had always said you caught more flies with honey than vinegar, and Sheridan wasn’t the only one who was good at manipulating people.
“The damage to the Impala was minimal. Did you know it had reinforced bumpers before you rammed Taylor’s SUV?”
Did he think she was an idiot?
“I wouldn’t have attempt
ed the PIT maneuver in an unmodified vehicle, nor would I have done it if I hadn’t seen the patrol cars in close pursuit. I had only a few seconds before Taylor reached I95 and the potential harm to civilians would have increased dramatically.”
“I’m not doubting your choices, Ava.” Liar. He laughed. “I’m shocked he turned up at all.”
Yeah, she’d gathered. Aldrich had been trying to keep her occupied and away from the office and the investigation into Calvin Mortimer’s shooting. Jimmy Taylor had messed up his plans.
“No one ever said cons were rocket scientists.” She turned slightly in her chair, feigning nonchalance. “Any news into Mortimer’s murder?”
Even though the shooting had occurred in Virginia, higher ups had moved the investigation to the Washington Field Office (WFO) as they had more available personnel and space than the Richmond office. Plus, WFO was geographically closer to the crime scene and the national laboratory and the director who had apparently requested hourly briefs on the task force’s progress.
Aldrich stuffed his hands in his pockets. “Lead investigator is an agent called Mark Gross who was recently promoted to squad leader at WFO. I know they’re pursuing leads into vehicles seen on the traffic cams in Fredericksburg yesterday, although if the attack was planned it’s likely they used false plates, and they’re still waiting on the ballistics report.”
“No forensic evidence recovered from the roof of the apartment complex?”
“Unfortunately not. Just the brass casing you and SSA Sheridan discovered.” Aldrich leaned on the edge of her cubicle. “How are you doing today?”
How was she doing? Lost. Adrift. Angry. “Fine.”
“You talked to the psychologist yet?”
Her mouth pinched. “I was busy with the Taylor surveillance and arrest. I’ll call to book an appointment now…” She reached for the phone. It was after five and the shrinks would all have left for the day. As she’d expected, no one answered. She made a show of checking her watch. “I hadn’t realized it was so late.”
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