The Murder That Never Was
Page 34
“Better late than never,” Patrick pointed out. “It’ll help the ADA’s case.”
“True.” Marc nodded.
“I wonder what the government will do with Lubinov’s research,” Ryan mused aloud. “Will they destroy it or have their pharmaceutical resources alter the formula until it’s safe for use?”
“We’ll probably never know,” Casey replied. “But I can live with that. The important things have all been resolved, including keeping our clients safe and giving them back their lives. Case closed.”
“Giving them back their lives how?” Emma asked. “You said you were working on legal options to keep Lisa and Miles out of jail.”
“And we did,” Casey replied. “We’ve had talks with the right attorneys, who have subsequently made the right deals. And, before you ask, yes, our clients are totally on board with everything. Documents have been signed and dated. In fact…” She glanced at her watch. “Lisa and Miles should be arriving at the brownstone any time now, just to see you. Shannon is back in Chicago with her parents, but she sends you her love and the promise to stay in touch.”
“All of that sounds awesome.” Emma sighed in relief. She shot Casey a quizzical look. “What does ‘right attorneys’ mean?”
“It means a few top-notch lawyers with whom we have good and mutually beneficial relationships,” Casey clarified. “They’ve been able to work out a deal whereby Lisa’s and Miles’s jail time will be converted into one year of stringent community service—providing that Lisa repays Julie’s inheritance and testifies at her murder trial. Since Julie has no living relatives, Lisa chose to pay back the inheritance by converting the vacant building a block down from Excalibur into a gym and café for foster kids.”
“What a great idea,” Emma exclaimed. “That way, Julie’s dream stays alive in Excalibur, and Lisa’s dream to help other foster kids is realized.”
“Yup.” Casey nodded. “The deal is contingent, of course, on Shannon’s testimony, which she’s ready and eager to give. So stop worrying. It’s all going to be fine.”
“This time,” Hutch qualified. Despite the celebratory mood, he was less than thrilled with the team. “Look, I ran the necessary interference with the Bureau regarding Emma’s capture. I backed up her story, and I kept my mouth shut about FI involvement. But, Casey, you gave Marc and Ryan the go-ahead to act without law enforcement, knowing that SWAT was on its way. In turn, they went ahead and put themselves in a life-threatening situation.”
“If they hadn’t, I might not be alive today,” Emma reminded him. “Every second mattered.”
Hutch couldn’t argue that one, and he didn’t even try—especially because it would make him an utter hypocrite, given the rules he’d broken in the past to save Casey’s life. “I know, Emma. And I’m more than grateful that you’re okay. But this constant vigilante stuff worries the hell out of me. One of these days, FI might not be so lucky. And I couldn’t live with myself if any of you was hurt—or worse.”
“It won’t come to that, Hutch.” Casey gave him a tender look, fully aware of how torn he was—and why. “We’re the best there is at what we do. You know that. And you also know that we always stay within the confines of the law—unless we can’t.” Her wink was playful. “But thank you. Your concerns have been duly noted.”
“Yeah, right, and you’ll take them under advisement.” Hutch rolled his eyes. “You’re going to make me old before my time.”
“I’ll keep you young, I promise.”
Hutch couldn’t help but thaw. “I’ll hold you to that.”
Maddy gave him a sympathetic look. “Our job, it seems, is to love them and live with them—but not always happily.”
“I’ll take the job,” Hutch replied. “God help me, but sign me up.”
*****
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I’m fortunate enough to work with an amazing, dedicated group of people who are the best consultants any author could ask for. They possess not only specialized knowledge and experience that make them the experts that they are, but also the generosity of spirit to share that expertise with me and help me create the best book possible.
Specifically, I want to thank:
Angela Bell, Public Affairs Specialist, FBI Office of Public Affairs, who quite simply defines the word “awesome.”
SSA James McNamara, FBI Behavioral Analysis Unit, retired, Behavioral Criminology International, former Captain United States Marine Corps, whose vast knowledge of criminal human behavior is a fascinating counterpart to his firsthand knowledge of the skills and character of a US Marine.
Debbie D’Alessio, Personal Trainer, who spent hours teaching me everything from professional training techniques to the basics of using state-of-the-art training equipment.
Shannon Wojnar, who introduced me to the world of competitive gymnastics.
“JP” and “his daughter”, who brought Chicago to life for me, and gave me an insider’s view of the city and its surrounding suburbs.
Dr. Paul Sedlacek, who combines extraordinary veterinary expertise with overall medical knowledge (along with a dash of creativity) to lend understanding to the human/animal anatomical similarities and differences.
As always I want to thank the following:
My readers, who inspire me, cheer me on, and love my characters as much as I do.
And to my family, who are my heart and my champions—I feel eternally blessed to have you. I love you, always.