Lone Witness

by Rachel Dylan

  “Yes, sir. And also, it may take me a little time to acclimate back to the office after everything that has happened.”

  His eyes noticeably softened. “Of course. I didn’t mean to come off as cold. Take as much time as you need and re-immerse yourself slowly. You’ve been through quite a lot over the past few months. I didn’t mean to imply that you had to be back up to full speed right away.”

  She felt a little guilty for playing the sympathy card, but it seemed like the best move. He gave her a reassuring nod and left.

  As she sat there with her notes on the SIB case in front of her and thought about her next steps, she couldn’t help but wonder if she’d just traded one set of dangers for another.

  Chapter

  Twenty-One

  Tad took a gulp of his coffee and watched from his car as Cooper Knight walked toward his SUV, which was parked in Midtown. He’d found out that Cooper was the co-owner of K&R Security. What he still hadn’t figured out was whether he was Sophie’s boyfriend or if there was a business relationship there—or both.

  The fact that Sophie had finally gone back to work was good for him, because it gave him more access to her. But the underlying problem remained. As long as Sophie kept pushing the Shelton case, then SIB was at risk.

  He figured Sophie might be in the office for a few more hours, so he took the opportunity to tail Cooper and see where he was headed. Tad was pretty sure SIB was up to its neck in dirty money. He needed Whitney to open up to him, and he felt like he was getting close.

  He tailed Cooper down to the K&R Security office and waited. He pulled out his laptop, connected to his mobile hot spot, and started doing more research. Even though he wasn’t young, he had a thing for technology, and that had served him well.

  He’d asked and Whitney had given him access to all of the files she’d turned over to Sophie. He had gotten the impression that Whitney hadn’t intended for Sophie to find some of the connections in the documents. That was the problem with a large data dump. Yes, it would make the other side’s life difficult in wading through all of it, but there could very well be something damaging in there too.

  If Sophie was hot on the trail and focused on SIB’s illegal activities, then his timetable to complete his assignment was accelerated. Fortunately, he didn’t back down from a challenge.

  Cooper sat with Landon and Noah in their main conference room at K&R.

  “Do you really think it’s wise for Sophie to jump into the deep end on this after all that’s happened?” Landon asked.

  “Believe me, I pointed out the same thing to her, but she’s stubborn. She’s not going to let this go, and I’d much rather be closely involved if she’s going down this path than have her go it alone.” That wasn’t an option for him.

  Noah typed on his laptop. “We haven’t made much progress on tracking the funds. Since that avenue is dry, I’ve been thinking it’s time we come at this differently. I say we start working our sources and see what we can find out about any possible links between SIB and any criminal enterprises. Between all of our contacts, someone has to know something.”

  That sounded like a good plan. “Based on everything, if you had to speculate, what would you say?”

  “I’d say cartels,” Noah said.

  Landon nodded. “I agree. The cartels have the powerful connections and the cash flow to pull off an elaborate scheme.”

  Cooper had an idea. “I think we need to cross-reference the key cartel figures in the area with Whitney Bowman and see if we can find any connection.”

  “I’m on it from the tech side,” Noah said. “Plus, I’ll reach out to my ATF contacts.”

  “And I’ll help too,” Landon said.

  “I’ll talk to my APD contacts. Between the three of us, I think we can bust this one wide open.”

  “And then what happens with Sophie?” Noah asked.

  “I have to keep her safe. That’s the bottom line.” He took a breath, feeling the responsibility weighing heavily on his shoulders.

  “Am I sensing something more between the two of you?” Landon asked with wide eyes.

  “I know it’s not like me, but she’s really gotten into my head—in a good way. But things are super complicated. We both have issues we have to work through, and I might have blown it.”

  Landon gave his back a hearty pat. “You’re in deep, man. Welcome to the club.”

  “I just don’t want to screw this up any more than I already have,” Cooper muttered.

  “Then don’t,” Noah said. “You’ve tortured yourself over your father for way too many years. It’s time to let someone in.”

  Cooper looked at his friend. It was rare for Noah, the quiet one of the group, to speak so openly about something like that. “I’m trying. It’s a big step for me.” He paused. “But enough about that. Let’s get to work.”

  “Order some pizza for lunch, and you’ve got a deal,” Landon said.

  Cooper laughed. “Two maxed-out pizzas coming up.”

  He had a feeling that they were going to pull this off, but he feared what they might find.

  “Why did you invite me to dinner?” Patrick asked Ashley.

  She had several motivations for wanting to have dinner with him, including getting him in a social setting away from the office. She had a business proposition for him that she knew was going to blow his mind. “I thought it would be nice to talk away from our offices and all the baggage that comes along with it.”

  He took a sip of his sweet tea. “Ashley, I don’t think you really want to hang out with me, so just tell me what’s on your mind.”

  Patrick really sold himself short. He was a smart and very attractive man. But she wasn’t playing the romance card with him. This was all business and on the up-and-up. “You don’t give yourself enough credit. You’re more than pleasant company when you want to be, but you’re right that this isn’t exactly a social visit.”

  “Then what it is? I’m sick of thinking about the Wade trial, so if that’s what you’re here to talk about, I’d rather not.”

  She still hoped that he wouldn’t re-try the Wade case, but she’d come up with something even more interesting for them to talk about. She couldn’t believe she hadn’t thought of it before. “I’ve gotten to see you up close and in action throughout the Wade case.”

  “Yes, that’s how it works.”

  “I’ll just put it all out there, because there’s no point in trying to dance around this.” She took a deep breath. “I want to offer you a job.”

  Patrick had just taken another sip of his drink and started coughing loudly. She’d clearly taken him off guard. The last thing she needed was for him to choke to death.

  “Patrick, are you okay?”

  He cleared his throat and nodded. “Just give me a second,” he said in a raspy voice. He drank some more and took a moment. “Are you joking?”

  “I see how you might think that, and I admit the idea does seem a little crazy and completely unconventional. But it came to me the other day after I left our meeting. I was thinking about what a powerful team we could make if we were on the same side.”

  He crossed his arms. “And why in the world would I become a defense attorney? Isn’t that the basic problem here? We play on completely different teams.”

  “A few reasons,” she said bluntly. “Working with me, you’d make multiples of what you ever could as a prosecutor. Plus, you’d get tons of exposure. A man like you isn’t someone on a crusade. You thrive off the power and influence you have. I could tell it from our interactions and from watching you in the courtroom.”

  He cocked his head to the side. “You really think I’m that driven by money and power?”

  Wasn’t everyone, if they were being honest? “Patrick, you don’t have to put up these pretenses with me. It’s perfectly acceptable for you to want something more. I’m not judging you for that—just the opposite. I’m trying to encourage you to embrace it.”

  She watched as he sat quietl
y, his dark eyes focused on her. She wished she could figure out what was going on in his head. Had she pushed him too quickly?

  “I honestly think I’m at a loss for words,” he said. “That may be a first for me.”

  “You don’t have to decide right now. Take whatever time you need to think about it.”

  He started laughing. “Ashley, I have no words because this is the most ridiculous proposal I’ve ever heard in my life.”

  She sucked in a breath. “You’re just being stubborn. Don’t deny the brilliance here.”

  Patrick shook his head. “Yes, I’m ambitious, but that ambition is in the context of fighting for justice in the courtroom.”

  “I think that’s just what you want to believe. If you’re honest with yourself, you’d love the challenge of switching sides. The adrenaline rush. It takes being an attorney to an entirely different level.”

  “What you’re not understanding here is that I like being one of the good guys. I can’t see myself on the defense side. And that’s putting aside the fact that you and I would kill each other.”

  “We’re not getting married, Patrick. This is purely business.” She wasn’t going to beg, though. She’d make her case, but in the end, if he turned her down, he’d be the one losing out.

  “I’m sorry to disappoint you, but you should put this idea out of your head. Better yet, we can pretend like this conversation never happened.”

  Could she have misread him so badly, or was he just lying to her? How could he not want more than what he had right now? No, she didn’t believe him.

  He stood up. “I think it’s best for me to go. I’ll see you around, Ashley.”

  She sat stunned that he had rebuffed her like that. She’d given him a chance that she’d never offered to anyone else. Once he had some time to think, he’d come to his senses. There was no way he could turn down her offer.

  It had been a good first day back in the office once she’d gotten over her annoying welcome from Harrison. She caught up on a lot of administrative matters that needed her attention, and she mapped out a game plan for the Shelton case.

  Monica was proving to be very helpful and resourceful. Sophie wondered if she was that on top of things herself when she was a rookie prosecutor. Regardless, it was nice to have the help and have someone in the office who was committed to pushing through with the case. Even if Monica didn’t really have a choice, since Sophie was calling the shots. But Monica seemed to genuinely care. Being invested in a case was important.

  “You seem deep in thought,” Cooper said.

  They were back at her house, sitting at the kitchen table. “Just thinking about how glad I am to be back. I know things aren’t completely normal, but it’s a big step in the right direction.”

  “Good. I have an update for you on what the guys and I are doing. Our working theory at the moment is that there is some connection between SIB and one of the area drug cartels. We’re trying to see if we can get any tangible evidence of that.”

  “Why a drug cartel?”

  “For this type of money laundering, we all think it makes the most sense. It could also be some other organized crime group, but we’re starting with the cartels’ key players first and trying to see if there are any links between them and Whitney Bowman.”

  Her mind started to fill in the blanks. This could be huge. Could be was the operative term, though. They didn’t have anything yet and might not even be chasing the right theory. “That sounds like a solid plan.”

  “Here’s the thing, though.”

  She waited for him to keep going.

  “The guys and I are worried that this investigation could get very dangerous. If you start poking your nose around the cartels, they don’t take kindly to that. I think it’s best if you let us take the lead on this part of the case. See what we can find. I don’t want you out there asking questions. Let us do that.”

  She nodded. “Well, I don’t even have the connections you guys do. I have APD contacts, obviously. I could reach out to them.”

  “No, let me. You never know who you can trust.”

  “You’re worried about dirty cops?”

  “I’m worried about everything, and the last thing I want to do is to put you in the line of fire.”

  She wanted to reach out to him for reassurance, but she stopped herself. She had to remind herself where the two of them stood. “I don’t want to be a target again either, but I also want to crack this case. But I’ll do as you ask and focus on other parts of the investigation. Monica and I are creating a detailed chart of all of the transactions. When you lay it all out, there’s no denying that something fishy is going on.”

  “Have you heard from Patrick?”

  Cooper was all business tonight. She was flooded with a mix of relief and disappointment. “Yeah, he called me today. He hasn’t made up his mind yet. He seemed a little off. I think the mistrial really got to him. I’d be the same way in his situation. I’m upset, and I wasn’t even the prosecutor. I wanted to take the pressure off, so I told him I would stand behind whatever decision he makes.”

  “But don’t you want justice for those families?” he asked.

  “Absolutely, but I’m not sure if we’ll ever get it. Juan has proven that he has the ability to impact the legal process. He did it once, and I’m sure he’d do it again.”

  “That is so frustrating.”

  “Tell me about it.”

  “Everything else go okay at the office today? Did you stay inside all day as I asked?” He seemed to have a laser-like focus on following protocol right now.

  “Yes. At some point, I’ll want to be able to go out, but I know it’s still early. Do you really think Juan would still come after me now?”

  Cooper nodded. “Unfortunately, there’s a risk. And now with the SIB angle, we have to be vigilant.”

  Everything seemed to be hanging in the balance.

  Chapter

  Twenty-Two

  One advantage of being a retired police officer was that Tad had a lot of connections. And those sources let him know an extremely troubling fact. Cooper and his partners were asking around about Whitney’s connection to drug cartels.

  Everything was coming to a head. He’d considered his options, but given that he now had this knowledge, he felt he had to take it to Whitney. She needed to be warned about what was happening and then make her decision.

  He waited for her to arrive at a table in the back corner of the coffee shop in Colony Square. It was only a short walk from the SIB building. He thought it best that they have this conversation outside of the corporate office.

  Whitney joined him a few minutes later. She looked classy, as always, today wearing a white pantsuit. “Do you have something for me?”

  “I do.” He had gone over in his mind the best way to play this, but now that her icy blue eyes were locked onto his, he was having second thoughts.

  “Well, what is it?”

  “The guy I told you about who has been hanging around Sophie has a private security business. He and his business partners have been asking law enforcement some questions.”

  “About what?”

  Best to just say it. “More about who. You, specifically.”

  Her eyes widened. “Tell me everything you know.”

  “They’re nosing around, trying to find out if there’s any link between you and the drug cartels.”

  Whitney sucked in a breath. “Are you serious?”

  “By your reaction, it seems that this comes as a surprise to you. But I don’t know if your surprise is that they found out about it or that they suspect it at all. Is there anything behind this whole mess that could make them think you’re wrapped up with the cartels?” He watched her carefully to see if she had any tells.

  She looked down and then back up at him. “Are you certain they’re doing this? I have a source inside the prosecutor’s office, and nothing like this has been brought to my attention.”

  He thought it telling that s
he didn’t deny the accusation. “Ms. Bowman, to be able to help you here, I need to know the truth.”

  Whitney looked away again. “I don’t know if that’s such a good idea.”

  “What have you gotten yourself into, Ms. Bowman? Remember, I’m no longer in law enforcement. You hired me, and I’m bound by confidentiality.”

  “We may have a bit of a problem,” she said in a hushed tone.

  “Why don’t we start with who you’re doing business with.”

  “Manuel Smith,” she said softly.

  And there it was. Smith was one of the heavy hitters in one of the major cartels that worked the Southeast. A fact Tad knew very well. But he wanted to hear Whitney’s side of the story. “How in the world did you get mixed up with Smith?”

  She let out a sigh. “It’s a long story.”

  “Is the bottom line that the cartel is using your bank to clean its money?” He figured why not just lay all the cards out on the table.

  “We have to put a stop to this inquiry right away.”

  “They’re already asking questions. It’s probably just a matter of time before they find out.”

  She shook her head. “We’ve been so discreet.”

  “What’s Shelton’s connection to all of this?”

  “The weak link, obviously. He got greedy and started to go rogue with his completely separate money-making schemes. If he had stuck to the plan, we wouldn’t be having this discussion right now. Shelton was just a pawn I used to move the money.”

  “He knows about the connection to Smith?” It was important to determine what Shelton knew.

  “He doesn’t know everything, but he knows enough to cause me great concern. He processed the transactions, but he didn’t know what they were for initially. Then he started asking questions and doing his own digging. I can’t be certain how much he knows, which is another reason I’m trying to squash this case before it goes to trial. I told Smith that Shelton was completely in the dark because I thought I could contain things. Now I’m not so sure.”

  Wasn’t that an interesting tidbit. There was more exposure here than he’d initially thought. The cop in him made him ask, “Why did you get involved with Smith in the first place? I’m sure you’re already making significant money in your CEO position.”