“Let me get this straight,” Grey said. “You want me to send one of my people into Adam’s house as a florist employee, break into his secure room, and copy incriminating documents?”
Hearing Grey put her idea into actual words made her plan sound much less brilliant.
“I know that it might be difficult to find someone like that.” She shrugged, deflated that her idea hadn’t panned out.
“I have at least a half-dozen someones like that.”
“Really? So you think—”
He flashed a quick, approving look her way. “I think it’s a damn solid idea.”
Nick was shaking his head, apparently not agreeing.
“You don’t think it’s a good idea, Gallagher?”
“Actually, I think it’s a great idea, and I have no doubt you have an arsenal of people who could break into the room.”
A smile tugged at Grey’s mouth. “Not an arsenal but enough. So what don’t you like?”
“Any evidence we gather on Adam won’t be obtained legally and could be inadmissible in court. Our goal is to nail the bastards for good. The Slaters have their own arsenal, all attorneys, whose number one goal is to make sure they keep their clients out of trouble.”
As if a little thing like “inadmissible in court” was barely worth mentioning, Grey said, “You let me worry about that. Let’s just get something.”
Chapter Forty-one
Monday morning, a florist van pulled up in front of Adam Slater’s residence, and four people emerged. As was usual, two went inside to dispose of the old flowers and clean up any residue. While this took place, two others would begin the process of bringing in vases of artfully arranged fresh flowers.
Since this same florist had been performing these duties every three days for six years without any issues, the Slater staff paid little attention as they went about their own duties. No one noticed the slender young woman with a large bouquet in her hands disappear down a hallway in the direction of the owner’s private office. If anyone had seen her, nothing would have been said. After all, there was a long, narrow table only a few yards from that location, so this was perfectly normal behavior.
Setting the flowers on the table, she took a moment to shift the vase to show the flowers in their best light and then took another second to sniff appreciatively at a perfect rose. Satisfied, she nimbly took the few necessary steps to the keypad she’d been told to look for. Sure enough, there it was. Expert eyes assessed the make, model and style. The realization of its type caused her to huff out a disappointed breath. She had been told to expect anything, but this was beyond a bummer.
She shrugged philosophically…a job was a job. Maybe what was behind the door would offer more of a challenge. With that cheerful thought, she plugged a small device into the top of the pad and in an instant the numbers popped up on the screen. She keyed in the numbers and heard a click. With a slight push, the wall smoothly opened, and she stepped inside.
A quick glance at her watch told her she had seventeen minutes. Plenty of time to find this guy’s secrets. With the tune of the theme from the old Batman show humming in her mind, she set to work. Within minutes she was huffing her disappointment again. This dude really was kind of pathetic. Apparently, he thought the keypad and concealed door were enough, because he hid nothing away. No locked desk drawers or cabinets, no secret safes to offer any kind of challenge. Heck, the guy didn’t even have his computer files password protected.
As a flash drive copied his computer files, her little camera whirred like a dervish as it rapidly photographed page after page of paper files. She paid no attention to what she was copying. Her job was to get everything she could and bring it to her boss. This Slater guy was making it too easy for her to do just that.
She closed the last drawer just as the flash drive indicated all files had been copied. Depositing the small device into her smock pocket, she took a moment to ensure her initial assessment was correct and there were no cleverly hidden safes or compartments. The room was boring and empty…just blah. Still slightly disappointed but comforting herself that she had achieved her assigned task, she pulled back on the wall opening and listened. Assured she was safe, she stepped back into the hallway and closed the panel behind her.
Taking another moment to give the flowers on the hallway table one last sniff, she then strode down the hallway toward the front of the house. She took a deep breath and smiled at the scent of fresh flowers that filled the air. She might live in a dumpy apartment with only an ornery cat as company but she could still appreciate the finer things of life.
The sound of the old Mission: Impossible theme now reverberating in her head, she walked out the front door. Pleased that her co-workers had taken up the slack, and their work was done, she slid into the front seat. Turning to her partners, she flashed a sassy grin. “Mission definitely not impossible.”
A stack of papers flew across the room, scattering across the expensive Persian rug in Grey’s private office. Three grim faces glared down at the pages, all wishing to see something that simply did not exist in them—proof that Adam Slater was neck-deep in corruption and murder.
“Son of a bitch,” Gallagher growled as he surged to his feet. “He’s going to get away with it.”
“We don’t know that for sure,” Grey said.
Gallagher paced around the room again, something all three of them had taken turns doing over the last couple of hours.
“There’s got to be something she missed,” Eli said. “There’s no way in hell my brother is innocent of all the shit that my family’s responsible for. No way in hell. I know to my soul that he ordered the hit on Thomas O’Connell and Milton Ward. The asshole even bragged about it.”
“She didn’t miss anything, Eli. If anything had been there, Charlie would have found it.”
“Then it’s over,” Gallagher said. “We might as well pull Kennedy out now. The longer she’s there, the more dangerous for her.”
Not known to be a cheerleader in any form or fashion, Grey searched for uplifting words to boost morale. He pointed to photocopies from a notebook Charlie had found in Adam’s desk. “We’ve got his notes about hiring a hit man. They were made a week before O’Connell was murdered.”
Gallagher shook his head. “Take that to the Dallas police, and they’ll laugh you out of the building. Hell, he could claim he was writing a book. Other than Adam, everyone we know who was involved in the hit is now dead.”
Regretting the death of that bastard killer wasn’t something Grey would ever do. “Maybe we can get a confession from Adam. Confront him with these notes. We could record him admitting he did it. There’s nothing he likes better than to brag.”
Eli shook his head. “Whatever Adam says or does, Mathias will find a way to get him out of trouble. That’s one of the reasons I thought getting into his private files was so vital. With a shitload of documents proving his corruption, we might’ve had a chance. The vague ramblings of a hit man for hire wouldn’t raise an eyebrow.”
“Then we’ll just have to go after Mathias,” Grey said. “We always knew Adam was our soft target.”
With that statement, what little optimism remaining in the room flatlined. No one believed that the wily, sly Mathias Slater could be caught and prosecuted.
“Kennedy will be at the spa at one o’clock,” Grey said. “We need to make some decisions.”
“It’s not Friday. How’d she get away?” Gallagher asked.
“She and Adam are going to a charity benefit tonight. I had lunch with them yesterday to discuss some of Adam’s projects. She made a point of asking for time off in front of me, saying she wanted to get a manicure. He agreed to let her have a few hours off.”
His expression back to its usual grimness, Gallagher said, “I’d like to go see her alone, unless either of you have something encouraging to tell her.”
Grey shook his head, the hopelessness of their campaign against Adam and Mathias hitting him hard. It was heroic of Gal
lagher to be the one to tell Kennedy that all the work she’d done was going to be for nothing.
“Tell her we’ll keep trying. All is not lost.”
“I’ll tell her, but understand this.” His eyes targeted both Grey and Eli. “Kennedy’s part in all of this is officially over. We’re not going to use her to come at Adam from a different angle. After today, she’s out.”
Grey couldn’t argue. Their last hope had been breaching Adam’s secret office and finding evidence to back up their suspicions. With nothing viable to incriminate him, there was no point in pursuing a dead end.
“Please let her know that her contributions were outstanding. Without her, we never would have gotten this far.”
“I’ll do that.”
Gallagher gave one last look around the room filled with paper files strewn all over the floor and every piece of furniture. “Amazing. Out of all this shit and not one shred of evidence to condemn him. Who knows? Maybe we’ve got it wrong and Adam is actually one smart bastard.”
The instant the door closed, Eli said, “I’m going to confront Mathias tonight.”
“You think the time is right?”
“What’s the point in waiting?”
“What do you hope to accomplish?”
An unusual bitterness crossed Eli’s face. “My hope is the SOB has a heart attack and keels over dead. Barring that, I just want to see his face when he finds out the truth. Mathias isn’t used to failure, and this will be the biggest one he’s ever had. That, if nothing else, will give both of us a small amount of peace.”
Kennedy had never looked so forward to a manicure in all her life. She knew by the wink Grey had given her during lunch yesterday that his people had been able to get inside Adam’s secret room. So when she had asked for time off for a manicure in front of him, without a doubt he’d known what she meant. She had to find out what evidence they had uncovered.
Jumping out of the limo, she raced into the spa. The calm atmosphere and soothing music were in complete contrast to the excitement racing through her. Within the next few minutes she would find out if all of this was over. The thought of being able to wake up tomorrow in her own bed, in Nick’s arms, had her practically dancing into the small back room where the meetings took place.
“Hey,” Nick said.
Unable to control her exuberance, Kennedy launched herself at him. Nick’s arms closed around her, held her tight. She took a moment to absorb the delicious feeling of being with the man she loved. Then, unable to stop herself, she pulled away to beam up at him. “So, is it done…is it over? Did we get what we needed?”
If she had been a little less enthusiastic and a little more perceptive, she might have sensed that something hadn’t been right the moment she ran into the room. The tenderness on Nick’s face melted her heart, but the sadness in his eyes told her something was terribly wrong.
Refusing to panic, she said, “What’s wrong?”
“Before I tell you anything, I want you to know you did a great job. No one has been able to get this close to Adam before. I’m proud of you.”
“Thanks, but why don’t I feel any better? Tell me.”
“There was nothing in the office, Kennedy. Not a damn thing other than some vague notes about hiring a hit man. No names were even mentioned.”
“That’s it?”
“Yes. The young woman who broke in went through his computer files and every paper file. She copied everything he had.”
“But there’s got to be some kind of proof, Nick. I mean, if he’s been in cahoots with his father all these years. All the drug trafficking, money laundering, and murders for hire have got to have some kind of paper trail.”
“If it exists, Mathias has it all.”
She felt as deflated as a blowout on a worn tire. After all the time and energy they had put into digging up dirt on Adam and now they were back to where they had started—with absolutely nothing.
“What about Adam’s notes about a hit man? Aren’t they worth something?”
“Justice mentioned he would discuss the matter with a friend at the DA’s office. But we agreed that all it would take to make any suspicion disappear is a call from Mathias.”
She stumbled backward, grateful that a chair happened to be behind her, though she wasn’t sure she would have noticed. She felt numb inside.
Nick went to his knees before her. “Don’t look like that, sweetheart. We won’t give up. I meant to tell you this the other day and got sidetracked. I quit my job with the Houston PD. I’m going to work for Justice full time, and I won’t rest until I get what we need to nail those bastards. I swear I won’t.”
As she looked into his beautiful face, full of so much love and caring, an odd sort of peace swept over her. Thomas never would have wanted this. He had wanted her to go on with her life, find happiness again. But she hadn’t been able to let go…her need to make the people responsible for his death pay for their crimes had been too strong. And now, even though she hadn’t achieved her goal, she didn’t regret the decisions she had made. She was a much stronger person than she had been before. She had proved that she could weather any storm.
Someday Mathias and Adam would get in over their heads and not be able to buy their way out or they would die and the devil would take care of their sins. Either way, it was time to let this go.
Taking Nick’s face between her hands, she leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to that grim, unsmiling mouth she loved so much. “Thank you, Nick, for being Thomas’s best friend and mine.”
“What are you saying?”
“I’m saying this is over.”
A punch in the gut couldn’t have had more impact. What the hell did she mean? “What’s over?”
“This need for revenge…for justice. It’s time to let go and move on with our lives.”
“But I—”
“This clandestine, undercover stuff isn’t for me.” She grinned. “I think I’ve proved that.”
“You’ve done a damn good job. Don’t sell yourself short.”
“I’m not. Even though it didn’t turn out as I’d hoped, I’m proud of what I accomplished. But this isn’t what I want for my life.”
“What do you want?”
“I want what Thomas would have wanted me to have. A normal life, a normal job. I want a family…a marriage, children.” She paused and then added breathlessly, “I want those things with you.”
He swallowed hard. “With me?”
“Yes, I love you. More than I can ever say…more than I ever believed was possible.”
Nick stood, pulled her up with him, and just held her. He had never allowed himself this dream, but oh, how he wanted it.
Releasing her slightly, he pressed a soft kiss to her smiling mouth, savoring her taste. “I’m going to make you so happy…I swear I will.”
“You’ve already started,” she whispered softly.
His mouth settled over hers again, and for once in his life Nick let himself believe there really were such things as happy endings.
Chapter Forty-two
Would this night never end? Kennedy shifted from one foot to the other, trying to find a comfortable position. The room was overcrowded, the noise almost deafening, and if Adam leaned over and whispered one more time with his bacon-scented breath coating her ear, she was going to explode.
She should have made an excuse and refused to attend tonight’s function. If she had gone along with Nick’s suggestion of just not returning to her job, she could have been at home, in his arms right now. But she hadn’t wanted to raise Adam’s suspicions, so she had forced herself to attend. Thankfully, this would be her last event with this man at her side.
“Did I tell you that you look especially enchanting tonight?”
“Yes.”
Seeming not to notice her less-than-enthusiastic response to his compliment, he let his eyes roam up and down her body. “There’s something different about you. You’re practically glowing.”
If she
responded with the truth and told him that she was in love with a wonderful man and that in just a few hours she would be in his arms where she planned to stay a lifetime, she doubted the news would go over well.
“The spa does wonders for a girl.”
“I’ll have to tell DeAnne to get over there, then. They’d probably have to keep her a week or two, though.”
Why DeAnne Slater loved her husband was a mystery. Instead of appreciating what he had, Adam couldn’t stop himself from wanting something new and different. Well aware she might end up walking home, Kennedy couldn’t have stopped herself from stating her opinion if she’d wanted. “You’re a damn lucky man to have a woman like DeAnne love you.”
His eyes wide with insult, he reared back as if she’d slapped him. “I don’t believe I need some little nobody from Amarillo telling me anything about my wife.”
Nick had been right. She should have refused to come tonight.
“I believe it’s time for me to go. I’ll get a taxi.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. Look…I’m sorry I snapped at you. I guess I’m just overly sensitive.” He grabbed her hand and squeezed. “Don’t be mad.”
“I’m not mad. Nevertheless, I would like to go home. I’m getting a headache.”
“Okay, fine. I’ll call for our car.” His lower lip puffed out in an actual pout, reminding her of a five-year-old child. For the first time ever, she felt sorry for this man. He really was a child in a man’s body. Unfortunately, he was a very evil child.
“I’ll get my coat.”
His ear to his cellphone, he didn’t bother to acknowledge her comment.
Blowing out a long sigh, Kennedy set her sights on the coat-check counter across the room. Though at least a hundred people separated her from her goal, she comforted herself that the end was in sight. The minute they pulled into Adam’s drive, Nick would be behind them. She was already packed. All she needed to do was grab her things, and she would be gone. She planned to tell Adam that she no longer felt suited to be his executive assistant. The little argument they’d just had would actually be helpful.
Nothing To Lose: A Grey Justice Novel Page 32