by Rebecca Deel
“Milo Wall, Ken James, Chris Turner, Luke Dyson, and Natalie Fisher all grew up in Redding, Tennessee. For a time, Rich Morris lived there, too. Only he went by the name Rick Ashworth.”
“Go on.”
“There was an incident with Ashworth’s sister and Milo Wall. The girl killed herself and Rick blamed the other five for her death.”
Green frowned. “I get the revenge motive on the Redding residents. What about Ty, Pete, and Will?”
“Deke and I were the handlers for the witnesses. The killer waited for me in my apartment. Ty tried to stop the attack and was shot.”
“Pete?”
“He searched the computers at work, looking for the leak. He stumbled across photos proving the connection to Redding. Pete died because he found the leak.”
“And Will?” He swung his attention to Nate. “You’re sure you were the assassin’s target?”
“Stella shoved me out of the way. Otherwise, I’d be in the hospital or the morgue right now.”
“You’re positive about the Manetti connection?”
“Photos prove Rich Morris knew the three dead witnesses. Four of Manetti’s men tried to grab Natalie Fisher and kill Luke Dyson. Morris blamed the five for his sister’s death. I’m sure.”
“Did you ask Gage about Manetti?”
Nate stilled. “Why?”
“He spent a year undercover in Manetti’s organization early in his career.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
Nate climbed behind the wheel of the SUV and glanced at Stella. “We need to talk to Gage.”
“I can’t believe he didn’t tell us about his time with Manetti. He had plenty of opportunity.”
“Maybe he thought it wasn’t relevant since it was several years ago,” Deke said from the backseat. “We haven’t shared information while we searched for the leak.”
“Because he might be the person you were seeking. Gage has something to hide. What matters is whether his secret is connected with the leaks and murders.”
“I don’t have his number, Deke,” Stella said.
He pulled out his personal cell phone, turned it on, and dictated the number.
Nate handed his phone to Stella. “Call him.” Within seconds, the sound of a phone ringing could be heard in the vehicle.
“Yates.”
“It’s Nate Armstrong. We need to talk.”
“What about?”
“Not over the phone. In person.”
“I’ve got my hands full right now. I need a few hours.”
His eyes narrowed. Vague enough. The marshal sounded uneasy. Nate didn’t trust voice cues over electronics. He needed to be in the same room with the man to read him. “When and where?”
“My place. Stella and Deke shouldn’t be out in the open.”
“Why?”
“It’s not safe. Every law enforcement agency in the area knows who they are and that they’re suspected of killing fellow cops. Makes them a target.”
Not to mention someone else hunting for them, possibly Manetti’s number two man. “Is that the only reason I should keep them out of sight?”
“Being pretty cryptic, aren’t you, Armstrong?”
And the marshal was evasive. “Give me your address and a time, Yates.”
“Eight o’clock at 5522 Dahlia Avenue.” The marshal ended the call.
“He knows,” Deke said softly.
“Probably.” If he was smart. The eight hours of lead time gave him a chance to run or set them up. Nate activated his Bluetooth.
“What do you need, Nate?”
“An operative to watch a marshal’s house.”
“Where?” Brent asked.
He gave the address. “The house belongs to Gage Yates, a marshal out of Stella’s office. He was undercover with Manetti’s organization for a year.”
“He’s the leak?”
“No proof. We still have another marshal to check out. We can dump Eric Green to the bottom of the suspect list. That leaves Yates and Mike Daniels.”
“Why do you want my asset to sit on Yates’ house?”
“He’ll either run or plan an ambush. I’d rather not be caught by surprise.” This time an assassin might hit Stella or Deke.
“I’ll send Trent and pass on your cell number. He’ll contact you if there’s a problem.”
“Copy that.”
“You’re sure Gage is involved?” Stella asked after Brent ended the call.
“Yates lived in Manetti’s back pocket for a year, baby. It’s the connection we’ve been missing.”
“We shouldn’t rule out the others.”
At her sharp tone, he laid a hand on her knee. “I’m not ruling anyone out. We’ll check all of them for connections to Manetti. You don’t want the leak to be Yates, do you?”
“I don’t want it to be anyone in our office. I was hoping for computer hackers.”
“Me, too,” Deke said. “I like the guy. He reminds me of myself when I first got into law enforcement.”
Nate called Josh. “Gage Yates was undercover with Manetti’s organization as a rookie.”
Durango’s leader whistled. “Did you talk to him about it?”
“Not yet. He dodged a meeting until tonight. Brent’s putting St. Claire on Yates’ house. If he runs or plans an ambush, we’ll know.”
“No proof that he’s feeding intel to Ashworth?”
“Nope. Just a boatload of suspicion.”
“What’s next?”
“Tracking down Mike Daniels. After that, we’ll return to the cabin until the meet with Yates.”
“Copy that.”
Nate glanced at Deke in the rearview mirror. “Find Daniels.” While he waited for Deke to convince Daniels to meet with them, he swung by a fast food restaurant for lunch. Roast beef sandwiches and curly fries sounded good to him. “This okay, sweetheart?” he murmured.
“It’s fine. I’m starving, but it’s only been an hour since you ate at Panera’s.”
He smiled. “We’re still growing.”
“If I ate like that, I’d be growing, too. The wrong way.”
“You look amazing, baby.”
“Please,” Deke said, grimacing. “Makes me miss my wife plus it feels weird listening to you flirt with my partner.”
Stella grinned. “I’m sure Andrea misses you, too. What did Mike say?”
“He’s shopping with his wife. Said if we meet him at Cool Springs Galleria in the food court, he’ll talk to us.”
Nate checked his mirrors and exited off I-24 onto Bell Road. Forty minutes later, he pulled into the packed parking lot of the mall. They weaved through the milling crowd and plunged into the busy foot court. Scanning the tables, he spotted the marshal seated near the center of the diners. His lips curled at the constant vigilance from the marshal. Daniels must not have been able to find a table with his back against a wall or a concrete post. Didn’t blame him for being uneasy. Having people he didn’t know at his back made Nate twitchy, too.
The older man saluted them with his coffee cup.
“Where’s Irene?” Stella asked as she sat across from her co-worker.
His cheeks reddened. “Victoria’s Secret.”
Deke chuckled. “Andrea loves that place, too. I don’t mind her shopping there since I benefit as well.”
“Right,” came the curt reply.
To Nate’s fascination, the reddish tinge now covered Daniels’ neck. Time to give the guy a break from talking about a lingerie store, a place Nate suspected he’d be frequenting with his soon-to-be wife soon. “You heard about Riley?”
Expression grim, Daniels nodded. “Irene and I will see him after we finish here. Have you heard how he is today?”
“Not bad since he’s on pain killers,” Deke answered. “He’ll have a few months of rehab to get through, but he’ll recover.”
“Nadine didn’t give details when she called. What happened?”
“We went to see Riley last night and were standing on the por
ch with him when the shooter shot at Nate. He hit Riley.”
“Nate?” Daniels turned his speculative gaze on him. “Why target you?”
“I’m another layer of protection for Stella and Deke. The shooter wanted me out of the way.”
“Get a look at him, Deke?”
“Enough to know it was a man, not enough to ID him. Too dark and he was too fast.”
“This is insane. I don’t understand why we’re targets.”
“What do you know about Joseph Manetti?” Stella asked.
“Enough to know he’s one of the most dangerous men around. I’ve never had dealings with him. Why? What does he have to do with Ty and Pete’s deaths and Will’s injury?”
“What do you know about Rich Morris?” Nate asked.
Daniels frowned. “He’s Manetti’s second in command and running the kingdom while his boss is a guest of the government.”
“We think Morris is behind it all, including the deaths of three protected witnesses and attempts on two others.”
“What’s his motive?”
Between the three of them, they filled him in on their speculation. Nate paid close attention to his facial and voice cues. Nothing. The man appeared genuinely stunned at the developments.
“You don’t have proof.”
“Rich Morris is Rick Ashworth and Ashworth is the only connection between the five protected witnesses,” Deke said. “He wants me and Stella so he can find Luke and Natalie and kill them, too.”
“Where are they?”
“Safe from everyone, including the leak in our office.”
Nate leaned closer to Daniels. “Where were you when Riley was shot?”
He blinked. “Irene and I went to a movie.” He gave the title and time of the showing.
“Proof?”
“No witnesses to speak of. The theater was full, but we arrived fifteen minutes late. The lights were already dimmed and the main feature was playing.” He shrugged. “Got a ticket stub at the house if you need to see it. It won’t be enough proof, though.”
“Why not?”
“The movie theater is two miles from Riley’s house and I left the theater to take a phone call. I had the opportunity to drive to Will’s house, shoot him, and return before my wife realized I was gone.”
“Did you try to kill me, Daniels?”
“I don’t have a motive, Armstrong.”
“You do if you wanted to isolate Stella and Deke.”
“Wasn’t me.”
“What do you know about Gage Yates?”
“Good guy, friends with Nadine and Will.”
“What about you and Irene?” Deke asked. “Spend any time with Gage?”
He shrugged. “Been to dinner with him.”
“Do you know of a connection between Gage and Manetti?”
The marshal stilled. “He’s the leak?”
“What do you think?”
“No.”
“Under any circumstances?” Nate asked, his tone soft, his gaze intense.
Silence, then, “Only if his family was in danger.”
Nate’s eyes narrowed. What family? Yates was single. The only family he’d have vulnerable would be his parents. “If his family was threatened, would he tell you?”
He shook his head. “Gage keeps to himself. You can trust him at your back on an op. If you’re looking for a best friend, he’s not your guy.”
“Does he have enough tech savvy to hack computers without leaving a trail behind?”
“Doubt it. He told me he always cultivates a working friendship with the tech support people.”
Back in the SUV, Nate twisted in his seat to see both Deke and Stella. “It’s not him.”
“He wasn’t the shooter, at least,” Deke agreed. “Mike couldn’t run that fast if his life depended on it and the body type is wrong.”
“Still could hire someone to take the shot.” Stella buckled her seatbelt.
“If he did, Zane will see a sizable withdrawal from his account. Hiring a hit man leaves a trail.”
They returned to the cabin and shared their information with Durango.
“No money trail to indicate the marshals hired anyone,” Josh pointed out. “Jon sent me an update thirty minutes ago.”
“So it isn’t money,” Rio said. “Blackmail, then. We need to dig into their backgrounds deep enough to unearth the skeletons for Green, Yates, Daniels, and Riley.”
“My money’s on Eric Green,” Quinn said. “Dude’s hostile.”
Stella shook her head. “I don’t think he’s our leak. The hostility eased off once we laid out our case and alibis. He’s got an ironclad one for last night. He was attending an anniversary party for his parents. He has witnesses to back up his story.”
“We need to know if the other three marshals have connections to Manetti or Morris,” Deke said.
“Want me to have Jon check?” Josh asked Nate.
“Ask if he has time. If not, tap Zane. We need the answer before we drive to Yates’ house.” That knowledge might give them the leverage they needed.
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
While waiting for the hours to pass until the meeting with Gage, Stella turned on her computer and dug into Rick Ashworth’s life, hoping to find something to use when she and Deke confronted him. He was the common denominator. Though they lacked hard evidence, Rick was behind the murders and the attacks on Luke and Natalie. They had to stop Rick or Luke and Natalie would never be safe. Their children would never be safe.
Rick would continue to pursue her and Deke if Luke was correct about Rick holding a grudge. The only way to find Luke and Natalie was to get the information from her or Deke. He was determined to find the young couple he partially blamed for his sister’s death. Such a waste of his life. Revenge not only hurt the people you wanted to punish, it took a heavy toll on you as well.
Deeper and deeper she dug into the man’s life. Each layer she peeled away, the sadder she became. Some would say he never had a chance. His home life was horrible but was no excuse to exact revenge for his sister’s death. He was honorable once, working hard to care for his sister and himself. Every person made his own choices. Adele chose poorly. Stella wondered if Rick’s sister would have made a different choice if she’d seen the devastating results on her brother’s life.
Her cell phone rang. “Grayson.”
“Stella, how are you?”
She settled deeper into the couch with a smile. “Better, Del. My ribs are almost healed and the bruises on my face don’t scare children on the street anymore. Everything okay in Otter Creek?” If there had been a problem, Josh would have told her. That didn’t mean the Delta warrior would pass along interesting things.
“Couldn’t be better. Eli Wolfe is charming all the ladies in town. I think if the women didn’t love Brenna so much, they would make a play for her husband.”
“Can’t say I’m surprised. That SEAL could charm the paint off a wooden post. How are the ladies responding to Jon? He’s not exactly charming.”
“He’s receiving his fair share of hot looks. That man has the tall, dark, and brooding thing going for him. Any chance you’ll be here soon? Ivy and I have big shopping plans lined up for you.”
Stella laughed. “We’re working on it. How is Serena?” Ethan Blackhawk’s pregnant wife had been battling morning sickness that lasted all day for months.
“Very good, actually. She looks cute with that baby belly. What’s even funnier is watching Ethan in super protective mode. Some kid was riding his bike down the sidewalk in town and almost ran into Serena. Ethan caught the boy and gave him a stern lecture and then impounded his bike for a week.”
She winced. “Oh, man. That’s rough.”
“Well, the kid had it coming. There’s a town ordinance which prohibits riding bikes on the sidewalks. He could have hit one of our senior citizens and knocked her down.”
“I’d say the boy won’t forget that any time soon.” She knew from firsthand experience Ethan B
lackhawk could be intimidating. “How is Ivy doing with the SEALs in her house?”
“She’s putting herself out there, getting to know them. Of course, it helps their wives are with them. She spends as much time as she can with Jon’s wife. Dana is also opening up.”
“What about my friends? They okay?”
“You know, I think they love Otter Creek. They are a very sweet couple. How long have they been married?”
“Not long.” Maybe not at all if Brent hadn’t arranged their marriage yet. She had a feeling, though, it wouldn’t be long before Luke and Natalie were legitimately married, even if it was with their new identities.
They chatted about some of the happenings around town for a few minutes before Del ended the call to close the store for the night.
Nate settled on the couch beside her and kissed her. “Who were you talking to?”
“Del. Eli’s charming all the ladies in town.”
He snorted. “I’d be more surprised if you said Jon was charming them.”
“Oh, he’s making a splash, too. Tall, dark, and brooding Jon is creating his own fan club.”
“If you say so.”
“I do. You are gorgeous and speak little. I don’t share, though, and I carry a gun.”
“You’ll protect me, huh?” He sighed. “Guess I’ll have to warn my string of girlfriends you’re packing heat and aren’t afraid to use it.”
“You do that.”
Nate turned her computer so he could view the screen. “What are you researching?”
“Rick Ashworth’s life. I don’t know if I’ll find anything useful, but we’ll need leverage when we confront him.”
“Unfortunately, he’s in the wind, baby.”
Stella’s head twisted his direction. “He disappeared?”
“According to Jordan, he’s working remotely, running the Manetti empire from an unknown location.”
She should have known it wouldn’t be easy to wrap him up. “He must know we were getting close.”
“The leak is still passing information.”
“Not for long.”
He brushed her lips with his own. “Dinner will be ready in ten minutes.”
“You know, I could get used to you cooking for me all the time.”