“So, got outplayed by the players, huh?” he said. “Guess you had it coming.”
Sloan nearly spat out her coffee. She gaped at Leo. “How’s that?”
Leo shrugged and reached for a mug. “You started everything with a trick, the way I see it. Ended up sending Sal and all those guys to jail. And then you go drop him a hint there was money to be had in your coworker’s little scheme. What did you expect to happen?”
“First of all,” I corrected, “we didn’t drop any hints. Not on purpose, anyway. And we didn’t even know it was Grant’s scheme. We thought it was their scheme.”
“You’re just naming mistakes.” Leo lifted his coffee with a smirk. “You got played from all sides, when you look at it.”
My gaze dropped. I had been trying hard not to look at it that way. It was pretty embarrassing, how badly we’d proceeded in this whole thing. One ruse after another, with us following along like pathetic little puppets. Being used.
Sloan looked just as sheepish. I had a feeling she had never been in this situation before. Ashamed of her actions in an investigation. Embarrassed to have been so manipulated.
Maybe I’m the bad influence. I was apparently just too gullible and willing to pursue without any hard evidence. My instincts were clearly off.
And now I had gotten my coworker into trouble, for real this time. He was being held against his will somewhere, probably scared to death. And us mentioning him to Salvatore seemed to be the reason it was happening. We were to blame.
Grant had pulled the deception on us in the first place. But I couldn’t focus on that right now. We had to get him out of this first. The actual, real kidnapping.
Leo dropped his mug to the table with a clunk, shattering my little bubble of self-loathing. Sloan seemed to shake back into reality as well. He pulled out his laptop and waited for both of us to give him our full attention.
“Well,” he began dramatically. “You sure know how to pick ‘em, S. Going out with the star accountant to the mob? Doesn’t really sound like you.”
“I don’t believe it.” Sloan shook her head, processing. “I knew him a while back, a client several years ago. And trust me, he did not work for those guys back then. He was just a nice accountant that needed some help. Almost too nice. Annoyingly nice.” Her eyebrows raised as she lifted her eyes to us. “It never even occurred to me he would’ve made a switch like that.”
“So then,” I ventured, uneasy about the possibility of offending anyone. “Do we think maybe he . . . targeted you? That running into him was not a coincidence?”
She shrugged off the idea. “I had never bought him just running into me in the first place. He knew my spot. But I assumed he just wanted to look me up. Finally try asking me out.” Her face darkened. “Turns out, all he wanted was to spy on us. I guess now I understand all the questions about my work. The little sneak.”
“You had no way of knowing.” I shook my head sympathetically. “So did you talk much about what we were doing? What does he know?”
Sloan shook her head. “He got nothing. My lips were sealed. In fact, I suggested we not talk about work at all.” She gazed down at her coffee. “Which also explains why I never got any hints about his new loyalties. I bet I would’ve sensed something was off, if I hadn’t done that.”
“You don’t know that,” Leo said. “He could be a really talented liar. Probably has to be, in that line of business.”
“True.” She gave him a small smile. “And at least I didn’t let him drive me home. He kept pushing really hard to let him drop me off. I thought I knew why.” Her face reddened a little. “But apparently it was to find out where we were staying. For his criminal bosses.”
“I’d be willing to bet he had multiple motivations,” Leo said. “But after this, you guys might need to consider instituting a background check on anyone you fraternize with. In this business, you just never know.”
Sloan sighed. “I hate to agree, but you’re probably right. And I really don’t appreciate being used.” She straightened, getting serious. “Anyway, we need to focus on the task at hand. Did you find out anything else on this faker? We need to figure out our next step in finding Grant.”
“I’ve got the basics,” he said with a shrug. “Address, social media, banking info. Divorce papers. Nothing that seems too helpful. Not surprisingly, he started really making the big bucks about two years ago, when he went off on his own and began doing freelance work for some pretty questionable dudes. I’m guessing he must have some skills in money laundering. I’ll try to dig up some evidence.”
“So what about now, for finding Grant?” I asked. “Where should we start?”
Leo considered. “You have Christopher’s number, right? That’s at least the most direct line of communication we’ve had so far.”
“That’s true.” Sloan looked at Leo hopefully. “We at least know who we’re dealing with now. But you can’t track him just from that, right?”
“Maybe one day. Not today.” He narrowed his eyes as he gazed back. “But I’m guessing if you put your mind to it, you could figure out your own way.”
They shared a long, secret look. A little twinkle of understanding in Sloan’s eyes told me she was following his insinuation. She has a plan. The possibility alone made me excited.
I was just about to give in and ask, when Dottie approached. She looked unusually tired. I’d never noticed dark, drooping circles under her eyes before.
“You guys eatin’ anything?” she said with a sigh.
“Maybe, if Sayid’s cooking,” Leo replied. “He wearing anything crazy today? I heard about his last getup. Truly sorry I missed that.”
Dottie’s face drooped further. “He called in. Not like him at all. Those frat boys are runnin’ him ragged. Not a good influence.” She leaned in and lowered her voice. “And I think it’s more than just funny costumes and dumb pranks. I think they’re torturing the poor kid.” She shook her head in disbelief. “Why he’d put up with it is beyond me.”
We all exchanged a glance across the table. “Torturing him, how?” I said.
“Maybe not torture. I guess I’m being dramatic.” She shrugged. “But he did come back with a nasty black eye the other day. And I think they like to humiliate him, ‘specially in front of girls. Even though that’s the whole reason he joined in the first place, for help in talkin’ to ‘em. The poor shy thing.” Her voice lowered further. “Not to mention making him do all their homework. I think they figured out he’s a smarty, and they’re makin’ it worth their while.”
Sloan’s brows furrowed. “He’s told you all this?”
“No way.” Dottie waved her off. “Just some grumbles and mumbles is all he’ll give me. But I can put it together, I’m no dummy. Don’t know if his own grades’ll hold up, though, all the work he’s doing for everyone else these days. A smart kid like him should not have to deal with all that.”
“Agreed,” Sloan replied. “But hopefully it’s just a phase? Then as soon as pledging’s over, things can go back to normal.”
“I’m sure you’re right, sugar.” She picked up the empty coffee carafe to refill. “Now, you’ll need something to fuel all that plottin’ ya’ll are doing back here. Pie all around?”
Another shared glance confirmed. “Perfect,” we said in unison.
TWENTY-TWO
“Well, well, well,” Sloan said, her voice acidic. “Look who’s decided to show up as himself this time.”
Sloan’s eyes narrowed at her former date standing in her office doorway. Christopher looked much more like his accountant-to-the-mob title now, in his sharp dark-suited attire. He also looked a lot more sleazy.
She nodded at the security guys surrounding him. “I think we can take it from here.”
They looked him over, hesitant, but finally walked slowly away. Back to watch over the company’s suite, I figured. For s
everal days their team had been required in order to usher anyone into the building without too much media hassle. It was our first time in the office since everything had gone down. We had an important meeting planned.
Christopher followed her in and tipped his head to me in greeting. I looked away, trying to tamp down my anger. So much deception, from all sides.
“Thanks for accepting my invitation,” Sloan said flatly as she crossed the room.
“You know I’d never turn down your call,” Christopher replied, taking in the room. “Boy, this place hasn’t changed a bit, huh?”
“Wish I could say the same for you.” Sloan stopped in front of a small black wall safe. She spun the oversized wheel to open it and placed her cell phone inside, adding mine beside it. Then she turned to face Christopher, hand extended. “Need your phone before we go any further.”
He eyed the setup with suspicion. “I don’t remember this part from before.”
“Our conversations were never this sensitive before.” Her face was hard. “And I was never this paranoid. Everything we’ve said and done so far has been used against us. Including you.”
“Fair enough,” he said good-naturedly. “But what is that going to do, exactly?”
“It’s a Faraday cage.” She tapped the edge of the safe proudly. “We need our privacy, I’m sure you’ll agree. No signals can get in or out of this little marvel. No GPS, no eavesdropping.” Her smile dropped and she thrust her hand out again, impatient. “I’m trusting you long enough for this conversation, but that doesn’t mean I’m taking any chances. Humor me.”
He handed over his phone without further argument. Sloan placed it behind ours in the safe and locked the door. She turned back and eyed Christopher.
“Anything else on you?” she asked.
“Just this.” He pulled another small electronic device from his pocket. He placed it on the edge of the desk and flipped a switch. A barely-audible high-pitch squeal emitted from the side.
He looked up, checking between both of us. “I assume you don’t mind if I take my own precautions, then?”
Sloan raised an eyebrow.
“I’m not a fan of recordings either,” he continued with a slight grin. “Never have liked the sound of my own voice.”
“That’s surprising,” Sloan replied. “Considering you never seemed to shut up about yourself when we went out.” She pursed her lips. “Did manage to leave out a few things, though.”
“Lot of good all that did me. You weren’t exactly chatty in return.”
Sloan gave a quick chuckle. “So tell me,” she said, “when exactly did you go from unassuming accountant with a little problem—to star fixer for the mob? I assume that’s what’s happening here?”
“Oh, don’t be so dramatic.” He took a seat in one of the leather chairs and shrugged up at us. “Money got tight. Did you know I got married since I last worked with you?”
We knew his whole history by this point. But he didn’t need to know that. “So you, what, went dark for love?” I asked skeptically.
Christopher scoffed. “Hardly. That skank’s already long gone. But she helped herself to half of everything I’d worked for, and then some. I was finally going out on my own, making a name for myself. But she made sure that wasn’t going to happen.”
“So then what?” Sloan asked. “They ‘made you an offer you couldn’t refuse,’ or something like that?”
He shrugged. “I learned pretty quickly that some business activities are just more lucrative than others. For everyone involved. So I did a little accounting work for the right people. Eventually it lead to more responsibility.” He straightened a little in his seat. “And respect.”
“Sounds delightful,” Sloan muttered.
“It’s working out pretty okay for me, I think.” Christopher held his head high. “Too bad you weren’t interested in playing ball. It wasn’t all a ruse, you know. You could just drop all this renegade-investigator nonsense and I’d be happy to take care of you. Maybe not before, but these days I’m in a position to give you everything you could possibly want.”
I watched Sloan’s face for a reaction. She was not likely to take well to such an implication. Her expression did not disappoint.
“Oh, swoon,” she hissed. “Sorry to have ruined your scheme to gather inside information and settle me down at the same time. But it’s not actually all ruined now, is it? What exactly is going on, Christopher?”
He sighed. “It’s simple, really,” he replied. “That friend of yours—”
“He’s no friend,” Sloan interrupted, “but go on.”
“We had a simple agreement. Grant was supposed to gather some intel for us, find out if there’s anything helpful for my people’s case. Anything to ease their legal troubles. Ask a few questions at work, just keep an eye on things.” He raised his hands in exasperation. “But he turned out to be completely useless for our purposes, and was causing far more problems than he was helping. We didn’t need the added suspicion. So we cut him loose.”
“And?” I prompted.
“And apparently the guy took it upon himself to turn around and use us as an excuse for some fake ransom plot. And he wasn’t even very good at it.”
Sloan rolled her eyes. “Tell me about it.”
“Yeah. Well, my guys don’t take too kindly to something like that. But they did see the opportunity in it. Once you two brought his little scheme to our attention.”
My stomach sank as he confirmed my suspicions. Reminded me of my guilt. “So that is what you meant,” I said. “About Sal thanking us. We are responsible for Grant being held for ransom, for real this time.”
And must be the worst private investigators in the world.
“Don’t be so hard on yourself,” he replied with a crooked smile. “Sure, we never would’ve known how that little pipsqueak was trying to use our reputation, if you hadn’t asked Sal about it. But we would’ve gotten here someway no matter what. You just helped it along.” He raised his eyebrows as if delivering actual good news. “He’s even forgiven you for accusing him, by the way. Seeing how now you’re actually right, and all.”
Sloan and I exchanged a wary glance. Still causing more problems than fixing...
“Once you informed us what was going down,” he continued, “we knew all we had to do was watch and wait. Our cute little interloping sleuths would eventually figure it out and lead us right to him. And his family’s money.”
“So the plan is what, then?” Sloan asked, skeptical. “You’ll continue where we failed? Try to get his family to pay up?”
Christopher’s chuckle was harsh. “No, sweetheart. That’s not our strong suit. I think you can handle that.”
Sloan shook her head emphatically. “Not going to happen. It was a non-starter. They wanted nothing to do with any of it. Didn’t believe a word.”
“Well, you’re just gonna have to try a little harder. After all, this time it’s really real. Maybe that’ll help you be a little more convincing, seeing how you know the truth and all.”
I gulped. Now it really was dependent on us. How in the world do we make this right?
“Or what, exactly?” Sloan said, disgusted. “Are you really going to hurt him? And for what . . . a little extra dough?”
“Hey, we’re only doing what we have to do.” He was far too nonchalant. “Legal fees are about to kill the whole operation. And that hurts my bottom line as much as theirs.” He narrowed his eyes at us. “But this problem is all due to the two of you, when you stop to think about it. So I actually think it’s pretty generous of them to include you in trying to improve our situation. A chance to make amends, you might say.”
“The only amends we’re interested in,” Sloan retorted, “is getting her coworker out of this situation. Since we apparently got him into this.”
Christopher shrugged dramatically.
“Seems to me it was all his idea in the first place, but whatever gets you going.” He settled back into his seat. “But you’ve got two days to bring in the dough. Oh, and the price has doubled. We need four hundred now. Cash. Unmarked bills, yada yada.”
Sloan’s face reddened rapidly, matching my own growing frustration. We shared a momentary look of frustration and panic, then turned to stare at Christopher in silence, waiting. He stared back, indifferent. Apathetic.
Finally Sloan hopped from her seat and stood fuming over him, arms folded. “Then if there isn't anything else, Christopher, I think our time is up.”
He returned a subtle smile and stood, buttoning his jacket. “My phone, then?”
She retrieved it from the safe and shoved it into his chest.
“So rough,” he chuckled playfully. “Wish I’d gotten to know that side.” He leaned in toward her and lowered his voice. “All this would’ve been a heck of a lot more interesting.”
Sloan glared ruefully at him, silently waiting.
“Okay,” he said, hands up. “I’m going.” He turned toward the exit, stopping at the door. “But tell you what, I’ll make it easy for you. Why don’t you two just stay out of it, from here on out. Leave the rest to us.”
Sloan and I exchanged a glance.
“Wait, so we don’t have to convince his family anymore?” Sloan said. “Do your dirty work?”
“I’m suddenly rethinking that plan, now that I’m here.” Christopher stared down Sloan, slowly reappraising her face. “I’m not sure I can trust you two to play straight on this, without some kind of underhanded scheme,” he finally continued. “The last thing we need is another double-cross. And let’s just say we have ways of getting something like this done a little more . . . efficiently. Certainly we can top your friend’s sad attempts to scare his family. So I think we’ll just take it from here.”
“And we can just walk away?” I asked, incredulous.
He returned a sly smile. “Actually, I’m ordering you to. You’ve been more than enough help already.” He swung open the door and gave us a direct look before disappearing. “So I don’t expect to see you two around anytime soon. For your own sake.”
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