“You would know. You did, after all, follow me there from my office and had someone analyze every word we exchanged. Not to mention study every blink I made, and every facial expression. I visited Barney, but I don’t believe that’s a crime.”
Shelby nodded. “Considering your past relationship with Agent Kyle, why bother seeing him?”
“Just a couple of things before we go on,” Muriel interrupted. “Cain’s ‘past relationship’ consisted of Kyle shooting her with the intent to kill. And why do you insist on calling him Agent Kyle? The guy was in jail facing some serious charges.”
Shelby and Joe dropped their eyes to the table and didn’t dispute her right away. The door opened again and Annabel took a deep breath before pointing to Shelby. Without hesitation Shelby gave up her seat and left the room.
“We meet again, Agent Hicks.” Cain offered Annabel her hand.
“Thank you for agreeing to come in,” Annabel said, accepting the handshake.
“You’re welcome, even though it wasn’t exactly voluntary.”
“Before I arrived, Ms. Casey asked a question about Agent Kyle, and I’m here to answer it,” she said, ignoring what Cain had stated.
“We’re all ears,” Muriel said.
“Agent Kyle was in the sheriff’s custody when this happened, but in light of the report released today, I seriously doubt the District Attorney’s office would’ve filed charges.”
“Why is that?” Muriel asked.
“The FBI concluded that the incident with your client was an accident.” Cain put her hand on Muriel’s leg to keep her quiet until Annabel finished. “Furthermore, there was no evidence that Agent Kyle was working for, or affiliated with, the Bracato family. As far as the federal government was concerned, he was free to go as soon as he finished with local law enforcement. I understood Agent Kyle planned to retire after this to pursue other interests.”
“He almost kills my cousin, and you’re telling me it was an accident? Did your investigators bother to interview everyone in that warehouse that night?”
“Trust me, the investigation was thorough.” She opened the file Joe had brought in. “We have the murder weapon used last night.”
“Let me save you some more time in this little charade,” Cain said. “Is it a Remington shotgun, silver barrel engraved with Irish roses, circa 1942?”
“No, it isn’t,” Joe said.
“Then it isn’t mine. That’s the only firearm I own. If you don’t believe me, check.”
“The gun used belonged to Giovanni Bracato,” Annabel said.
“Then I suggest you find him and ask him why he decided to use Agent Kyle for target practice.” She said Kyle’s name with as much sarcasm as possible. “Wait, I forgot. There’s no link between Kyle and Big Gino. At least not anymore. It sounds like Bracato made sure of that.”
“I’m trying to locate Mr. Bracato and his sons, but haven’t had much luck,” Annabel said.
“And what? You want me to help you?” Cain stood and laughed. “Call the investigators you put on Barney’s case, Agent. After what you told me today, they should be more than capable of finding things that are lost, because so far they’ve done a beautiful job of finding things that weren’t there at all.” She tapped Muriel’s shoulder and started for the door.
“We’re not done, Ms. Casey.”
“Sure we are, Agent Hicks. You don’t need help with anything. If it doesn’t exist or doesn’t fit in the hole you created, you make it up as you go along. So much for honor and duty, huh? You and your minions are nothing but a pack of lying dirt bags.” She opened the door and faced them once more. “And you call me the criminal. If I was I could learn something from you, because compared to you, I’d be a rank amateur.”
*
Anthony waited in the next interview room, sitting down in the same position Cain had. He showed no emotion when Annabel walked in and sat down. “I never thought I’d be on this end of things,” he said, trying to be flip.
“Shut up and listen. This isn’t an interrogation and it isn’t an interview,” she said. “There are people who learn from their mistakes, Agent Curtis, and then there’s you.”
“What—” he jumped in his seat involuntarily when she slammed both her hands on the table between them and stood up, so he had to crane his neck back to see her.
“I said for you to be quiet. You’re suspended, Mr. Curtis. If you’re too stressed or feeble-minded to realize that means you’re supposed to stay home and contemplate where you went wrong—consider this your warning.” She leaned farther in, making him back up more in his seat. “Your new friend is under scrutiny from two agencies. If you do anything, and I mean anything, Mr. Curtis, to interfere in or screw up those ongoing operations, I
“It’s my time to do with as I please,” he said, louder than necessary, trying to intimidate her. “You said so yourself.”
“You’re not involved in this situation in any official capacity, and if something goes wrong I won’t be able to protect you. Surely you know what that’ll mean to your career? Why take the chance?”
“At the academy they kept saying if you don’t take chances every so often, you’ll never get anywhere. I’m tired of not getting anywhere.” He slid his chair back, tired of the uncomfortable position. “Juan hates Cain and has some big hang-up about Emma Casey. Eventually one of them will reach the boiling point, and I plan to be there when that happens.”
Annabel sat down and stared at her hands like she’d written her next words on her fingers. “You aren’t taking a chance for the good of the team. You’re set on revenge. I studied your file more closely and it led me to your father.”
