Propping an elbow on the armrest, Joseph shrugged. “Took a couple weeks of vacation. Spent most of the nights with this redhead who doesn’t have a gag reflex. In fact,” Joseph looked to his watch to check the time, “I’m picking her up in about an hour.”
Stan’s laughter sounded more like a bark. “Glad you used your time off wisely. That’s the Assistant U.S. Attorney, isn’t it?”
“Cassandra Halcott, yes. She dealt with the Carlo Enrico case, and she handled Cliff Allworth’s too. And she’s been working on Premier.”
A silence enveloped them, and any semblance of amusement rushed out of the room.
Cassandra Halcott was a bombshell, but her looks weren’t the only reason Joseph had sidled up next to her before taking his leave. He’d known then that she was in charge of Carlo Enrico’s plea deal, as well as Cliff Allworth’s.
As the days had turned into weeks, she’d gradually inserted more details into their work-related conversations.
Details that Joseph had passed on to Stan.
Rubbing his forehead, Stan cleared his throat to break the spell of quiet. “Which is why you’re here right now, and not someone else. You know where she’s been getting this information, right?”
“She mentioned it for the first time last week and twice since then. She didn’t name names, but I knew who she was talking about. The FBI’s been getting tipped off about dirt on Premier, and Ben Storey’s the one giving them the information.”
Closing his hand into a fist, Stan gritted his teeth. “Just as well. The prick’s starting to pull ahead in the polls, especially after that bust in Kankakee County. It’s been almost two months, and I’m still getting dragged for that shit.”
Joseph drummed his fingers against the armrest. “What’s the play, then?”
Premier Ag Solutions was a front for more than just labor trafficking, and if the company was dismantled, Stan Young and the Leónes would lose out on a significant cash flow. Without a doubt, Brian Kolthoff and Joseph would feel the backlash too.
Stan’s eyes shifted to Joseph’s. “You know this is a last resort, right? And that this has to be executed perfectly.”
“This isn’t my first rodeo.”
“Which is exactly why you’re here. I need Ben Storey dead, and I need the murder to land far, far away from my doorstep.” Stan laced his fingers together. “I need this done clean, just like you did with Trevor Storm. But this time, I need the fallout to blowback on someone else. If there’s no one to hang for it, everyone in the mainstream media will want to tie me to it.”
At the mention of Trevor Storm, the pieces clicked together in Joseph’s head like a Rubik’s Cube. “I can do that. I have someone who can take the fall, someone I have easy access to. One of the agents working on Premier. Trevor Storm’s younger sister.”
Expression grim, Stan nodded. “Good. How long?”
Joseph rubbed his chin and thought through everything he must do. “Two weeks. Somewhere in that neighborhood.”
Stan turned back to his paper, the conversation over. “All right. Get it done.”
The End
To be continued…
The next book in the Amelia Storm Series is scheduled to release in May 2021!
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Winter’s Mourn (The Winter Black Series Book 1)
A killer is watching… Thirteen years ago, Winter Black came home early from a sleepover to find her parents brutally murdered and her little brother gone— taken by a serial killer called The Preacher. Now a rookie FBI agent assigned to her first murder case, Winter has returned to the small Virginia town where she grew up. But when bones found by a hunter lead to the discovery of a secret burial ground containing the remains of children, the investigation suddenly hits close to home. Will they find her brother’s bones in the makeshift graveyard next? Click HERE to Get Your Copy Now!
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‘Till death do us part’ has never been so true...
As a child, a single blow from her father left her changed forever. Her body survived the aftermath, but her brain was altered in ways that were both good and bad. As a freak, she poured herself into her studies, accumulating all the knowledge she could, intent on whipping broken systems into shape. Take down criminals one by one, even if it means putting her own life on the line. When a brutal double homicide shocks the town of Sawmill, Oregon, the FBI needs Autumn’s specialized assistance. Click HERE to Get Your Copy Now!
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Cold Truth (Ellie Kline Series: Book 1)
In a dark basement, a cold-blooded killer pits friend against friend, torturing one until the other says the horrible words that will end their friend’s suffering. He’s gotten away with murder for years. Until now...Ellie Kline can’t remember most of her kidnapping when she was fifteen, but that night has shaped her life. Now a detective assigned to the Cold
