All He Has Left(34)

“How long ago?” Simon asked.

“Fifteen years. Haven’t spoken to him once during that time.”

“Was he just a friend or what?”

She swallowed. “Or what.”

Simon frowned. “Seriously, Dani? You’re telling me you used to date this guy and didn’t think that was information you should have shared with me?”

“It’s not relevant, Simon,” she insisted. “I don’t even know this guy anymore.”

“Exactly. So you should have had no issue telling me about him.”

“OK, my mistake. I’m telling you now.”

Simon leaned back, laced his fingers together across his chest. “Were you in love with this guy?”

Dani’s eyes narrowed. “Are you asking as my boss or as the guy I dated?”

“Can it be both?”

“No, it can’t.”

“Fine. As your boss. Are you telling me this doesn’t impair your judgment?”

“Yes, that’s what I’m telling you.”

“One of the members on your crew said you had an open opportunity to take this guy down in the alley behind the bar last night, but you didn’t. Is that true?”

“Yes, it’s true. At the time, I felt it was unwarranted.”

“Well, that’s unfortunate. Because now another person is dead, Dani.”

“I think it’s questionable Jake Slater did it.”

“But the stepdaughter directly ID’d him.”

“She ID’d him as being in the house eight hours earlier. That’s all.”

“And that’s all the police need to bring this guy down for it, especially when connected to the death of his niece. Have you watched the news this past hour? The police are also pinning this one on Slater. This guy is the number-one breaking news story in our city, now wanted in the deaths of two people, and we just sat there with our hands in our damn pockets.”

“Let’s wait until we get ballistics back.”

Simon tilted his head. “You’re still angling for this ghost, Gervais?”

“They were perfect kill shots, Simon. And whoever pulled the trigger took off both of the man’s ears first. He was looking for information.”

“OK. And that kind of work very well could’ve been your old boyfriend. Like you said, you don’t know the guy anymore.”

Dani wanted to argue with that logic, although she knew it was foolish. Truthfully, she couldn’t say for sure it wasn’t Jake. But she did feel like she still knew him. They had dated for two years. He’d walked her through the difficult death of her mother, who had valiantly battled cancer. Dani would have had a mental breakdown if not for the way Jake had taken care of her. He didn’t leave her side for weeks. Fifteen years hadn’t changed what she believed to be true of him at his core. Jake was no killer. He had always been one of the gentlest guys she’d ever been around. That’s why she’d fallen in love with him. Jake was the opposite of her father, an overbearing and dominating figure. Not physically abusive but certainly a bit of a bully who took every opportunity to put her mother in her place. Dani had always wanted to be with someone who was nothing like her father. Jake was that guy. And that’s why it was so soul crushing when they broke up.

“You’re right. I don’t,” Dani said. “But I still think it’s peculiar.”

“Well, if word leaks out to the media that we had a chance to take this guy out and didn’t, and he goes on a killing spree, it’s going to be really bad for all of us around here.”

“Then do your job. And don’t let word leak out.”

Now she was crossing the line, and she knew it.

“Do your job, Dani,” he retorted. “If you get another opportunity, I’d better hear that you finished this yourself.”

“You’re keeping me on the investigation?”

“For now. But you’re treading on very thin ice.”

“Hey, don’t do it as some kind of way to win me back. Do it because it’s the right decision for our department.”

“That’s why I’m doing it. This has become an all-out media spectacle. I need it handled by the best in my department. And while bullheaded, you’re still the best agent I’ve got.” Simon sighed. “Not to mention this guy, Lars Kingston, could cause problems for us, if he wanted. Kingston is clearly well connected in powerful DC circles. I’ve already been forced to take multiple phone calls from him, wanting me to keep him in the loop on our investigation. He’s a real pain in the ass, talking to me like he’s my direct supervisor or something.”

A quick knock on the door made Dani turn around. Mitchell was standing there with a digital tablet in his hands.

“Sorry to interrupt,” Mitchell said. “But you wanted me to come get you as soon as I had ballistics back from the scene.”

“What have you got?” Dani asked.

“It’s unusual for sure. Bullets collected at the scene were Black Talon.”

Simon cursed. “Are you serious?”

“Yes, sir. Confirmed.”

Dani felt a surge of relief push through her. She looked over to Simon with her palms held open in front of her, as if to say, “See? I told you so.” Black Talon ammunition was known as arguably the most aggressive and lethal hollow-point round ever designed. A round that mushrooms at impact and causes incredible damage. Because of this, the ammunition had been discontinued more than twenty years ago.