Long Shadows (Amos Decker, #7)(106)

“Why run the guy around by the nose like that? Why not just fire him?”

“He’s made some enemies here, Freddie. It’s payback time. They want to rub his face in it.”

“And I’m down here with him, so what happens to me if we don’t solve this sucker?”

“I don’t know.”

“I’ve made enemies, too, but it’s mostly because some male agents don’t want me around.”

“Look, Freddie, what you need to do is make sure you stay far enough away from the fallout so that you survive this intact.”

“What the hell are you talking about, ‘stay far away’? Not do my job? Sabotage the investigation?”

“Of course not. I’m just saying don’t go down with the ship.”

“But what about Decker?”

“What about him? Don’t tell me you like the guy?”

“I haven’t known him that long, but—”

He interrupted, “Well, hopefully, you won’t have to know him much longer. Hang in there. Gotta go, hear the boss coming. Bye.”

White slowly put her phone down.





Chapter 79



SOMETHING ON YOUR MIND?” ASKED Decker as he stared across the width of the table at White in the hotel restaurant.

“Why do you ask?”

“You seem off.”

White shrugged and drank from her glass of water. “It’s the case. It’s frustrating.”

Decker kept his gaze on her for a moment longer and then looked away. “Yeah.”

“So, you found out Dennis Langley is broke?”

“He should have cut off his assistant’s access to the financial files before he told her he was marrying Chase.”

“What are you going to do with the info?”

“Info I’m not supposed to have.”

“Look, it’s not like I have any love for the woman, but I have even less for Langley. And he did attack that prostitute and got away with it. And I don’t want any woman or any person to suffer the same at his hands.”

“Then you’ll be happy to know that I printed out what I took pictures of, put it in an envelope, and dropped it through the slot at her office. I also added an unsigned note telling Chase to make sure to do a prenup if she decides to go through with the quickie wedding. And I highlighted the fact that the bill for her engagement ring already went to collection. Apparently, Langley bought it a month ago and then stiffed the dealer. And the Bentley’s not far behind.”

“Wow, I wish I had a ringside seat for that.”

“Who knows, we might.”

“At least you had something positive happen. I struck out on Tanner’s aide and the dead woman. And I sent you the results of the other inquiries. A bunch of nothing.”

“The Tanner piece is not surprising, since it was over forty years ago. It might take a miracle.”

She eyed him nervously. Decker was quick to pick up on it.

“If you don’t tell me what you want to tell me, I think you might actually explode with the built-up pressure,” he said.

She sighed and sat back. “I might need a cigarette before I do.”

“Or you could just tell me and save your lungs.”

“Decker, have you made enemies at the Bureau?”

He shrugged. “I don’t dress the part. And I’m a little annoying to work with. You might have noticed.”

White smiled weakly. “I did, but just a bit.”

“Why do you ask?”

“They have a lot of agents down here. They didn’t need us to come down and investigate this. And they didn’t even let Andrews know we were coming. That way he had no path to object.”

He eyed her shrewdly. “Any idea why we are here?”

“You’re really good, Decker. I mean, really good, if unorthodox. And that might be your undoing.”

“Meaning?”

“Meaning maybe this case is a way for the Bureau to pull out a thorn in its side.”

He drank his beer down and set the glass on the table. “So I blow this, I’m history?”

“I’m not saying it’s fair or right.”

“How did you score this information?”

“A gossipy friend at the Bureau. I began to think about Andrews being blindsided by our assignment to this case. Bureau doesn’t usually do things that way. So I called the gossipy friend. He filled me in. They want to jettison you and decided this would be a good way to do it. And that also explains the strange way Talbott was acting when I reported in with him. It was like he was glad Andrews was out of the way, and that we didn’t want any reinforcements.”

“So the blame would fall on us and no one else?”

“You should be pissed. I would be,” said White.

“Being pissed doesn’t change anything.”

“What does?”

“I imagine if you and I manage to solve this sucker, they won’t be able to kick me to the curb.”

“I wouldn’t think so, no.”

“But if we don’t, you shouldn’t be collateral damage, Freddie. So you can jump ship and go do something else.”

“I was assigned to this, Decker. I can’t just leave.”