Reveal (Wicked Ways #2)(80)

And with those five words, I know that I won’t be able to walk away from this hotel suite unscathed. I know what they are looking into. I know who they are looking at. It’s not like they are going to dust their hands of me.

I take a deep breath. “Selling votes? Isn’t that normal in Washington?” I ask naively. “Lobbyists gift things to senators to persuade their votes?”

“This makes it so much easier that you’re educated on the topic,” Noah says and leans back in his chair. “But this goes a little bit further than that.”

“As in?” I push.

The two of them look at each other as if they are in silent agreement to proceed, and then Abel answers. “There was a large vote a few months back on a bill that dealt with stem cell treatment. It was expected to pass. A yes would push the bill through and allow the research and development of a certain technology by a company called Tecolote R&D.”

I’m more than aware that both men are watching my every reaction to see if there is any flicker of recognition on my part—there is none.

“And not passing the bill would tank the company, I presume? The stocks that were suddenly soaring would plummet? I feel like I’ve heard this story before,” I say sarcastically, wanting them to know I may run an escort service, but I’m far from ignorant of current events. “So what happened? Did the bill not pass? Did someone know this ahead of time and sell their shares on insider information and save themselves from losing their asses?” I look back and forth between the two of them. “Is that what this is all about? Did Carter participate in insider trading?”

“Told you she was smart,” Noah says to Abel, almost as if they have a bet going, before turning back to me. “We looked at that because it would fit the bill, but no, there was no insider trading.”

“Then what?” I ask in exasperation.

“The bill’s approval hinged on one vote.”

“Let me guess—Carter’s?”

“Yes,” Abel says. “And surprisingly, his yes became a no because he suddenly found his pro-life, stem-cells-are-humans belief when his entire political career he’s voted a different way.”

“I’m not following,” I state as my mind swims.

“We believe that Carter was paid the sum of two million dollars from a rival of Tecolote’s to tank the bill,” Noah says, connecting all the dots for me.

“Who is their rival?” I ask.

“Alpha Pharmaceuticals.” Again, both men study me for any kind of reaction, but I have none.

“But why would this Alpha company do that?”

“Because a bill and grant given to Tecolote would put Alpha out of business when they’ve created a new way to manipulate stem cells. Alpha had one more month until their trials were complete, and then they could push their own bill through Congress. They’ve spent a ton of money on this, and if Tecolote’s bill passed, it would all be thrown to waste.”

“But two million dollars is a ton of money,” I say.

“It’s a drop in the bucket in DC. Besides, two mil is pocket change to a company that stands to gain hundreds of millions.”

I stare at my water bottle, at the condensation ring forming on the table around its base, and try to process everything and understand it fully.

“So Carter took a bribe. Isn’t that enough to pull him in for questioning?”

“If only it were that easy,” Noah says. “We can’t originate where the money came from in Carter’s account, just that it showed up there a week before the vote. And then it left his account a few days after that.”

“Can’t you just ask him where it came from?” I ask.

“No. That’s not how this works. We don’t exactly have probable cause to be rooting through his bank accounts.”

“Then how do you know he did it?”

“Because another vote was bought that we caught. Small-time stuff. The senator wasn’t as crafty with their paper and wire trails on that one,” Noah explains.

“Can’t you get him on that incident?” I ask.

“Sure, but we’d rather get him on this one,” Noah says.

I draw in a deep breath and try to digest all I’ve heard. “Okay . . . so you think he took a bribe to throw a vote. You can’t pin it on him. I get all of that, but what does it have to do with me?”

“Everything.” Abel grins. “You couldn’t have played into our hands any better than you did to Carter. That bluff of yours is more than brilliant for what we have in mind.”

“You’re going to tell him you’ll give him everything he asked for during your conversation tonight. The pictures. The signed NDA. The ten-thousand-dollar refund. You’ll explain that you’ve seen the error of your ways and know the only fair way to settle this is to just get it over with,” Noah says. “Then when you meet with him, you’re going to let him know about your second piece of nonexistent blackmail. You’re going to question him on it. Push his buttons. And get him to tell the truth.”

I laugh out loud—part nerves, part incredulity. “You actually think he’s going to confess that he took a bribe? To me, of all people?”

“Yes.” Abel smiles.

“But—”