Best Laid Plans(110)

“Adeline Reyes-Worthington,” Barry said. “You thought she was behind her husband’s death from the beginning.”

“I thought,” Lucy clarified, “that she was lying. But taking out Garza … I don’t know. He was her right hand, but she hires yet another person to take him out? When does it stop?”

“She still could have hired someone. Just like she had Garza bring in Elise from D.C. It was a smart move—except that they should have sent Elise out of town immediately. Or killed her. Keeping her around, with her connection to Mona Hill, it…” Barry’s voice trailed off.

“You see it, too.”

“See what?” Brad asked from the backseat.

“Bread crumbs,” Barry mumbled.

“Exactly,” Lucy said. “Elise’s DNA and fingerprints were all over that motel room. Then she took Harper’s phone and accidentally left it in James Everett’s hotel room? When she realized she killed Harper, she didn’t run away? Prostitutes are all about self-preservation, but instead, she met up with the guy who hired her and he tried to kill her.”

“Now you’ve lost me,” Barry said.

“Every piece of evidence has led us to Elise Hansen, and she gives us Garza on a silver platter.”

“There’s evidence—the stationery,” Barry countered. “We worked hard for the information. She didn’t give it up easily. It wasn’t until after the second attempt to kill her.”

“Except if Sean is right,” Brad said, “Elise wasn’t the target of today’s shooting.”

Lucy didn’t comment because while Sean might be right, she didn’t see how she could be the primary target. Maybe one of the targets.

She said, “I’m not saying that Garza wasn’t involved; I’m saying that he was set up to take the fall. He’s dead—point every finger at him as the ringmaster.”

Brad said, “Someone tried to kill her the other night. If today was Tobias going after you, Monday was … Oh shit.”

Lucy didn’t realize the repercussions until Brad said his name.

“It’s Tobias. From the very beginning,” she said.

“What the hell was Adeline Reyes-Worthington into?” Brad said.

Barry was perplexed. “You think this drug dealer is behind this?”

“He’s not a drug dealer,” Brad said. “He’s more than that. Until two months ago, no one knew who he was, he was just a name. But now…”

“His name got out because of what happened in Mexico,” Lucy said. “We—you and Kane, I mean—outed him. Blew his anonymity, so to speak.”

“And Kane stole two trucks’ worth of his guns,” Brad said. “And destroyed his San Antonio operation. Tobias then aligned himself with Marquez and had Marquez take out the rest of Sanchez/Trejo’s failed gang. Almost as if … as if…”

“He had a temper tantrum,” Lucy said.

“Why didn’t he take the drugs?”

“Maybe he doesn’t have a network to sell them. Operation Heatwave put a huge hole in his net. He’s both purging and rebuilding.”

“Where does Adeline Reyes-Worthington fit in?” Barry asked.

Brad said, “Political corruption. Buying and selling government land. Sean said—” He stopped.

Barry bristled. “You told Sean about the undercover operation?”

“Sean’s the one who found the bug,” Lucy said. “He knew it was a federal sting.”

“And he tells the DEA.”

“Barry—we’re way beyond compartmentalizing this information,” Lucy said.

No one spoke for a moment. Then Barry said, “If Adeline is as corrupt as Logan Dunbar seems to think, where did all the money go? And how does Tobias fit in?”

“I don’t know,” Lucy admitted. “But we’re going to find out.” She hesitated, then said, “Barry, I need you to give me a little leeway with her. I can flip her. But you have to trust me.”

Barry didn’t say anything for a minute. “All right,” he finally said. “But watch my cues. If you step over the line, I’m going to rein you in.”

*



“Where’s all her security?” Lucy asked after they were buzzed in.

“It’s getting dark. Maybe they’re better at hiding at night.”

Lucy closed her eyes. The hum of the car, the distant neigh of a horse. It was calm. Almost peaceful.

“No one is here,” she said.

Barry looked around, but didn’t say anything. He stopped the car and said, “Don’t get out.”

Barry called the patrol car that was stationed on the street outside for a report. “Any activity?”

“The house manager, Mr. Contreras, left at three this afternoon and returned at six. After, the rest of the staff left.”

“How many?”

“There were two vehicles. I don’t know how many were in each vehicle. At least two per vehicle.”

“Thank you,” Barry said.

Brad said, “I’ll walk the grounds, make sure there’s nothing off.”

“Keep the channel open.” Barry put in his earpiece and Brad did the same. They tested the signal, then Barry and Lucy went to the front door.