Best Laid Plans(52)

Juan said, “We don’t have any ops with wiretaps right now within our jurisdiction.”

“There’s a slim chance that it’s completely off system, that the transmitter is going to a nearby recorder—in a van or building. But that would be a short distance, and I doubt that a van could be monitoring twenty-four-seven over the last month. There is one other office building close enough that could pick up the transmission, but my bet is a wiretap.”

“That makes sense,” Barry said.

Lucy breathed slightly easier.

Sean leaned forward. “I have software that can trace the bug as soon as it starts transmitting. I just piggyback my call through the computer and it’s instant tracking. We’ll find out where it’s relaying the information almost immediately, and then your people can take it from there. The tap will have coding as to where it’s sending the data.”

“Why not do it now, without this elaborate plan?”

“Because if these people are good—and their tech tells me they’re good—it won’t be easy to find them. Giving them intel they may act on gives you two avenues to pursue.”

Barry glanced at Juan. “You’re okay with this?”

“I don’t have a problem with the plan. But it’s up to you. And you need to control the information.”

“When?”

“Tonight, if possible,” Sean said.

Barry looked at Lucy. “You’re onboard?”

“Yes,” she said.

“Juan, do we have a team that can retrieve the wiretap when Rogan traces it?”

“Not a problem.”

“So the big question is, what do we tell these unknown people?” Barry said.

Sean leaned back in his chair. “The BLM files are interesting only in that Worthington was obsessed with them. He was working primarily on that audit, so it reasons that if someone was concerned about what he might find, they’ll want to know if he found it. I’d like to leak something true but innocuous—that Worthington was obsessed with the case, that he had pages of notes but no one in the office really understood why. Then I would ask about the tablet his daughter gave the FBI.”

“How do you know about that?”

Sean finally snapped. “Why does everything that comes out of your mouth sound like you’re accusing me of something?”

“I need to know who knows what about my operation.” Barry glanced at Lucy. Lucy wished he hadn’t done that. Sean was very sensitive about how his job might impact her career, and she constantly reassured him that it wasn’t an issue. With one glance, Barry had confirmed that it was a problem.

Sean said, “Jolene told me this afternoon. And I’ll bet I have higher security clearance than you, so Lucy can tell me whatever she damn well pleases.”

Juan cleared his throat. “Has the tech team broken the code?”

“They’re working on it,” Barry said.

“Then that’s what we leak, whether or not they break it tonight.”

“I could break it,” Sean said.

“It’s evidence. Chain of custody,” Barry said.

“I could do it here.”

“My people will do it,” Juan said. “If they can’t, it goes to the FBI lab.”

That was the final word on the tablet.

“If this is personal,” Lucy said, trying to diffuse the tension, “I should tell Sean I think someone is lying. Specifically, Adeline Reyes-Worthington.”

Juan shook his head. “If someone is illegally gathering information, and something one of my agents said gets out and is used during a political campaign, all of our heads will roll. Is there something forensic that hasn’t been released but won’t damage a future prosecution if we do release it?”

“His death has been ruled suspicious,” Barry said, “but not officially a homicide. Lucy thinks he was poisoned with a neuromuscular blocker and the coroner is running additional tests. We don’t have confirmation yet.”

“I could simply say that,” Lucy said. “Remind Sean about the case I worked in San Diego where a nurse used a drug that caused similar symptoms. If it ends up being what happened to Worthington, it will be released with the ME’s report. If it’s not what happened, I’m just talking about a theory and then the report would simply prove me wrong.”

Barry nodded. “I like it. And I can get the ME to suppress the report for a couple of days either way, until we wrap this angle up.”

“Okay,” Juan said. “You three, work it out. I’ll call in our tech team to work with Sean on the trace. They’ll be ready to go in an hour.”





CHAPTER SEVENTEEN



Sean used his key card to get into HWI. Gregor Smith had given him full access, which made it easier, particularly after hours. Sean asked him to make sure all employees were gone by six thirty. Smith was the only one who knew about the bug or that Sean was bringing in a federal agent, and Sean wanted to keep it that way.

Sean would have preferred to do this alone, but Barry insisted on coming. To make Lucy’s life easier, Sean agreed without argument, but he didn’t have to like it. He wasn’t certain he liked Barry Crawford, though Lucy didn’t seem to have any problems with Barry. The guy was a bit too by the book for Sean, but more, he looked, talked, and acted like a stick-up-the-ass federal agent.