Agent Hanson snorted. "I wish I knew. To be honest, Ms. Wolff, I think someone in the Bureau thinks I found something that I didn't actually find. It was all very suspicious, and that leads me to one logical conclusion."
Shit. I had a feeling I knew what she was about to say.
"Someone in your organization is working for the feds, Ms. Wolff, and has been for a long time. I think I got fired to protect the mole's identity." She sounded bitter and resigned.
I drew a sharp breath. "Why are you telling me this, Dorothy?"
"Because it reeks of corruption, and I hate that. You might be a criminal, Ms. Wolff, but so are the agents on your case. They're deliberately trying to set you up for something big, I can just—" Her sentence cut off with a shriek, then the phone seemed to drop to a hard floor with a clatter.
I slammed my foot on the brake, pulling us over into the shoulder and listening as Dorothy fought off an attacker. The car filled with the sounds of a struggle, grunts, and screams, then eventually a wet gurgle, followed by the heavy sound of a body dropping lifelessly to the floor. I'd heard that sound enough to know it unquestionably.
A second later, Agent Hanson's phone was picked up and a couple of gasping breaths sounded before the call cut off.
For a moment, Lucas and I just sat there, shocked into silence, then I turned to him with wide eyes. "She just got killed for telling me that," I murmured.
Death was nothing new to me, and I held no real personal connection with Agent Hanson. So hearing her murder wasn't what held me stunned almost speechless. It was her accusation that someone in the Timberwolves was a fed. Not someone new, either. Someone who'd been with me for years, potentially. Someone I trusted.
And that person had likely just killed her to keep that secret.
35
After our brief pause to audibly witness Agent Hanson's murder, Lucas and I got to Anarchy just as a handful of cop cars were leaving the parking lot, no doubt with their PCP-carrying patrons in the backseats. Most of the other patrons had already left, and understandably so with a rude interruption like that.
When I stepped out of the car, I found one of the SGPD peons putting a police-tape barrier across the main entrance.
"Fuck," I hissed to Lucas, "they've shut us down."
Seething, I stormed across to where Gen stood with Lieutenant Jeffries some distance away from the macabre clown face that framed the entrance to Anarchy.
"Ms. Wolff," Lieutenant Jeffries greeted with a tight smile. "Good of you to join us."
I scowled. "Good of you to let me know you'd be stopping by."
"Just doing my job, ma'am," he replied, then gave a small shake of his head. "Er, I mean, sir. Anyway, orders are orders, and tonight we found a lot of your patrons carrying illicit substances. That's an offense that can't be ignored."
Nodding, I kept my expression calm and my voice cool. "It's an offense to be taken up with the Shadow Grove City Council and the liquor-licensing board. I cannot be held accountable for my patrons’ illegal activity, which you well know."
His eyes narrowed slightly in irritation. "Be that as it may, we can and have shut you down until the licensing board can review the conduct of your staff and ensure that your organization had nothing to do with the sale and distribution of drugs. As I'm sure you've already been informed, a whole lot of those patrons arrested have told us they bought their supply from Timberwolf gang members." He gave me a pointed look, but I didn't flinch.
"That's impossible, Jeffries," I replied with a small smile. "The Timberwolves are extinct. Are we done here, or did you want to chit-chat some more?"
He looked like he wanted to say more, but my phone rang and I walked away to answer the call.
"Hannah," I said on picking it up, "what have you got for me?"
"I pinged the GPS data on Alexi's phone," she told me. "He should be there at Anarchy somewhere."
I was impressed. "That was smart thinking, Hannah. I don't suppose you can do the same to Zed's phone?"
Her response was a laugh. "No, sir. There are no trackers on your phones, just on normal Copper Wolf employee-issued devices. Is there anything else I can help with?"
Rubbing at the bridge of my nose, I mentally ran through the mountain of work the Anarchy shutdown would cause. "Nothing tonight, Hannah," I replied. "Come by Zed's place in the morning, though. We can get to work sorting out this mess at Anarchy."
"Understood, sir," she replied. I ended the call as I recognized a familiar car pulling into the parking lot.
"Alexi!" I snapped as my head of security climbed out of his car. My voice cracked through the evening air like a whip, and he flinched visibly.
My employee made his way over to me, and I shot Lieutenant Jeffries a sharp look. "You can go now, Jeffries. We're done here."
The middle-aged cop looked like he was ready to stand his ground on pure principle, but a few stern words from Gen made him send me a tight nod before stalking toward his squad car.
I waited while the other remaining cops packed up their shit and left my property before flicking my gaze back to Alexi.
"Where the fuck were you?" I demanded. "And why didn't you answer your phone?"
His lips tightened. "I was on break," he replied. "I didn't know this would happen. Fuck, I just took an hour to grab some dinner, and..."
I arched a brow. "And?"
He shrugged. "This is obviously a set up."
"Obviously," I replied tartly. "Why didn't you answer your phone?"
Embarrassment crept over his face. "I didn't know it was you calling, sir. I thought... I didn't think it was important."
A frown tugged at my face, then I quickly connected the dots. I hadn't called him from my phone. Lucas had. And Alexi must be struggling to accept Lucas as being in a position of power above him. Hell, Lucas had the place Alexi had been chasing for years—at my side and in my bed.
Grinding my teeth together, I drew a calming breath. "You're on thin fucking ice, Alexi. Go over to Club 22 and see if Zed needs help with the suits he was persuading not to press charges."
Alexi gave a tight nod. "Understood, sir." He swiped a hand over his brow as he turned away to head back to his car, and I noted blood staining the cuff of his shirt. Not exactly uncommon in his line of work, but it stuck in my mind, nonetheless.
When he was gone, I turned back to Gen and Lucas with a frown. "Anyone heard from Zed yet?"
Gen shook her head, checking her phone, and Lucas ran his hand through his hair with a grimace.
"I'm sure he's just—" Whatever Lucas was about to say cut off when my phone rang again, and I held my hand up to silence him.
"Zed," I barked, bringing my phone to my ear. "Where the fuck have you been?"
His casual laugh on the other end of the line set my nerves on edge. "You miss me, baby? I'm on my way to Anarchy now. Those pricks took more convincing than expected."
I bit the edge of my lip, analyzing his tone for any hint of deception. But why the fuck would he lie to me about being at Club 22 when there were plenty of staff there who could verify his whereabouts if I asked. I was just being paranoid. That was Chase's whole fucking game, and I didn't think for even a second anyone but Chase Lockhart was behind this mess.