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She was done with this place and everyone in it.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
Cash slouched at the desk and stared at the monitors. nothing had been caught on any single one of them that gave him a clue as to how Davenport found out about Li's weapon or Vanessa’s murderer. He had to have an inside source. It wasn’t him and Cash knew it wasn’t Archer. That didn’t leave very many people. He’d worked with Antonio and Dante before. Each man had proven himself trustworthy. That left Louis.
He called the kid and told him to come to the video room. Twelve minutes later, the kid sauntered through the door. He was obviously not making any great effort to impress Cash.
“You wanted to see me?”
Cash drummed his fingers on the table. “How did you get this job?”
“Antonio is my cousin.”
It wasn’t a surprise. It often happened that way. “I see. How long have you been working here?”
“’Bout six months.” He leaned against the doorjamb. “Yo, what’s with all the questions?”
Cash scowled. “Louis, what’s your ultimate goal in life?”
The kid frowned and looked at Cash like he was an idiot. “To make money, dude. I wanna be rich.”
“So when Davenport offered to pay you for information you didn’t see the harm in it. You saw a quick way to make a few extra bucks.”
Louis straightened. “Who me? No way man. I wouldn’t do that.” He shifted his weight from foot to foot.
Cash instantly decided on a new tactic. He needed to be seen as approachable. Make this kid see him as a compatriot. “It’s okay, Louis. We all do stupid things in the beginning. No worries. I just gotta find out what exactly you did, is all.” Cash knew how to lead a kid like this down the path to confession. He’d been damn good at it all his life and it had come in handy more times than he could count.
“I didn’t do anything, man. I swear it. Musta been someone else.”
Cash frowned. “Then it had to be your cousin. Was it your cousin? I can’t picture that.”
“Yeah man, it musta been him.”
“You’d offer up your cousin for your mistakes?” Cash shook his head, as if in disbelief, although he’d expected that response. “That’s cold, man. Really cold. Like icy. Can always use an icy guy like you…lots of ways you can come in handy and make more money.”
“Really?” Louis asked. “That’s cool, that’s cool.”
“Yeah. I just gotta know what you told Davenport so I can warn Archer. He needs to handle it is all. He’s always looking for guys like you, good under pressure. Stay cool no matter what. I can put a good word in for ya but I gotta know ’cause he’s gonna ask me about it.”
Louis grinned. “I didn’t tell him much. Just about Li and the USB thing. And his man killing Vanessa.”
“That’s it?” Cash stayed relaxed even though he wanted to reach out and strangle the kid. “Nothing else?”
“I helped him relay messages to that old lady.”
Cash did his best to remain calm but this was news and it wasn’t good. “Old lady? Who?
“The one with the flower name.”
Flower? “You mean Poppy?”
“Yeah man, Davenport asked me to ask her if she found anything, but she said she didn’t.” Then Louis frowned. “But it was kinda weird cause then I heard her say to someone else that the code on the paper was useless and didn’t work. I didn’t tell Davenport though. I don’t want to get mixed up in too much crazy shit, you know?”
“Yeah, I know.” Cash was trying to piece it together but none of it made any sense. “Do you know who she was talking to?”
“Nah. She was in the pool room. I don’t know who she was talkin’ to and I didn’t stick around to find out ’cause that’s when you was all upset that the hot number, Ms. Riss, was missin’.”
“Right.” Cash wanted to throat-punch the kid. One quick snap and it would all be over. Not his call. He’d leave it up to Archer, but he’d volunteer to do the kid if the time came. “Okay, so that’s it then? Nothin’ else?”
