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“Agent Costa,” he said. “I’ve been impressed with your team. You have lived up to your reputation.”
Matt didn’t know what, if anything, Conrad knew about him. He could just be playing with his head, stalling, distracting him.
“The FBI has already launched a full investigation into Lydia Zarian and Dorothy Duncan, and everyone associated with them. Rebecca Chavez has been suspended. If you hurt Violet, you will die. I promise you that.”
Matt sensed more than saw Michael take a position to the right of Kara. Now Conrad couldn’t keep them all in his sight. Michael was the best shot. He could take Conrad out with a clean head shot, but Violet was nearly as tall as the man. There was no guarantee she wouldn’t be caught in the line of fire, and Michael wouldn’t put her at risk.
Matt had to talk Conrad down. Convince him to turn himself over.
“You’re hired help,” Matt said. “You roll on who hired you to kill Craig Dyson and FBI Agent Bryce Thornton, death penalty is off the table.”
Conrad laughed. “It’s funny that you think it was ever on the table.”
“I’ve seen too many dead bodies this week,” Matt said. “I don’t want to see another.”
Conrad didn’t say anything. He still held the gun to Violet’s head, clutching her arm. He was calculating. Matt could see it in his eyes.
“Are you willing to die for these people? Do you actually believe that the drive in that briefcase is the drive with the evidence? We spoke to the data center before Peter Sharp ever walked into the building. No way in hell was I going to risk the files—the proof of all the crimes that Zarian and her people committed—getting into Sharp’s hands.”
Conrad looked surprised, then he smiled. “Bravo, Agent Costa. Bravo. You win this round.”
He let go of Violet’s arm, slowly squatted and put his gun on the ground, knelt and put his hands on the back of his head.
“Violet,” Kara commanded. “Come here.”
Violet walked slowly toward Kara, still carrying the briefcase. Then she ran and Kara immediately escorted her into the SUV.
Matt and Colton Fox approached Conrad. “Cuff him,” Matt ordered Fox as he holstered his own weapon. Michael still had a clear shot if Conrad tried anything.
Fox complied, sparing only a glance at the dead Peter Sharp.
“Who gets him?” Fox asked Matt.
“We’ll let the lawyers fight over him, but he killed a federal agent so he’s mine first.”
Conrad laughed.
“Shut up,” Colton told him and pulled him to his feet.
Conrad looked right at Matt and said, “I live to fight another day, Agent Costa.”
He didn’t look worried, but Matt expected that to change. Once he realized he wasn’t walking free again, he would be very worried.
Colton led Conrad to the rear vehicle so Violet wouldn’t have to ride with him.
They had Conrad James on murdering Peter Sharp in cold blood and they had him on hiring Colangelo to kill Chen. And likely enough evidence to convict him of killing Craig.
But they had better find more evidence or he wouldn’t go away for killing a federal agent.
They needed the gun.
Matt called Tony Greer and laid out his plan.
Friday, October 11
42
Conrad James wasn’t talking, but they had the disk drive.
