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“Fair enough. Connor, what do you think?” Roman asked.
Connor’s answer came quickly. “I think Miles is on to something here. Yes, I could totally see this working.”
“We could combine it with putting pressure on Whitman’s wife like we discussed,” Ryan said. “She was out of town last week, so we didn’t get a chance to talk to her again, but she’s back.”
Hope bloomed inside Roman. “How do I do this? How do I go public?”
“Do you have contacts at your local TV station? I’m sure you know some reporters,” Miles said.
“I do. You think I should go that big?”
“If you want it to work, yes,” Miles said. “For Whitman to be sufficiently spooked, you have to reach a big public. This needs to be front-page news, the lead on all the news reports.”
“But what if…?” Roman’s throat closed again, and he had to force the words out. “What if it backfires and they hurt Caleb?”
Silence descended. “I’m gonna be honest with you, Roman,” Miles said softly. “They’ve probably hurt him already, trying to get information out of him. But they have no reason to kill him, not until they’ve gotten every detail out of him. As long as he keeps his mouth shut, they’ll let him live. And once you go live, his chances of survival increase significantly. So the question is, how easy would it be for them to get Caleb to talk?”
“The kid won’t break,” Wander said. “Not unless they bring serious threats to the table. Don’t forget, he’s a sub with an affection for impact play. It’s not the same, but his body knows how to handle pain. He can compartmentalize that. It’s his fear for others that would be his downfall.”
Wander’s faith in Caleb brought Roman hope. If Caleb could withstand torture, Roman could power through his despair and do his job. “I’ll start making some calls on the way to Boston, since I’ll have to do those interviews in person,” Roman said. “For something this big, they’ll want to talk to me directly rather than through Zoom or something.”
“I’m sorry. I don’t know everyone there. Who said they were heading to Boston to talk to Whitman’s wife?” Miles asked.
“That would be me and Alex, my partner,” Ryan said. “I’m Ryan Mason, former homicide detective and now a PI for Dwyer Security.”
“Good to meet you, Ryan. Would you care for some company? Connor and I may be of use to you. Connor because he’s local, and me because of my background as an FBI agent.”
“No need to sell me,” Ryan said. “We’ll take all the help we can to get Caleb safely home.”
“Everyone is coming,” Wander said in a tone that left no room for debate. “If Roman is traveling, we’ll have his back. Lowell and Jonah, you’re his primary, with Alex and me as backup. Sorry, Alex, I need you to cover Roman. If Connor and Miles go with Ryan, he’ll be fine.”
“Yes, boss,” Alex said.
“Let’s pack up and be ready to move out. How much time do you guys need, Connor?”
“We’ll be there in fifteen,” Connor said.
“All right. Everyone be ready to leave in twenty,” Wander said.
Roman had no time to worry as he had to focus on packing a bag and then shaving, grooming, and getting changed into a nice suit. He needed to look every inch the professional, even if this would be the very last thing he’d ever do as a DA. After this, his career was officially over, but he was at peace with it. All he cared about was getting Caleb back.
Connor wasn’t tall, but the man was built like a wall, casting an imposing figure. Miles was taller and much leaner, but he carried himself with that unmistakable confidence of a law enforcement officer. Both were carrying, as were Wander’s men. Roman was the only one without a firearm…and he was okay with that.
They piled into two cars, and the ride flew by while Roman made call after call, talking to TV reporters as well as the Boston Globe, the Washington Post, and the New York Times. Miles was right. For this to work, everyone needed to hear about it, and so Roman talked and talked and talked to anyone who would listen.
He dropped names, shared evidence that wasn’t confidential, hinted at bought cops and LEOs, and speculated that the attorney general of Massachusetts didn’t seem interested in taking Whitman down. He showed evidence of the slander campaign against him, defended himself against the accusations, and shared the pictures of Joey surveilling his home. And last but not least, he made clear references to other pressure tactics, like going after Roman’s loved ones, including his boyfriend. Yes, he was casually coming out, but he didn’t care. It would only help make this story bigger. Joey might not know what Caleb was to Roman, but he would understand soon enough when it hit the news.
Before Roman knew it, it was time for his first TV interview. Wander and his team stayed in the background as Roman sat down with Michelle Claiborne, Boston’s most prominent TV anchor, known for asking the tough questions.
“We’re here with District Attorney Roman Dwyer tonight, and he has some bombshell revelations about Massachusetts Senator Douglas Whitman,” she said in the intro, perfectly dramatized for maximum effect. “Roman, what can you tell us about your investigation into Senator Whitman?”
A lot. He could tell them a lot. He took a deep breath. “I first came across rumors about Senator Whitman’s dealings when I overheard a call in the courthouse from a man who claimed he’d been pressured by Senator Whitman into taking the fall for something. It coincided with a host of rumors, so I started digging, carefully at first.”
He walked her through the investigation, sharing whatever he could without endangering people or violating his professional ethics.
“There have been many rumors about you recently,” Michelle said. “Rumors that have cast doubts about your mental health.”
Roman nodded. “I’m aware of those, but that’s exactly what they are—rumors. They were started by people closely connected to Senator Whitman in an attempt to discredit me.”
