“Do you know if he’s succeeded in locating Warshafsky since that night?” Rafferty asked.
“I’m sorry. I thought it was clear I have not had any contact with Dan or his supervisor since that night,” Sparrow said.
“Do you have his supervisor’s number at the FBI? I really think I should contact him,” Rafferty said. “Someone has been trying to prevent Justus and Chaney from testifying. They’ve had two men threaten to throw acid in their faces if they do. Liberty is now in Fool’s Gold with Asher because their rental was broken into when she took Justus to her last counseling appointment. If Warshafsky is not behind this, I don’t know who is.”
“Damn. I don’t have the man’s name or number. I only took the call,” Sparrow said. “Let me put you on hold and see if the switchboard logged the call. When official agencies call in, some operators habitually record the information. We might be in luck.”
“Thank you.” Rafferty poured himself the last of the coffee and headed into the living room. He walked over to the little desk, found a pen and a small pad of paper, and took it to the sofa. He knew it was a long shot, but if what Sparrow said about some operators logging calls from official agencies, then there was a fifty-fifty chance that one of those operators had been on duty that evening. And he was a big enough believer that anything could happen.
“Rafferty.” Sparrow’s voice returned him to the present.
“Yeah?”
“We’re in luck. The call was logged. Our longest-serving operator was on duty that evening. The man’s name is Stewart McClain, and I have the number if you are ready for it.”
“I am.”
Sparrow rattled off the digits and then said, “Good luck.”
“Thanks. And thank you for this information about Dan.” Rafferty took a deep breath and ended the call.
“Who was that?” Justus's voice came from behind him.
Rafferty turned and saw her standing with her puppy clutched to her chest.
“Did you make a call about Dan?” she asked.
“I did,” he replied.
She approached the front of the sofa, put the dog down, and sat cross-legged on the opposite end. “And?”
“He’s alive even though he is the man your sister shot the night of the auction.”
“Liberty shot him?” Justus's voice rose an octave. “Why?
“Because he shot Asher in the arm from what I gathered after the conversations I just had with Asher and Sparrow.”
Justus wrinkled her nose. “Right. I also told you that Asher got shot, but I had no idea that Dan did that. I didn’t even know he had a gun. Why would he shoot Asher?”
“Not sure,” Rafferty said. He took a deep breath, thinking,probably so it wouldn’t blow his cover.
“But you said even though Liberty shot Dan, he’s alive?”
“That’s what Sparrow told me.”
“Where is he?” Justus asked.
“Sparrow doesn’t know. She hasn’t seen him after that night.”
Justus frowned, then nodded. He could tell by her expression that she was considering this.
“Wait. I still don’t understand. If Dan shot Asher, and Dan got shot, then wouldn’t he have gone to the hospital? And wouldn’t he have been charged with a crime? Why isn’t he standing trial with the others?”
Oh, brother. This is turning into a hot mess.Rafferty rubbed the back of his head as he tried to think of a reasonable explanation without telling her the truth. Finally, he got up and walked toward the kitchen with his empty mug.
“Maybe that is something you’ll have to ask him,” he said.
Justus tilted her head and glanced at him. “Ask him? I’d have to know where he was to do that. You’re not making any sense at all, Rafferty.”
