“And you would’ve been dead sooner,” Dev replied without hesitation. “Or at least they would’ve come after you sooner. You’re the justice guy, so it stands to reason you wanted proof first.”
Trent nodded. “He’s right, Ben. Don’t beat yourself up about this. You played the hand you were dealt. Without concrete proof against Vega you knew he’d walk again. Keeping quiet kept you alive longer.”
“And now what?” Ben yelled spinning around to face them. “Now he’s after Victoria too! I’ve involved her when I could’ve handled it myself.”
Trent shook his head, but Victoria touched a hand to his arm indicating she could talk for herself.
“Jules involved me the moment he handed this case down. He was adamant that I take the case, that I be the one to beat you. So I took it. I walked into this with my eyes wide opened.” Even if what she’d been seeing when she walked into this situation was more along the lines of ultimate victory against the man who just could not stay out of her dreams.
“Really?” Trent said rubbing a hand over the light goatee at his chin. “Julius Talmadge. He’s planning to run for public office isn’t he?”
“Yes,” Victoria replied a bit taken aback by the swift change in subject. “He’s already put in his official application to be on the ballot. So he needs this case. He needs a big win under his belt,” she said and instantly thought of the erratic way he’d been acting in her office earlier today, or yesterday she figured since it was well past midnight.
“And he’s desperate to have Vega jailed before he gets elected?” Trent continued with another question.
“It’s a big case for the city,” Ben told him. “I had a couple of higher ups give me a call during the first trial. The chief of police for one. He wanted to know how I could sleep at night trying so hard to get Vega acquitted.”
“Of course the cops would feel that way,” Trent said almost absently. He’d begun rubbing his fingers over his chin.
“Not exactly,” Dev added. “Didn’t Alyana Jonas disappear while in protective custody which was spearheaded by the police?”
“Correct,” Ben said folding his arms over his chest.
Victoria loved when he stood like that, with his legs slightly parted his face grim with concentration. He struck that pose a lot in the courtroom and it never failed to arouse her.
“That’s why Noah and I were convinced there was a leak,” Ben finished. “Nobody should have known where Alayna was besides the two detectives assigned to take shifts with her and their commanding officer.”
“Do you know who they were?” Trent asked.
“Hamlin, the chief, was the commanding officer since this was a political hit. The two detectives were Richley and Alvarez, both veterans of the force. Noah and I came up dry trying to figure out where the leak was. But knowing there was one is why I didn’t turn those notes over to the cops.”
“Where are the notes?” Victoria asked as she sat on the side of the bed watching and listening, wondering how all these pieces fit together.
“I have them in my office,” Trent replied. “Noah dusted them for prints but came up with none besides yours and Ben’s.”
“I never gave the police my fingerprints. How could he know they were mine?”
“He matched them to the majority of the prints lifted from your house the night of the attempted break-in,” Trent told her.
Victoria nodded, wondering when she’d become one of the victims versus her usual job on the other side of the law. This all seemed to happen so fast and to be spun so completely around her she could hardly breathe. But there was something missing. A huge piece of this puzzle wasn’t available to them and until they got their hands on it—orher—they’d still be in this same dangerous position.
“I think they’re all working together,” Ben said finally, his voice deep, strong, serious. “There’s one circle of corrupt individuals all covering each other’s backs. That’s how Vega keeps slipping through the system, that’s why he can kill and walk away. They’re protecting him.”
Devlin nodded. “I think you’re right.”
“The question is why?” Victoria asked following Ben’s train of thought.
“Money,” Trent answered. “It is the root of all evil, right? If everybody keeps the other’s pockets lined they can all remain powerful and rich without being caught. I’m going back to my office to start tracking the money going in and coming out of some of these accounts.”
“I’ll work the computer, map out their political connections,” Ben added.
“I’ll stay on security. Noah just texted me that he’s sitting on your mother’s house personally,” Devlin said to Victoria. “The lovely chief of police will be attending a function with the mayor tomorrow night so all available officers are on security detail for the convention center, the mayor and the chief.”
“Leaving Vega free reign to hunt us down without anybody knowing until it’s too late,” she added. They were definitely all connected.
“Ace, Rio and I will stay here with you tonight. Tomorrow we move again,” Dev said heading for the door. “Keep the door locked, don’t open the curtains and don’t answer the phone. If I need you I’ll call your cell, you do the same for me,” he told Ben who nodded in agreement with his directions.
Rio did some special type of knock and Devlin let him in. Victoria had no idea how the man knew Rio was even on his way up. Then again, he’d probably texted him too since Devlin had continued to hold his cell phone in his hand the entire time they’d been talking.
