And the fact he wound up dead.
“More people know about that,” I said. “Even if you kill me, the secret isn’t dying in this room.”
“A jury would’ve believed two detectives. Now it’ll be the word of an upstanding citizen against the word of a biker gang, a drug-dealing bar owner, and the rest of their garbage group.”
“And me and Murdoch? How do you explain our deaths?”
“Walker found out you were undercover to investigate him, not protect him. Tracked you to a meeting with your handler. No one will buy a word from his mouth when I’ve got documentation to prove everything.”
“So you kill your best detective and frame an innocent man?”
“He’snotinnocent. And I’m not killing you.” He tossed his gun over the counter, and it landed with a loud clatter. His voice was filled with tears when he said, “I can’t do it. Come arrest me.”
“Come out.”
Tension hung so thick in the air, I couldn’t breathe as I waited for him to make a move.
It was haltingly slow, but he eventually stood. Not just that, he had his hands in the air.
Confident in his setup.
A glimmer of light caught my eye outside, and I moved, too.
Not to duck for cover.
But to step out from the protection of the pillar before the captain got wind of what was happening and went for his discarded gun.
“I’m sorry about this, Detective. Truly. If it helps, just know the city will be a safer place.” Genuine remorse aged his weathered face, and I took a tiny bit of solace from that, too.
Microscopic again, but still.
“But I… I had no choice,” he finished.
“We always have a choice.”
Red dots swarmed together on Captain Talbot’s body. His face blanched as he gestured wildly to me.
The dots stayed in place.
“Wrong person!” he screamed frantically, spit flying from his mouth. “Wrong person!”
“No,” I said. “The FBI has the correct person.”
He staggered back, and the hint of color he still had disappeared. Leaving him looking like a walking corpse.
I made a fist and lifted it.
And the FBI swarmed.
Led proudly by Grayson.
“Get everything?” I asked as two agents cuffed Cap while others moved to clear the building.
“Every word,” my brother said.
“And everyone else?”
“Safe and sound.” He gave me a teasing smirk I wouldn’t have expected from my uptight brother. “Including yourloooover.”
