More proof that Casimir Bednarek was a criminal mastermind. A genius with computers, brilliant at strategy, and now a ghost.
No one had seen anyone matching the likeness of him the FBI had circulated, and no one had gotten a hit on Victor either.
Shehatedhaving no leads.
Why did August suddenly not trust Rook? And vice versa? Why kill valuable members of the Collective? Why kill the Harte’s helper, Sabrina Johnson, and not kill the Hartes?
Jane had looked into Sabrina several times and found small payments that didn’t fit her employer or any side hustle. Not legally, anyway. Sabrina had been earning several thousand a month by working for Rook or Kaminski.
After Harte had been dealt with, Sabrina had been a loose end. That Harte remained alive said he had value and didn’t know enough to be a threat.
Another roadblock.
She seethed. She needed something new to track. In desperation, she called Detective Ryan. She’d texted him a few times over the past few days, but since neither of them had anything new to share, the conversations had been brief.
“Hey Ray,” she said when he answered. “Sorry to call after hours. How are you?”
“Jane. Good to hear from you. No problem at all. I have nephews who won’t get in bed,” he said, raising his voice. “So I’m not relaxing anytime soon.”
She chuckled. “I hear that.”
“Sorry, Uncle Ray,” she heard between giggles.
Ray sighed. “Kids.” In a more serious tone, he said, “So sorry about your loss at the Agency. I heard Agent Scott was a great guy.”
“Yeah, he was.” She cleared her throat. “Hey, do you think you could spare some time for me tomorrow? I want to talk to someone who knows this case, and I’m hitting a wall.”
“Want to do lunch? I have some paperwork to hit first thing.”
“Ah, I’ve got the funeral in the afternoon. I could do later that evening, but I don’t want to cut into your family time.”
“Screw that. I see Alex every day.”
“Hey,” someone grumbled over the phone, presumably Alex. “Invite her over for dinner.”
“Did you hear that?” Ray asked. In a lower voice, he confided, “He’s a great cook. You’re safe enough if you bring dessert. He can’t bake worth a crap.”
“I heard that!”
Jane smiled. “Dinner would be great. I’ll bring the sweets.”
“Sounds good. I’ll text you the address.”
“Fine. And Ray, you’re all good, right? No one prowling around your house, stalking you and your family?”
“We’re fine and on alert. The only reason my nephews are here is they have nowhere else to go. I promised my sister I’d watch them when she went on vacation. She spent a lot of money on it and needs the break. These kids aremonsters.”
More giggling.
“Well, if you need anything…”
“I know. Thanks. But I’m not a target. I do worry about you though.”
“Nah. They’re not after me.”I don’t think.“It’s about the Collective, about Kaminski.”
“Say no more. Bring all your thoughts to dinner tomorrow. And good luck at the funeral.”
“Yeah. I can’t say I’m looking forward to it.”
