Page 97 of But For You

His shoulders slumped.

“Isn’t that strange?” I stared holes in him.

“Okay,” he began, moving toward me. “My boss thinks I⁠—”

“You’re gonna use Kevin to catch Salcedo and Turner,” I said, putting up my hand.

He stopped. “Yeah.”

“So, Kevin is connected to Salcedo.”

“We think so, yes. The connection is hidden. I don’t know how they know each other, but Kevin was the only one who knew when we were moving on the cartel … I drank a lot back then, and I thought I could trust the guy I was fucking.”

I was processing.

“So, yeah, it follows that my informant made contact with me, they found out, and then suddenly, Kevin’s back in town.”

“But these people must have followed you and seen me and the kids, and this guy Salcedo still thought that sending Kevin here was a good idea? He must have believed that he could tempt you away from your family.”

“Salcedo must have seen me with Kevin in Colombia all those years ago. That’s the last he’s probably seen of me.”

“What about his hit man in Phoenix?”

“That guy was sent to my room after me. I doubt Salcedo has checked up on me at all. He just heard that my guy reached out to me, and he put Kevin into play. Kevin’s the only person Salcedo knows who knows me.”

“So, you’re saying what?”

“That it’s doubtful that Salcedo has any idea about you or the kids.”

“But Kevin knows now.”

“Which is why you’re here and not at home.”

“So, you weren’t worried about us because of Phoenix. You’re worried because of Kevin.”

“Yes.”

“How do you think Kevin got the job at County?”

“How did he just show up, you mean?”

“Yeah.”

“I think he’s probably working there for free. Sanchez and Ryan are checking on it now. Kowalski and Dorsey are tailing Kevin, and White and some guys from Chicago PD are sitting on all the bugs in his apartment.”

“Okay.” I took that all in.

“And?”

I wasn’t sure what he meant.

“Tell me what you’re thinking,” he demanded.

“Just that this Salcedo guy must have really thought that Kevin Dwyer had you wrapped around his finger.”

“Please, please, do not get your brain running on this. Whatever anyone else thinks is crap. The important part is what I know for certain and what you do as well.”

“And so, what? What precisely is the play here?”