Page 94 of Daybreak

“No problem,” Lavinsky said. “We’re about to interview an informant who claims to have info he’ll trade for. We find that amusing, that an informant wants to make a deal with the FBI when he’s already nailed for selling information to Dixon that got other people killed. Keep your seat. We’re not through with you,” he said.

Whistler frowned. He hadn’t counted on that. Damn snitch. He hated them.

* * *

When Lewinsky and his partner walked into the interrogation down the hall, Tom Rowdy was already sweating. His lawyer whispered something in his ear, and Rowdy settled.

Lavinsky sat down with the full intention of breaking this man and his secrets wide open. No cop ever wants to go to prison, and that’s where Rowdy was headed, but he was guessing the man was going to try to make them a deal.

They sat down and turned on the tape, went through the process of introducing the people in the room, and then began the questioning.

“Thomas Rowdy, you already know the charges you are facing…abetting in the murders of four of my special agents, one of whom was your brother-in-law; one attempted murder on a homicide detective in your own department; and selling confidential information to a crime lord.”

Rowdy was fidgeting. “I had no idea that would be the end result. It was never my intent to get anyone hurt.”

“What did you expect a man like Burgess Dixon was going to do with the information, then?” Lavinsky asked. “We know you don’t do the dirty work. You’re just one of the toads of the world who sells their soul for money. So, who wiped out the safe house? You remember the safe house. You gave up the location for money, and made your sister a widow and left your two nephews without a father.”

Rowdy stifled a moan and gave his lawyer a frantic look. “My wife left me. My sister disowned me,” he said.

“What did you expect? You destroyed their lives,” Lavinsky said.

“I can’t go to jail,” Rowdy said. “I’ll be dead in a month.”

Lavinsky nodded. “Likely so…just like all those people you gave up to Dixon. It’s called karma.”

“I know who pulled the trigger on all of it. Even Garza and Letourneau.”

Lavinsky frowned. “Who are Garza and Letourneau?”

“Two of Dixon’s men who were supposed to bury Freddie Welsh’s body where even God couldn’t find it, and instead, they got high and dumped the body in some warehouse. Dixon sent his man to deal with them. If I give you his name, what’s it worth to me?” Rowdy asked.

“You gave up Kingston, your own coworker, and a manhunt and bounty on his head ensued. Fortunately for Kingston, he survived it.”

“I want to make a deal,” Rowdy said.

“I’ve already caught all the people involved,” Lavinsky said. “You don’t have squat to sell me.”

“You don’t have Beau Whistler. He’s the trigger man for everything. I’ll give you everything I know about him if you’ll put me in an out-of-state prison.”

“Actually, I do have Beau Whistler. We had an ongoing manhunt for him, and Gunner Kingston caught him for us. He’s in the room next door, claiming guilt only on the death of Dixon.”

“If I testify against him, would that get me out of a Texas penitentiary?”

“I’d have to talk to my people.”

“I’ll do it. I swear to God, I’ll do it,” Rowdy said.

Lavinsky frowned. “I don’t know how far your testimony would go, considering the depth of your guilt in all of it. Who’s going to trust you? They’ll assume you’re lying for a lighter sentence.”

“Then I’m dead,” Rowdy said.

“That’s something you’ve caused, and your welfare in prison is out of my control,” Lavinsky said. “I have four dead agents, four widows, and an accumulation of nine children between them now without their fathers. They’re my concern.”

Rowdy’s lawyer whispered in his ear again.

Rowdy leaned forward. “There’s more connected to your case that you don’t know about. Whistler did the hit and run on Dan Helford. Yankee Dan, the man who found Freddie Welsh’s body. He didn’t know anything, but Dixon didn’t like loose ends. It’s also why he put the hit out on Gunner Kingston. He was the man who took Yankee Dan’s statement.” Rowdy dropped his head and started crying. “I’ll testify.”

“Even without a deal?” Lavinsky asked.