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“Thank you, Thomas. You’re the best.” She flashed a grateful smile at him and took several sips. The first she swished around her mouth and spat into the can before finishing off the glass.
“Okay. Thanks,” she said, indicating she had control of her stomach again.
I took pity on the girl because obviously, something had brought her to me. “Can I assume from your excited entrance that Jameson has finally come to his senses and decided to join our team?”
Madison shook her head. “He hasn’t made up his mind yet either way, and he wanted me to be very clear about that.”
My lips twitched at the wariness in her words as she spoke. “All right. I’m listening, then.”
She nodded and then blurted quickly as if she might lose her nerve or forget what she came to say.
“It’s not about Mueller and Bonnie, Sadie. It’s worse. Way worse.” Her eyes were wide as if I might shoot the messenger. It wasn’t off the table, but she didn’t need to know that.
“Calm down, Madison. What is worse than the double homicide the FBI is trying to pin on me?”
“Okay. All right.” She closed her eyes and sucked in a long breath that she let out slowly. “Agent Beck is looking into the priest murders again, and her new theory is that Bonnie didn’t do it, but Bonnie knew you did, and that’s why she ended up murdered with Mueller. So if you murdered Bonnie’s priest and Mueller, then it stands to reason…” She froze, and her eyes went terrifyingly wide at the thought of voicing the rest of that sentence.
“That I killed them all?”
Maddie shrugged and nodded.
“And Jameson is concerned about me and my freedom?” If so, it meant he was on board.
“Don’t know, but he’s pissed Beck locked him out of the details of the priest murders. She thinks he might tell me, and I’ll tell you, or worse, that the Reckless Bastards are covering for you, and he knows it.”
“Wow, she thinks highly of me.” A smarmy grin crossed my face. Madison had good intel. Which she probably got from Jameson. I couldn’t figure out why Calvin didn’t know this. That man could hack into anyone’s database.
“Not too highly. She thinks you made a mistake and that she has something to tie you to one or more of the crimes. Jamie doesn’t know what it is, though.”
I let Madison’s words sink in, and once again, I had that feeling that I should be worried, but I didn’t feel worried. I nodded to Thomas, and he discreetly exited the dining room.
“Thank you for coming to tell me, Madison.”
“Of course. I appreciate everything you’ve done for me, Sadie. And Beck’s a bitch.” She flashed a grin as she poured herself another glass of water.
Thomas returned and handed her an envelope filled with cash.
Madison shook her head and took a step back away from the money as if it might attack her. I was impressed by the rejection.
“Jamie said to consider this intel a gift between family, of sorts, while he makes up his mind.”
“Family?”
She nodded. “He knows what you mean to me. And well, Maisie Ashby is family. And he adores her. Max told him to protect her—not that Virgil can’t do it, but you know. Family.”
I didn’t know what I meant to her, but if it helped Jameson make up his fucking mind and join the Ashby Organization, then I’d take it. “Thank you, Madison.”
She nodded and turned to make a hasty getaway, slamming right into Jasper’s chest with a gasp. She stepped back and stepped around him, and then she was gone.
“Odd but informative.” Helping Madison had served a purpose in keeping her close and helping us find out what the fuck Mueller was up to, and now it looked like my good deed had paid off even more. I loved it when that happened.
“How fucking long does it take to decide if you want to make a shit ton of money or not?” Jasper’s brows dipped low, and he folded his arms across his chest. “Seriously.”
I laughed. Jasper inherited his impatience from me, but with age comes wisdom and patience. “He’s chosen to uphold the law and now, less than a year into the gig, we’ve asked him to bend it for us, for money. I don’t want to pay someone who would make this choice lightly.”
He nodded, reluctantly accepting my logic. “What did Madison want, then?”
I smacked my lips and shook my head at him. “So distrustful, son. She came with helpful news.”
I told him about Beck’s suspicions, and he growled his frustration.
“I knew this shit would come back to bite us. That bitch is relentless.” There was a hint of pride in his tone, and I had to wonder if Jasper would be the child who repeated my mistakes.
