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“You think you’re smart, don’t you? A pretty face, a quick wit, and a badge can get you far, but it doesn’t make you invincible.” A little bit of warmth returned to her eyes. “Believe it or not, I like you, Agent Viotto. But you are very dumb. Your partner? He’s a bit smarter. He knows not to poke his nose where it doesn’t belong.”
There was a glint of excitement in Viotto’s eye now. “Is that a threat?”
“I don’t threaten people.” Anastasia threw her hair over her shoulder. No part of her movement indicated she was anything but stone-cold sober. “I don’t need to. It’s not my job. But I will do you the courtesy of warning you. Apex can make your life a living hell. I don’t think you deserve that, but if you’re not careful, what I think won’t matter. Now,” she said, ushering them toward the door, “I would like you to leave.”
Cassie filed through the doorway after Viotto, but as she crossed the threshold, she felt Anastasia’s tight grip on her arm.
“And Ms. Quinn? That goes for you, too. Have a great day.”
The door shut in Cassie’s face before she could decide whether she was grateful for the advice or terrified that she needed it.
36
Cassie scooted into the passenger seat of Viotto’s car and squinted back up at the building in front of them. “I have a bad feeling about her.”
Viotto had his head tipped back and his eyes closed. “Is that a psychic thing?”
“A woman thing.” She gave him a dirty look he didn’t see. “Are you sure it was a good idea to press her like that? What if Apex comes after you?”
“I don’t think they will.” He opened his eyes. “I don’t have enough information to be a threat. If they come after me, they’ll show their hand. Something tells me they’re smarter than that.”
“That’s a bet you’re willing to take?”
“For now.” He turned the key in the ignition. “We’ll see how I feel once we get to the bottom of this case. If we get to the bottom of this case.”
“That gun keeps bothering me,” Cassie said. “The one that Anthony Lewis said had been confiscated months prior? If Apex is as powerful as Grayson says it is, then they have law enforcement on their payroll.”
“Which means they would’ve wiped the gun record and used it as evidence in the Grayson case.”
“And if that’s true, who knows what else they fabricated.”
“Or compromised.” Viotto checked his rearview mirror and pulled out from the curb. “How do you feel about going to the scene of the crime?”
“That’s usually the best way for me to get insight into a case, but even if I pick up something, it doesn’t mean we’ll be able to prove what happened. If someone on the force is working for Apex, they might’ve scrubbed the scene. Or planted more false evidence.”
“What are they up to?” He shook his head and waited until the car came to a complete stop at a red light before he turned to her. “I get pulling strings and trying to control Washington, but murder is going pretty far. They can afford to buy their way out of a lot of legal trouble, but not murder. Why risk it?”
“World domination?”
“According to Anastasia Bolton, they’d be capable of that.”
Cassie watched as the light turned green, and they pulled through the intersection. “Grayson seems terrified. Mannis seems cautious. And Anastasia seems cocky. Even if Apex isn’t the Big Bad they appear to be, they’ve definitely got a lot of hands in a lot of cookie jars.”
Viotto didn’t answer. He was looking in the rearview mirror again. “Don’t look now, but I think we have a tail.”
Cassie stiffened and resisted the urge to turn around. “Seriously?”
“I can’t get a good look at them, but they pulled out after us as soon as we left Anastasia’s building. They never let more than one car between us.” Viotto took a right turn. “I slowed down for that red light, and they changed lanes so they weren’t right behind us.”
“And now they’re following again?”
“Yep.”
“What should we do?”
He took another turn. Checked the rearview mirror. Eased up on the gas. “If we try to lose them, we won’t find out who they are. That could end up being even more dangerous down the line. If we head to the crime scene, we might come face to face with them, but I don’t like the idea of putting you in danger.”
“If they know I’m involved, I’d feel much better being with you than possibly taking this back home.”
