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“What do you mean?”
“He hired that crazy man to organize the riots. He thought he could control him, but he couldn’t.”
Mayor White sniffled and composed herself. “Leonard, Idon’t want you involved in this. Detective Grace, let my husband and son go back to the den. I’ll speak to you in my office.”
Mr. White tried to object, but Mayor White overrode him, clearly in control now.
Gabe appeared in the hallway. Danni looked at him and he answered her question before she could ask it.
“He’s on his way to the hospital. Too soon to say how badly he’s hurt.”
After sharing an embrace with her husband, Mayor White led Gabe, Danni, and a uniformed officer down another hallway to her office.
White sat behind her desk. “I can’t believe what happened here today. In my house.”
“What did Leonard mean when he spoke about your brother?”
The mayor held her head in her hands. After a few seconds she looked up, eyes moist. “Ira came over earlier; he was in a state. He confessed to hiring Moore to organize the riots and put pressure on the police. He said he’d been planning something like this since before the election and was waiting for an event—that’s what he called it—to put his plan into motion. I...” She paused, apparently at a loss for words.
“How could my own brother do such a thing? And my father knew.” She shook her head, looking as if pain just sliced through her.
“How did he find Moore?” Danni asked, frowning. Are there job listings for riot organizers?
“Derek Ellis found him on social media, and Ira paid for it.” She stopped and seemed to be collecting herself. “Detective Grace, I was raised with a deep mistrust of the police. My father, my brother, they convinced me the police were not to be trusted. Institutional bullies is a phrase I’ve heard my entire life. The night of the fire, Ira told me you were destroying evidence that would prove Officer Ramos was a killer. When my son was kidnapped the next morning, I got the call from Moore...” Her face drained of all color. “He told me Ira killed Thomas Johnston and he had it on tape.”
Danni and Gabe exchanged glances. “If such a tape exists, Ihaven’t seen it,” Danni said.
“When I confronted Ira, he denied it. Ira told me he tried to get rid of Moore; the riots were over; we’d won; we’d won. The city council was on board with replacing the PD in favor of the sheriff. But Moore would not leave. He wanted more money. He took Leonard and demanded ten million dollars and passage out of the country.”
“You didn’t notify the police.”
“My father said you couldn’t be trusted. He was certain he could handle it. Like my brother thought he could control the riots, no one was supposed to get hurt, he said.”
White sighed, a brokenhearted sigh. “When you saved my son’s life, it changed everything for me. Nothing my father or my brother said made sense anymore. That’s what I wanted to tell you. I’m sorry for what my father said to you last night. I don’t want you fired. There is so much I need to reevaluate.”
Footsteps sounded in the hallway, and then Chief Raven and Lieutenant Gomez entered the office.
“Did Ira know who shot Thomas Johnston?” Danni asked.
“If he did, he didn’t say.”
“Danni, Gabe,” Gomez said. “It sounds like both of you have done a lot here today. You won’t be investigating this crime. You need to step out and let the investigators do their job.”
“Sure.” Danni stood and Gabe with her.
“You don’t have to tell me twice,” Gabe said.
Danni caught his eye. All she wanted right now was some alone time with her hero. His gaze seemed to say the same thing.
Together they left the office. In the hallway, Gabe took her hand. They walked past damage done by Moore and uniformed officers trying to contain and collect evidence. In the driveway the gridlock of emergency vehicles told her they wouldn’t be going anywhere soon.
They made it to Gabe’s truck. He opened the passenger door and she climbed in. Once he got into the driver’s seat, he pulled her close, kissed her forehead, and said, “I thank the Lord for you, Danni.”
“Likewise, Gabe,” she whispered as she snuggled next to him. And that was how they stayed for a very long time.
