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Maxnodded.
“Let’s sit,” Nicosaid.
Sean sat at one end of the sofa. Carlos took the other end while Max and Nico claimed the two chairs on the other side of the coffeetable.
“I’m afraid we’ve had some bad news,” Nicosaid.
“What kind of bad news?” Maxasked.
“Jason Draper turned state’s witness last night,” Seansaid.
“How does that work, given that Jason is the one who’s a person of interest in the Tangier shooting?” Max asked, trying not to let the new information rattlehim.
“He claims he has information about what really happened that day,” Sean said. “He’s insinuating you and Nico were the ones to pull the trigger on DeLuca and hisguard.”
“Ballistics won’t back that up,” Maxsaid.
“No,” Sean said. “But it opens the door on you and on yourbusiness.”
Max heard Jason’s voice in his ear the night he’dcalled.
See you on thebattlefield.
He was playing a game of chess, distracting everyone from the pieces he was moving across the board to protecthimself.
“It gives us a visibility problem,” Nico said. “If Jason gives them enough information to justify wire tap warrants and other kinds of surveillance, it’s going to be a lot more difficult for us to get to him without anaudience.”
Sean nodded. “It’ll take time, but that’s where this willlead.”
Max looked at Nico. “Can’t our friends at the Bureau help?” He looked at Sean. “What about you? Can’t you dosomething?”
He leveled a cold stare at Max. “It’s not my job to protectyou.”
“Sean is taking a risk being here,” Nico said. “This information is valuable, and we appreciateit.”
Max nodded reluctantly, recognizing the subtle rebuke for what itwas.
Sean stared at him a moment longer before turning his attention to Nico. “We can buy you some time, drag our feet with some of the bureaucracy, but the minute Jason comes in for his first official interview as a witness for the investigation, the clock will beticking.”
“When will that be?” Maxasked.
“He’s scheduled to come in with his lawyers onMonday.”
Monday. Threedays.
“How long after that until surveillance is a possibility?” Maxasked.
Sean seemed to think about it. “Conservative estimate? A week. Maybe two if we slow thingsdown.”
“Fuck.”
Sean leaned forward. “Listen, everyone at the Bureau knows Draper was involved in the shooting at the Tangier. He didn’t win any allies by running, and it doesn’t help his case that he’s got Bruce Frazier’s security outfit trailing him everywhere. Frazier has a dirty history of his own — a history outside our jurisdiction, but still dirty. Draper’s a snake and a liar. We all know that. But it’s our job to follow evidence of any federal crime. I don’t think he’s going to lean too heavily on the shooting at the Tangier — he’s going to want to steer us clear of that if at all possible — but if he delivers actionable information on the Syndicate, we’ll have no choice but to see where itleads.”
“Was that supposed to make us feel better?” Maxsaid.
“Not my job to make you feel better either,” Sean said. “But I’m telling you if something were to happen to Jason — something that could be pinned on his suspected unsavory relationships — no one at the Bureau would be shedding any tears, and my hunch is they’d be more than happy to slap a Case Closed sticker on the Tangiershooting.”
“So we have a week, maybe two, to take him out,” Maxsaid.
