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“I don’t know. Gary wouldn’t tell me. Said the partner insisted on anonymity but had set the whole thing up.”
With a hand extended down to her, Ben got to his feet, then pulled her up beside him. Then he was off. He broke right into the middle of the group of men and put his face close to Colin’s. “Not believable.”
“I swear. I don’t know anything.”
Joel whistled. “I hope for your sake that’s not true.”
Jocelyn joined in because despite all the rage whipping around and the poor woman hidden somewhere, she could not let these men kill an unarmed man. Honest and decent men, she couldn’t imagine it happening, but the nerves in the room hovered at the breaking point. “The only reason to let you live is to find Sharon.”
Colin’s head thrashed against the wall. “I followed orders and hired the men who...” He broke off when he focused on her.
Maybe she could let them hurt Colin after all. “Tried to grab me.”
“Did you, Colin? Was that your bright idea?” Ben’s voice went deadly soft.
“Gary was obsessed with that note and the conversation Pamela overheard after hours.” Those beady eyes focused on Jocelyn. “And you were right there behind him in the cashier line when Pamela recognized him.”
“I’m thinking we’re missing pieces here,” Joel said.
At first Jocelyn couldn’t figure out what the comment meant. She tried to remember every minute of that day. The actions mirrored every other time she went to the bank. Picking the right door, walking up. The deposit slip. Waiting in line...behind Gary.
The memory blindsided her. She opened her mouth, gasping for breath. She would have grabbed on to Ben but Kent started screaming.
“Where is Sharon?” With a strength that didn’t match his size, Kent elbowed in between Connor and Ben.
“I don’t know.”
Joel sighed. “I wouldn’t say that again.”
“Enough.” Ben put the gun to Colin’s temple as he crowded in close with his arm pressed against Colin’s throat.
Dizziness gripped her. “Ben, are you sure you—”
“You’ve heard about my reputation. You know I won’t think twice about taking down another man, and today is your day. I’m going to pull this trigger. If a bullet doesn’t come out, I will pull again.” Ben followed through and aimed the weapon. “And no one here is going to stop me.”
“You don’t understand.” Panic threaded through Colin’s voice as he coughed and gagged against the force of Ben’s heavy arm.
“In five...four...” Ben’s monotone voice sounded like a clock.
“Stop him.” Colin punched at Ben’s arm and the death grip crumpling his windpipe and holding him still.
Ben didn’t flinch. Didn’t move.
“I’m fine with this,” Connor said.
“Me, too.” Joel glanced over his shoulder. “Ed?”
“Three...two...”
Ed nodded. “I’m good.”
“A warehouse three...” Colin’s words raced together as his body shook from a coughing fit. “Three exits down. Gary said one of his guys would take care of her.”
Ben eased back. “There.”
“See, was that so hard?” Joel asked.
Kent blew out long breaths as he teetered on the edge of hyperventilating. “We need to call the police.”
Connor raised an eyebrow as he looked at Ben. “Which raises the Willoughby issue.”
Something silent and profound passed between Ben and Connor. She guessed it had something to do with Colin’s “take care of her” comment and the worry Sharon was already gone.
It took a few seconds, but Ben finally spoke up. “Let’s get to Sharon first. Then we can figure out the partner situation.”
Jocelyn knew then they suspected Willoughby. A plant right in the police department. Again. She wanted her experience to be the aberration. Now she feared it was the rule.
Kent’s hands shook as he scooped his keys off the edge of his desk. “I can drive—”
Ben was already talking before the man got the sentence out. “You stay here. Jocelyn can wait with you. One of our teammates, Davis, is on the way to help out and see if there is any other information to retrieve here.”
She had no idea when the call went out to the rest of the Corcoran team, but she wasn’t surprised. Those watches they wore did everything. Could be Davis and Pax overheard the whole thing.
But one thing she did know. She wasn’t staying behind. She was about to make that clear but Kent beat her to it.
“I’m coming with you.” Kent stood up straight and his teeth had stopped chattering.
