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“I know you’ve thought about this before. When your father left. And then when your cousin was murdered.”
The whispered words echoed in Tori’s ears as if Alice had shouted them.
“You’re thinking it would be easier not to have to deal with it. I understand. I would be terrified too. It would be so humiliating if they learned the whole story about who you are.”
“You can’t tell,” Tori warned, finally finding her courage once more. “Whatever it is you think you know, you can’t say a word.”
Alice’s lips formed another of those sad smiles. “Don’t worry. I would never tell anyone. You can trust me. I won’t let you down. Whatever you decide, I will never tell. No one ever has to know the whole truth. Unless ...”
Tori blinked. “Unless what?”
Alice leaned closer. “Unless Sarah already told them.”
“I’m telling you,” Tori argued, “even if she knows, she wouldn’t do that. We’ve been best friends too long.”
“She told me before that night.”
The words stabbed deep into Tori’s chest. This wasn’t possible. She couldn’t be sure Sarah even knew. They had never talked about it. Alice could be lying ... she could be trying to make Tori say something she didn’t want to say. “I don’t believe you.”
“How do you think I knew? That night—when it happened—you didn’t notice I wasn’t shocked?”
Tori couldn’t remember.What was she talking about?Fear pounded in her veins.
“You have to decide, Tori.” Alice glanced toward the door; her breath caught.
Tori followed her gaze. Sarah closed the library door behind her and started toward their table. The thrashing in Tori’s chest seemed to rise into her throat.
“You have to decide,” Alice repeated. “Either tell the whole truth and face the consequences or ...”
Tori’s gaze collided with hers once more. “Or?”
“Or take yourself out of the narrative. That’s the simplest solution.”
12
4:15 p.m.
Birmingham Police Department
First Avenue North
The task force meeting started off exactly the way Kerri had imagined it would. Mason Cross and his team were lead. The DEA had been investigating the Osorio cartel throughout its steady surge into power—for nearly a decade. More recently, local agents had been following a newly discovered connection in Birmingham upon which Asher Walsh seemed to have stumbled. How Kurtz came to be involved was unknown at this time.
This new connection could lead them to the main artery pumping drugs through the Southeast. It was immensely important that no one got in the way.
Like the BPD.
Kerri and Falco were to continue their pursuit for any information about Leo Kurtz and how he and Walsh connected. At this time, other than dying together, there was no proof the two men were involved whatsoever. Agent Cross even went so far as to suggest the execution of Kurtz was nothing more than staging to throw the DEA off track. At any rate, for Kerri and Falco it was hands off where Walsh was concerned.
Funny, Kerri decided. If the DEA had been following the movements of the cartel as their stronghold in the Southeast increased, why didn’t they know more about the takeover in Birmingham? The transition of power from Atlanta to Birmingham? These were things, apparently, that Walsh had learned in his short time in Birmingham. The details weren’t quite adding up in Kerri’s opinion. The DEA’s primary focus was drugs. They should have been on top of this rampant spread of the Osorio criminal organization throughout the Birmingham area.
Then again, it was certainly possible that the DEA knew far more than it was sharing. In fact, it was entirely likely.
Cross stood at the front of the conference room, that military bearing of his exuding power and confidence. He spoke as if he had the whole situation sized up and the perfect operational plan nailed down and already well underway.
Ultimately, for Kerri, the burning bottom-line question was,How could the upper echelon of the BPD not have been aware of any sort of ongoing operation?
Even with a black op—one completely undercover—certain powers that be were made aware. The mayor may or may not have been briefed. But the chief of police would have known. He may not have been aware of all the dirty details, but he would have been provided a vague overall snapshot of the situation. It was the only way to prevent agencies and departments from stumbling over and into each other.
