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She drew back when he tried. “Your boy Darius broke into the house of a friend of mine. Why?”
Mason Cross frowned as if he hadn’t a clue what she meant. “I haven’t utilized Washburn’s services in quite some time. Is your friend all right?”
Like he gave a shit. “Naomi Taylor. Asher Walsh’s aunt. I would be stunned if you didn’t know about it. Aren’t your people heading the task force working that case?”
“We are, yes,” he allowed as he settled against the edge of his desk. “Why would this aunt have anything to do with the case?”
“I don’t know. Maybe you should ask Darius.”
Her father shook his head. “As I said—”
“I know what you said,” Sadie cut him off. “I’m telling you it was him, and I know you sent him, whether you choose to tell the truth or not.”
He exhaled a big breath. “How are you? You’ve been avoiding my calls and visits for what? Nearly a year now?”
“I’m fine.” She stared directly into his dark eyes. He would never know how happy it made her that she had her mother’s eyes. Her nose, mouth, and just about every damned thing else. She looked nothing like this bastard.
“That’s your stock answer,” he reminded her. “I’m interested in how you really are.”
Like he cared. “Do not mess with Naomi Taylor again.”
When she turned to go, he said, “You should stay clear of this investigation, Sadie. This is not going to end well.”
“It already ended badly,” she tossed back. “Asher Walsh is dead.”
Rather than wait for him to make some other lame comment, she walked out. Gave Wright a nod and headed for the elevator. A few minutes with Mason Cross and she was ready to flee.
She slid behind the wheel of her Saab and fished for a cigarette. She tucked it into the corner of her mouth and lit up. He knew better than to suggest she walk away from a case or any damned thing else. She always finished whatever she started.
Except that once with the Osorio op.
But that hadn’t been because she’d walked away. She’d been taken away, drugged, tortured. Otherwise she would have finished that too.
She started the engine and drove to the gate, waited for the bar to rise, then pulled out of the parking lot.
Her cell vibrated against the console, and she grabbed it.Barton. “Make me happy.”
“I found what our intruder was probably looking for. A thumb drive. I plugged it into my laptop, and whatever is on this thing, it’s going to take someone above my pay grade to break into it.”
“Take it to Snipes. Tell him I need whatever’s on it ASAP.”
“On my way.”
Sadie tossed her phone aside. Why the hell would Walsh keep something so important from her? Had he been protecting her? His aunt? Or someone else?
Whatever the answer, she needed it ...now.
25
7:15 p.m.
Devlin Residence
Twenty-First Avenue South
Birmingham
Lieutenant Brooks had been out of his office all afternoon, and he hadn’t taken calls on his cell. Kerri had wanted to talk with him about the carjacking and Sue’s murder. She’d gone to the Redmond residence in hopes of speaking with Violet’s parents, but the media had been all over the place, along with an official BPD cruiser.
