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Conrad ignored his lawyer. “You’re stretching everything, Matt. I know what you have and what you don’t have. You can prove Peter—there were cameras. A witness. Peter was a liar and a thief and of no concern to anyone. You might—and I’m being generous—be able to prove Dyson, but it’s a weak case and you know it. You’ll bring Detective Quinn up to testify—I know she plays very well for juries—and you’ll bring in the video and set everything up, but it’s still thin. No prints, no weapon, vague resemblance on tape—even if the jury goes for it, it would be appealed. And Agent Thornton—you have nothing tying me to his murder.” He leaned back. “And you know why you’ll never have anything tying me to his murder? I didn’t kill him.”
Matt didn’t want to believe him, but he wondered. “I have a clear line on Officer Colangelo killing Chen, putting the Colt .45 in his vehicle, and you retrieving it from his vehicle at 3:43 that afternoon. Thornton was killed just over twelve hours later with the same weapon. I have evidence it was in your possession. Unless you tell me where it is or who you gave it to.”
“I know how this goes, Matt,” Conrad said with a half smile. “You play tough, I hem and haw, you make me an offer, I pretend to confer with my rather unintelligent—no offense, Ethan—lawyer, and I give you something for something. I like you, Matt. From the minute I saw you at LAX Monday morning, I knew everything I’d learned about you was true.”
Matt tensed. How had he known Matt and his team were coming in on Monday?
Rebecca Chavez? Peter Sharp? Or was there another leak?
Conrad grinned. “Don’t be surprised. It’s important to know your adversary. As soon as Detective Quinn went off with your unit, I knew you’d be here with her when she came back. At least, I was reasonably confident once I learned you and the hot-blooded cop were sleeping together. I did my research, just like I’m sure your brilliant analyst Ryder Kim did his research on me.”
Suddenly, Matt felt like he was in well over his head. Conrad James was not who Matt thought he’d be. He expected the arrogance and the cockiness; he didn’t expect the intelligence and games.
He reminded himself that Conrad would be in prison for a long, long time...even if they didn’t get him on everything.
“I want the person or people who hired you. You tell me what I need to know and agree to testify, I am authorized to offer you thirty years in federal prison.”
Conrad laughed. “Thirty? No.”
“You killed three people.”
“I’ve killed a lot more than three people.”
“Mr. James,” Webster interrupted.
Conrad put his finger in front of Webster’s face to silence him, without taking his eyes off Matt.
“I know what you want, Matt. You want to know who killed your agent. An agent you didn’t even like. No one liked him. He was an arrogant, mightier-than-thou prick. There is nothing more distasteful than a man with a badge who thinks he’s better than everyone else.”
Conrad stared at Matt for a long minute.
“I’ll give you the name of the person who hired me, how they paid me and how you can prove it. I’ll give you the name of the person I gave Kara Quinn’s beautiful Colt to after I retrieved it from Colangelo’s car. I don’t know if that person killed Agent Thornton, but I imagine it’ll be easier to prove if you have the information that I have.”
“What do you want,” Matt asked through clenched teeth. He was trying not to show his anger, but it was difficult with this man. Conrad knew and understood him in a way that made Matt very uncomfortable.
“I want to walk out of here a free man, but I know that’s not on the table?” He said it as a question, but his voice was mocking Matt, so Matt didn’t respond.
Conrad said, “Ten years.”
“No.”
“Okay. Then I’ll go back to my cell. This isn’t going to be an easy slam dunk for you, Matt. And I think you know it.”
“Maybe your daughter will have some insight into how I can persuade you to cooperate.”
A flash of anger so intense washed over Conrad, then it was gone...except for a slight tick in his jaw.
Ryder did it again, Matt thought. He held Conrad’s gaze and didn’t flinch, regaining control of the conversation.
In a low voice, Conrad said, “If you ever speak to my daughter, I will kill you, Mathias Costa.”
“Do not threaten me, Conrad. I am a federal agent.”
“Ten years. Take it or leave it.”
Matt rose and left the room.
Nina Radinovich and Brian Granderson stood on the other side of the one-way mirror. “He creeps me out,” Nina said. “Damn.”
