That meant he would soon be Vikki’s half brother-in-law.
“We’ve got him in custody,” Tripp continued, “but he’s not saying much.”
“He probably knows what’ll happen to him if he snitches on Tate’s organization.”
“Possibly. He’s also likely biding his time in hopes he can work a deal. He’s a scientist, after all. He probably doesn’t see himself in the same criminal class as the group he went all-in with.”
Sadie figured a deal was highly unlikely, but at this point, the entire RevitaYou case was like something out of another dimension anyway. The depths of depravity as well as the strange layered mess of it all was tough to navigate.
Sadie took a sip of her coffee, a new idea playing in her mind. “It’s weird, you know. How intertwined my family has become with this case.”
“How do you mean?”
“Well, the inventor of RevitaYou is Landon Street. And his half brother is now my twin sister’s fiancé.”
“Funny coincidence?”
“A happy one, too. But curious, don’t you think?”
“People find their way to each other in any number of ways.”
Sadie knew he was right, but even so, it struck her as odd. Her five siblings had all reached the age of maturity and none of them was married. And now here they all were; after just a matter of months working the RevitaYou case, all were coupled up with people intimately involved.
“It’s still a bit odd. Vikki’s engaged to Flynn, whose brother invented the product. And Griffin is engaged to Abigail, whose father was the banker behind the pyramid scheme. And even Kiely found her true love, Cooper, because they were working the case together at the FBI.”
“They also dealt with the kidnapping of Cooper’s son because of it.”
Sadie thought of sweet little Alfie and how excited she was to see her soon-to-be nephew again. “They did. Which only adds to my point. My family is so deeply layered in this case and has been from the start.”
“Riley told me about your family’s relationship with Brody Higgins. That personal connection is why you’re all involved. And things have progressed from there.”
He was right. Trying to find some weird connection made little sense when it was clear how her siblings had met their significant others.
“Okay. So personal connections aside, things have been moving forward. And between you and the GRPD, Colton Investigations, the JAG investigation that solidified Landon Street’s involvement, and the FBI, it stands to reason this would be locked up by now. Yet the sands keep shifting. Every time it feels like there’s a lead that will wrap the whole thing up, a new dimension opens up.”
“You’re on point with that one, Colton.”
“Thanks, McKellar. So what do we know and where are the gaps?”
Over the next hour, Tripp walked her through the case. Every detail he had, from what had actually happened all the way through to his personal theories. He showed her his notes and replayed a few of the interviews they’d done with both Landon Street as well as Tate’s henchman, Gunther Johnson, in custody.
“Then Street and Johnson are where we need to begin today.”
“We?” Tripp glanced up from where he’d scratched another note on his legal pad.
“Sure. You said you wanted my help. Gunther Johnson is our first stop.”
“You’re not going to talk to him.”
“Sure I am.” Sadie made a point to keep her voice light and breezy, even if steel had gathered in her gut.
The RevitaYou case had lingered too long. They needed answers and they were losing precious time before key criminals either cut bait and got away or more people died from the drug.
Or both.
“You know how deep Greer’s tentacles go. Johnson only ratted him out to get out of Murder One charges. He’s not going to give up anything else.”
“Then we gently persuade him to.”
“I’m not sure gentle and Gunther Johnson belong in the same sentence.”
“I just want to ask him a few questions about who and what he knows. He’s one of Tate’s lead guys, which means he knows where the money is and where the bodies are buried.”
Tripp reached for his mug, setting it back down when he realized it was empty. “Which amounts to further ratting out Greer. Sadie, this isn’t going to work.”
Sadie stood to get the pot of coffee, returning to the table to refill both their mugs. “Sure it will. I have an ace up my sleeve. Tate didn’t tell me anything, but Johnson doesn’t know that.”
“You’re going to play him.”
Even with the pain in her jaw, she couldn’t hold back the big, broad smile. For the first time in months, she began to feel like herself. “Like a well-tuned fiddle.”
CHAPTER 7
Tripp unlocked the door to his office and wondered, not for the first time since waking up, when he’d lost his mind. Was it when Sadie had kissed him? Or before? Maybe when she’d huddled in his arms in the SUV after jumping in the lake? Or maybe it was those quiet moments in her hospital bed.
Or hell, maybe it had been that very first day he’d seen her, rookie-crisp in her uniform.
Whether or not he could pinpoint the moment, it really didn’t seem to matter. The woman was in his blood and she made a damn fine argument to boot. And he was about to expose her to a one-on-one interview with Johnson. So far, the man had been a rock. Unchanging and absolutely unwilling to talk on almost anything related to Capital X.
Sadie followed in behind him and took a seat in one of the chairs opposite his desk. “Run through it with me again, will you?”
Tripp closed his door then turned to her. “Shoot.”
“Gunther thinks he’s being loyal by not spilling on Tate’s activities. And he’s been here for—what?—about two months.”
“About two and a half.”
“So he’s out of the loop.”
“He is. Although…” Tripp stilled, a new thought taking root. “What if he’s the one who got Tate access to the safe house?”
“You think he influenced somebody here?”
“Possibly. I’ve been racking my brain but I never once considered that Gunther could have been his way in.”
“It’s an interesting angle. Who here has access to him?”
Tripp mentally ran through the roster. Although he knew most members of the department, he didn’t know everyone. And it was impossible to know everyone’s personal situations, which were usually the key. He had long believed in the fundamental decency of his fellow cops. But if someone fell on bad times, it was not difficult to be taken advantage of by a persuasive criminal with nothing to lose.
“I need to look into it. Check anyone who has been with him.”
“I can help you with that later. If you get the files, I’m happy to cross-reference them with the team.”
“You don’t have to do that.”
“Sure I do. Gotta earn my keep. And we’ll add in the tech angle Tate let slip to me, too. See if we can figure out what or maybe who he’s hacked.” She winked at him, the move positively cheeky. It was refreshing to see, especially after her confession in the SUV last night. Tate’s betrayal had done a number on her and while Tripp didn’t fully understand what she was going through, he was human. He could imagine how something like that would put a boulder through her self-confidence.
That made it all the nicer to see Sadie safe and excited about the case.
And while he might not fully understand, he meant what he’d said. He was impressed with her every day and knew how talented she was, as a cop and as a lead investigator for CSI. She had skills and smarts, and the GRPD was lucky to have her.
He wasn’t crazy about putting her in front of Johnson, but maybe it was what she needed. An emotional shot in the arm to begin to heal some of the damage Greer had cau
sed.
“You ready to do this?” Tripp asked.
“Let’s do it.”
“All right, then. Like we agreed, I want as few people as possible to see you.”
She nodded. “I know. Head down all the way to the interrogation room.”
“And you wait in the viewing room until you get my signal.”
“That’s the plan.”
“Okay, Ms. Colton,” Tripp said as he stood from his desk. “Get ready to lead the witness.”
* * *
Tripp waited until Sadie was settled into the viewing room before he opened the door to Interrogation Room One. Johnson was already in the room, having been brought up by one of Tripp’s detectives.
“Mr. Johnson, Chief Fox told me you’re waiving the right to counsel.”
“Sure. Whatever.”
Gunther sprawled in his chair with that special sort of disdain only a young man could truly manage. Tripp had read Johnson’s file so many times, he had it memorized, but he’d still refreshed himself while briefing Sadie.
Johnson was only twenty-two and, by all accounts, had been working for Greer at least four years. He’d worked his way up to being one of Greer’s deputies in that relatively short period of time. The only reason he’d even given Greer up was that he was facing a murder rap.
Tripp would do his job—he always did—but it killed him to see young men like this, their lives wasted before they’d even begun.
Sad situation or not, the kid was scary. His hulking frame had to be at least six-three and, for as big as he was now, he’d likely still fill out further over the next year or two. He was bald, with ice-blue eyes that seemed almost devoid of life.
Resigned to the fact that this one was likely beyond saving, Tripp got to work. “Your rights were read to you, but I will ask you again, do you understand them?”
“Yes.”
“Do you continue to waive those rights?”
“Yes.”
“All right. Let’s begin. You’ve already shared with me and my team that you work for Tate Greer. That correct?”
“Sure is.”
The minimalist answers were what Tripp had expected, so he pressed on. “In the course of doing your work for Mr. Greer, when did you learn about the product RevitaYou?”
“I didn’t learn about it.”
“You don’t know anything about it?” Tripp prompted.
“No.”
“Have you heard of it?”
“No.”
Tripp recognized the blocking and the bravado for what it was, so he kept on. “Surely you had to know something. You’re one of Tate’s lead guys. If his pyramid scheme did well, didn’t you stand to get a cut of it?”
For the first time, he saw the ire rise in Gunther’s cold eyes. “I keep my head down and I do my job.”
“Killing people?”
Gunther finally looked up, that ice flashing hot before the kid banked it. “Making sure Mr. Greer’s business interests are seen to.”
It was a new angle, but Tripp had to give the kid credit. He was hardly incriminating himself by making that claim. Taking the “I’m just a lowly employee, I keep my head down and do my job” angle was surprisingly smart.
Had he thought of it on his own? Or had he been coached?
“I think we’ve established that Mr. Greer’s business interests aren’t aboveboard.”
“Guy runs a business, man. You got a problem with that?”
“Last time I checked,” Tripp said, “most businesses don’t require murder in order to be successful.”
Gunther crossed his arms but didn’t respond.
“You’ve been in here awhile, Gunther.”
“Yep. Getting moldy.”
“While that businessman you’re so loyal to has been out running free and clear.”
Once more, Tripp saw that little shot of heat frisson through Gunther’s gaze. He didn’t say anything, but Tripp took satisfaction he’d hit his mark with the image that Tate was still out while Gunther sat around. It was all the prep Tripp needed and he gestured at the two-way glass for Sadie.
Gunther’s attention shifted toward the door as it opened. Tripp didn’t miss the shot of appreciation that filled the young man’s gaze when Sadie walked in.
“I’ve asked my colleague to join us, Mr. Johnson. May I introduce you to Sadie Colton.”
Gunther lifted his hands as high as he could, the cuffs that encased his wrists limiting his movement as the chain slid through an anchor attached to the table. “Hey.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Johnson,” Sadie said. She didn’t say anything else, just settled herself beside Tripp at the table. As she did, she angled her head so that her bruised jaw was visible to Gunther.
It didn’t take any time at all for the kid to comment. “Quite a bruise you got.”
“Hurts like hell, too.” Sadie added a fierce grin to punctuate the point.
“You run into a wall?”
“No. I took the butt end of your boss’s gun.”
Although Tripp hadn’t pegged the kid for much compassion, he didn’t miss the way those broad shoulders stiffened at Sadie’s news.
“Do you know who I am, Mr. Johnson?”
“I just met you.”
“And I, you. But that wasn’t my question.”
Just like with the comment on her face, she let her question hang there, more than willing to wait him out.
“Sure, I know who you are. You’re the boss’s fiancée.”
“Ex-fiancée.”
Once again, Gunther didn’t respond and it gave Sadie the opening she was clearly waiting for.
“You know, it’s funny how it all worked out. You ratted him out and then I was forced to realize what a nasty-ass criminal he really is. You know—” she leaned forward conspiratorially, getting into it “—my family tried to warn me about him, but I didn’t listen.”
“I don’t rat people out.”
“Right. You just happened to tell the Grand Rapids PD that Tate Greer is the head of Capital X.”
The kid struggled to sit straight, that lazy slouch gone. “I didn’t tell anybody anything they didn’t already know.”
“I’m not quite sure Tate would see it that way. In fact, based on my conversation with him just yesterday…you know—” she tapped her jaw “—the one where he gave me this? He’s still pretty steamed about it all.”
She kept up that low, steady conspiratorial tone. “Between you and me, I think he’s starting to panic.”
“Dude doesn’t know how to panic.”
“Oh, sweetheart, everybody knows how to panic.”
Just as she had played the conversation from the start, Sadie let those words hang there. And like a fish swimming past a baited hook, Gunther took it. “You think you can touch him?”
“I think we already have. I think that’s why he’s panicked.”
Tripp watched as Sadie spun her argument, her demeanor sweet as cotton candy yet layered with threads of steel.
“That’s why he hit me. He knows the cops know something. And between you and me, he’s right.”
Although the rest of him might remain frustratingly stoic, Gunther’s eyes said all they needed to know. “Cops don’t know nothing.”
“Sure.” Sadie nodded. “You keep thinking that.”
“If they do know something, why isn’t Greer rotting away in here, too?”
“You’ve worked for Tate long enough to know that. He always has a hidey-hole or two set up. He’d never expected we’d find that one at Sand Springs Lake. I’m sure he thinks you gave him up on that, too.”
The explosion came exactly on cue. Gunther slammed a hand down on top of the table. “I didn’t do that!”
“You sure? It would be easy enough for Tate to think th
at.”
“I didn’t do it.”
“He’s a man of action, isn’t he? Shoot first, ask questions later. That’s what he did to one of his goons. The big guy was shot dead on the floor.”
“Tommy’s dead?” Like a balloon popping, the air flew out of Gunther’s bravado. “Big guy? Dark hair? Always wears a suit.”
“That’s the one.”
“He was identified as Thomas Brackett.” Tripp took the opportunity to layer on the details of Tommy’s death. The description drew Johnson’s attention from Sadie and gave her time to catch her breath. All while she waited like a patient tiger, ready to strike.
Sadie shrugged, the move deliberately casual. “He never gave me his name, so in my mind I named him Fred and the short guy who works with him I named Barney.”
“Little guy’s name is Rick.” Gunther’s words were flat. “They were a team. Worked for Greer for a long time, too.”
“And clearly that loyalty was rewarded.” Sadie’s voice was low and quiet, and there was something beneath her words that had Tripp turning to look at her.
It was in that moment that he saw the truth. She had put on the casual charm and ready bravado for the meeting, but she wasn’t unaffected.
Not his Sadie.
“What do you want from me? I don’t know anything.”
“Sure you do. But I respect the fact that a man needs time to think about things. Why don’t you do that?”
With that, Sadie rose and walked out of the room.
It was inspired and Tripp had to give her a lot of credit. He had seen many an interrogator press too hard or go too long. Sadie had done neither. Instead, she was leaving Gunther with plenty to contemplate.
Tripp raised his hands. “I’m done, too.”
When Gunther didn’t respond, Tripp stood and walked to the door. He opened it and gestured one of the cops waiting outside into the room. With a last look at Gunther, he said, “You can take him back to his cell. We’re done in here.”
* * *
Sadie flipped through Gunther Johnson’s file once more as she waited for Tripp in his office. Although she had read it already, after meeting the man face-to-face, she was hunting for any new perspective she could find.
Harlequin Romantic Suspense December 2020 Box Set Page 9
