Faceless (Sinister Secrets Book 2), page 19
Yeah. He could do this.
He’d focus on the numbers. And forget that each dollar represented the blood shed to gain it.
₪ ₪ ₪
The room buzzed.
Fresh leads generated fresh energy, an energy Kevyn could feel.
The report from the medical examiner confirmed they were on the right path.
Well, probably. In reality, it only supported their theory, but she was confident this was it. This was why people were being taken.
Why no bodies were being found.
What happened to what was left of the body was unknown. Maybe they were taken out to sea and dumped. Maybe they were burned. Maybe they were buried in some of the remote wilderness only an hour or two outside the city.
They’d probably have to catch these guys to find out for sure.
Even then, the bodies might not ever be recovered.
“Lorelei Divers is our strongest lead right now.” Dak’s voice commanded the group’s focus. “Thoughts on the best approach?”
If she knew Dak, he probably already had an idea of what he’d like to do, but that was one thing she appreciated about him. He sought input from the team.
“We could haul her in. Apply pressure.” JD smirked. “She wouldn’t do well in prison. Might be willing to cut a deal.”
“Depends on how deep she’s in.” Felicia pushed a chunk of hair out of her face. “We’re assuming she’s only a supplier. But what if she’s a partner?”
Somehow Kevyn had trouble seeing the materialistic party girl she’d spoken to last night as a calculating partner in a black-market organ operation. Lorelei Divers was an opportunist, not an entrepreneur.
“I’m thinking we watch her. If she’s involved, she’ll eventually lead us to her contact. Maybe even the man in charge.” Dak scanned the faces at the table.
That could take a while. While it was probably too late for Boggess and Andrews, they might still have a shot at saving Stacy Cummings.
If they acted fast.
“We could spook her.” Kevyn felt all eyes turn to her. “Dak, you questioned her once before. What if you paid her a repeat visit and asked some more targeted questions? Like about the mobile unit? It might even be worth mentioning Andrews and Cummings by name.”
Sid snapped his fingers. “Yeah. Make her paranoid enough that she might run straight to the guy in charge.”
Dak nodded slowly. “I thought about that, but if we spook her, we spook the whole ring. We’ll have a really limited window to shut this thing down.”
“But if she leads us right to their operation, we’ll have them. Boom!” Sid slapped his palm on the table. “Done deal.”
“That’s a big ‘if.’” Dak flexed his steepled fingers, causing the joints to pop. “She could shake our tail. Or not lead us anywhere important at all. We could tip our hand for nothing and blow the whole op.”
He had a valid concern.
They’d come too far to act rashly. There had to be a happy medium.
“What if you cast suspicion on someone else at the blood bank? Ask her if she’s noticed anyone acting suspiciously? Hint that you think donors are being targeted for an unknown reason?” Kevyn briefly surveyed the team before resting her attention on Dak. “She’s got to be getting somewhat paranoid by now. What if we play on that?”
They were all silent for a second.
“That might work.” Dak didn’t sound fully convinced. “Let me think on it.”
Which meant pray. That was Dak’s default response. Once this meeting broke, she’d find him standing in front of the window in the office, looking out at the city without really seeing it. She didn’t know how many times she’d found him that way since joining this team, but it was often.
Interestingly enough, he’d made some of the best decisions of anyone she’d reported to. Ever.
Was it because of the whole prayer thing? Or simply because he was smart?
She knew what he’d say.
“In the meantime.” Dak’s voice startled her. “Let’s find out everything we can about those two people from the car crash. Especially the woman. If she’d recently undergone a transplant, legal or otherwise, she’ll be on the registry.”
“I’ve got that.” Felicia jotted the names down on the legal pad in front of her. “I’ll dig into their financials, see if they’ve pulled together large sums of cash recently.”
“I’ve got their friends and relatives.” JD twisted a pen around his fingers.
Dak shifted his attention to Sid. “You’ve got surveillance duty.” He glanced over at her. “Both of you. Wherever she goes, follow her. I’ll keep you posted on the plan.”
She looked at Sid. “Let’s take two vehicles. It’ll make it easier to follow her when she’s on the move.”
Dak nodded his approval. “I want both of you to check in every hour on the hour. This group is dangerous. As much as possible, keep the other in sight and no lone wolf, got it?”
Most of that was directed at her. They all knew it.
She offered a mock salute. “Yes, sir.”
“Let’s nail these guys.”
₪ ₪ ₪
No answer.
Agent Caldwell rapped on the door again.
Not that it was going to do any good. Mitch Taylor, or Joseph Wilson or whatever name he was using today, wasn’t home. Crazy as it sounded, he could feel the emptiness.
He whirled and strode to the neighbor’s door, which opened within seconds of his knock.
The seventy-ish woman beamed at him. “My tip paid off, huh? You told me to call if he came back and I did.”
Yeah, except she’d called his desk phone and left a message rather than calling his cell phone.
“He’s not there.”
Could she have made the whole thing up to feel like part of an investigation?
The woman’s brows knit together. “Hmmm. Well, he came home last night. Now? Probably at that job of his.”
“Do you know where?” Of course, he’d asked her this last time he’d interviewed her, but maybe she’d learned something new since then.
She shook her head, her short bob brushing her cheeks. “I know he leaves in the morning and comes home in the evening. Most days, although I guess he hasn’t been coming home as much lately. Maybe he’s got a new girlfriend and–”
“But he was here last night.” He didn’t have time to listen to this busybody speculate on her neighbor’s love life.
“Oh, yes. Got home around six, I believe. With takeout. It smelled like Chinese.”
Great. So Taylor came home with Chinese. Didn’t help him find the man now.
If the lady had called his cell phone, he could’ve made it down here last night to question the man while he was home instead of standing in the hallway wondering when Mitch Taylor would return.
If he would return.
What if Taylor had come home last night to pack his things?
“What time does he normally come home?”
The woman sniffed. “I don’t know that there is a normal with him. Single man, you know. Comes and goes as he pleases.”
This was a waste of time. He’d get more information from the homeless guy across the street.
“But.” The woman tapped her lower lip. “I would have to say he’s in by seven. On the nights he comes home, anyway.”
Seven. Well, maybe he’d come back at seven-thirty. Just to check.
“What do you want with him?” She surveyed him over the rims of her narrow readers. “Is he a criminal? I always knew there was something off about that man. The way he comes and goes and those shifty eyes. Ooh, and don’t even get me started on some of those men who come to visit him. Suspicious if I ever saw it.”
“Now calm down. I only want to talk to him. We believe he might know something about one of our cases.” Might know because he might be involved, but there was no reason to tell her that.
“Oh.” She deflated like a punctured tire. “Well, I still say he’s up to no good. Mark my words.”
He didn’t disagree, but wouldn’t do anything to fuel her gossiping tongue. “Well, thank you for the information. If you see him come home, please call my cell. Not the office. My cell.”
She clucked her tongue. “That’s the problem with people today. Never know when to leave their work behind. You should take your wife out for a nice dinner. You are married, aren’t you?”
Her eyes drifted to his fingers, but he positioned his hand so she couldn’t see the bare finger.
Ironically, maybe if he’d taken that advice ten years ago, he might’ve been able to save his marriage.
It was far too late now. “Well, thanks again. Now you call me if you see him.”
She gave a small wave before pushing the door closed.
While he waited for the elevator to arrive, he glanced once more at the closed door to Mitch Taylor’s apartment.
What he wouldn’t give for probable cause right about now.
₪ ₪ ₪
Dak turned away from the window.
While he wasn’t sure how this would all turn out, he felt God telling him to move forward with Kevyn’s plan.
Would Divers spook easily? Would he recognize it if she did? If their suspicions were correct, the woman was an accomplished liar. Sure, he was good at reading people – had to be in his position – but good liars could fool the best.
And he was far from the best.
He opened his desk drawer and pulled out his badge.
Maybe he should pull Kevyn from the stakeout and bring her along.
Divers would no doubt recognize Kevyn from the night before and wonder why an FBI agent would have engaged with her at a club after hours.
It might make her even more edgy. Which also meant more likely to do something reckless.
It might also make her run. Without leading them to the mastermind behind this whole thing.
No, pulling Kevyn in wasn’t the wisest choice.
But he could wire up and have both Kevyn and Sid watch the interview.
Three sets of eyes and ears were far superior to one.
Forty-five minutes later, he approached the glass face of the blood bank.
Everything was set.
Kevyn and Sid watched from around the corner. A simple phone call had revealed that Divers was working in the building today.
“Can you guys see and hear me okay?” He spoke in a low tone, much lower than he would use while speaking with Divers. If they could hear him speaking quietly, then they would hear everything Divers said.
“Loud and clear.” Sid’s voice came through his earpiece.
“All right. Let me know if anything flags.” As observers, they might pick up on visual cues that he would miss.
The door chimed as he pushed it open.
He spotted Divers instantly.
Standing immediately beside a chair, she smiled and gave her head a subtle toss that sent her blonde curls dancing around her cheeks.
The solidly-built, forty-something guy in the chair drank in the whole act.
“Have you donated with us before?”
Dak turned toward the female voice. A woman smiled at him from behind the reception desk.
He pulled his badge. “Actually, I need to speak with Lorelei Divers.”
The woman’s smile grew as curiosity lit her eyes. “Of course. Let me get her for you.”
The woman seemed only too happy to interrupt Divers’ flirt-fest.
A few seconds passed before Divers approached, lips set in a firm line. “I think I answered all your questions the last time you were here.”
Dak replaced his badge. “There have been some new developments that I think you can help us with.”
With an exaggerated eye-roll, Divers motioned for him to follow her.
He didn’t need Kevyn’s mind-reading ability to see that Divers wasn’t happy to see him.
She’d be even less happy once he started asking his questions.
They reached the breakroom and Divers turned to face him, arms crossed over her chest. “Can you make this fast? I’m on the clock and have clients waiting.”
“I’m sure there are other people who can take care of them.” He motioned for her to have a seat.
She dropped into the chair and waited.
No point in wasting time with pleasantries. “We suspect that someone you work with is targeting people based upon their blood type.”
There was so much more he could – and would – say, but for now, he wanted that statement to sink in.
Color slid from her cheeks and her eyes fluttered rapidly. A perfectly manicured hand went to her neck, fingering the gaudy floral pendant hanging from a sparkling gold chain.
A small chuckle erupted from her, so shrill it hurt his ears. “Really? That’s, why that’s… just plumb crazy.”
A breathlessness heightened her words.
She was nervous. Or afraid. Maybe all of the above.
“Speak loudly.” Kevyn’s voice drifted through his earpiece. “Not angry. Just increased volume. I want to see how she responds.”
Okay, he could do that. “Yes, really. We’re narrowing down the suspects, but I thought you might be able to help. Since you were such a help last time.”
She flinched. The movement was ever so slight, but he saw it, as he was sure Kevyn and Sid had, too.
“Hon, no one here would do that.” She lowered her voice and looked around as if someone might overhear. “No one. We’re professionals. We take patient privacy very seriously. Very.”
“Money is a strong motivator.” He leaned against the back of his chair, one hand resting casually on the table in front of him. “Has anyone here talked about financial troubles lately? Or maybe come into some money?”
“No! Of course not.” Her breath came out in short puffs. “I mean, not that anyone has said. I can’t imagine anyone doing such a thing.”
Oh, he could. And he was now more certain than ever that he was staring at her. “We’re still working on why, but we think that’s what happened to Jason Boggess, Wes Andrews, and Stacy Cummings.”
If she grew any paler, they’d be picking her up off the floor. “Who? I mean, I know Jason, but should those other names mean something to me?”
Yes. He bit back the response resting on his tongue. “They all donated with your organization. Wes and Stacy donated at the mobile units. You work those sometimes, don’t you?”
Her tongue flicked over lips that looked like stop lights compared to her white face. “Sugar, we all do. It’s a rotation. But I’ve never heard those names before.”
Sometimes an investigator’s strongest weapon was silence.
Saying nothing, he stared at her.
“Oh, she’ll be madder than a wet hen at me for sayin’ this.” She twisted the pendant, winding up the chain almost to her throat before letting it go. “But there’s a nurse who’s usually on the rotation. She’s been acting funny for the last month or so. And I swear I saw her driving a brand new car last week. If there’s anyone up to something weird, it’s got to be her.”
Amazing how quickly she’d gone from denying everything to passing the blame.
He jotted down the nurse’s name, even though he had no intention of following up on her.
The right suspect was sitting across from him. All they had to do was prove it.
Before any more people went missing.
Sixteen
Waiting was always the hardest part.
Kevyn stretched out her legs as she sipped her coffee. At least there was a nice coffeeshop with outdoor seating across the street from the parking garage utilized by the blood bank employees. And it was a decent day to sit outside. No rain, a little wind, and lots of cloud cover, but it made the temperate seventy-ish day comfortable.
“Anything yet?” Sid’s voice came through her earpiece.
He sounded as bored as she felt. “No. But it’s close to five, so it should be soon.”
She hoped.
Part of her had expected Divers to bolt as soon as Dak left, but it had been almost two hours and there was no sign of her. Sid was parked within line of sight of her car, so they knew there was no chance she’d slipped by them.
Unless she’d left her car behind.
It was always possible that Divers had gotten a ride, maybe escaped out the back.
But she didn’t think so.
Divers had been spooked, sure, but she was smart enough to not do anything too rash while her coworkers were watching. Besides, she’d looked pretty sure of herself after giving Dak that false lead about the nurse.
Which meant Dak had done a great job of selling it.
This stakeout wasn’t winding up any time soon. She’d have to contact Wendy and cancel their weekly dinner.
Wendy answered on the third ring.
“Hey, I’m sorry to do this, but I’m not going to be able to get away from work for a while tonight.” The disappointment cut deep. She’d come to really rely on Wendy to pull her out of her work and her own head.
“I understand.” Wendy didn’t even hesitate. “I was one of those cases once, you know. Find whoever it is you’re looking for and bring them home. I’ll be praying for you.”
She doubted this case would have a good outcome, but she thanked Wendy and ended the call.
Praying for you. Wendy’s words echoed.
Other than her Mum, she wasn’t sure anyone had ever prayed for her.
It was nice to know someone cared.
At a quarter to six, four people exited through a side door and crossed the street to the parking garage.
It wasn’t hard to pick out Lorelei Divers in the group.
“She’s headed your way.” Kevyn stood, scooping up her half full coffee cup.
She moved casually toward her car, parked at the curb a block away.
Sliding behind the wheel, she kept her gaze on the rearview mirror, watching for Divers’ BMW to exit the parking garage.
Another minute passed before the BMW turned out of the garage, headed the opposite direction.
No matter. Sid would be right behind her.
