“County lockup will fix that attitude.”
Jacob did not laugh.
He was looking toward the torn bag.
The phone.
Trevor.
The police units.
His expression had changed from fear to something closer to nausea.
Lieutenant Howard Sloan arrived with two additional cruisers.
He stepped out slowly, thumbs hooked near his duty belt.
“What’s happening?”
Granger answered.
“Woman interfering.”
Sloan looked Alicia over.
“Anything on her?”
“Nothing yet.”
“Then why isn’t this finished?”
Granger lowered his voice.
“She’s hiding something.”
Sloan nodded.
No question.
No independent assessment.
Just acceptance.
Alicia understood immediately.
The problem climbed above Granger.
Devin called out.
“She didn’t do anything.”
Sloan turned.
“You know her?”
“No.”
“Then mind your business.”
“I watched everything.”
Derek smiled.
“No, you didn’t.”
Devin stared.
“I was right here.”
Sloan sighed.
“Detain him too.”
Two officers grabbed Devin.
He resisted instinctively.
Not fighting.
Trying to keep his balance.
Within seconds, his face was pressed against the hood of a cruiser.
A scrape opened along his forearm.
Alicia watched him.
This was the investigation.
Not abstract corruption.
Not spreadsheets.
Not anonymous complaints.
This.
A man with nothing being treated like his nothingness gave others permission.
Alicia looked at Granger.
“This ends today.”
He smiled.
“I’ve heard that before.”
“No.”
She spoke quietly.
“You haven’t.”
At FBI headquarters, Samuel watched Derek reach for handcuffs.
He lifted the secure radio.
“Tactical Team One.”
Isaac answered immediately.
“Ready.”
“Start engines.”
Black SUVs rolled from a secure federal motor pool.
No lights.
No sirens.
Not yet.
Estimated arrival: twenty-two minutes.
Too long.
Back in Red Creek, Derek snapped one cuff around Alicia’s wrist.
He leaned toward her.
“One chance.”
“For what?”
“Make it easy.”
Alicia looked at him.
“I already did.”
He frowned.
“What does that mean?”
“It means nobody forced you to do any of this.”
He locked the second cuff.
“There.”
His grin returned.
“Now you look normal.”
Alicia looked at the steel around her wrists.
“Interesting definition.”
Sloan laughed.
Granger did not.
Her composure was beginning to feel like a threat he could not identify.
Across the lot, Devin stood cuffed against the cruiser.