"He didn't tell us anything useful," I complained. We were sitting in Garrett's office, each of us nursing a coffee.
"Yes, he did. He told us no one was coming after you," said Garrett.
"Didn't he say that right before he said other people were going to pay?" I reminded him.
"Yeah, but we don't know for certain if that means you. Solomon is caught up in some kind of circle where someone thought that shooting him was a good warning to the unknown person who, they feel, wronged them." Garrett paused, thinking. "This has to be involved with the Niners and the heroin trafficking. We need to look at Solomon's agency files."
"I agree," said Damien. "Lexi, we should turn them over. There has to be something in there."
"Did any of the names my colleagues gave you have a connection to the Niners?" I asked.
"We didn't look into that angle but we'll run the names again." Garrett got up, walking over to the door and beckoning two detectives. He spoke quickly and they took off for their desks.
"I don't think Solomon worked any cases that involved them directly," I said as Garrett sat down again. "We did get a drugs case a while back but everyone involved in that went down."
"Would he have told you about it?" asked Garrett.
"Maybe not," I conceded.
"Damien?" he asked.
Damien shook his head. "He doesn't usually discuss cases with me but I don't ever recall him mentioning this gang."
"Maddox, do you have any intel on the Niners?" asked Garrett.
Maddox nodded. "A little, but not much. The Niners have been around for decades but only recently have they become more unsavory, pretty much ever since a guy called Gerard Copley took over as club president. He's into just about everything nasty and illegal you could think of but he's smart too and always stays a step ahead. Officially, he is employed by his brother, Grant. Grant Copley's business is legitimate, and he always files its taxes, and lives in a nice house in Bedford Hills. So does Gerard. There was some talk a while back that the Copleys were involved somehow with a gang out of Boston. They were using the Niners as their pipeline to move further into the country in order to funnel more drugs, but nothing was ever proven."
"Damien, you said you work for Boston PD. Do you know anyone who works in gangs or narcotics?" asked Garrett.
"Sure. Why don't I take that off your workload and reach out to my contacts? They know me; and I can find out if there's any chatter," agreed Damien. "Lexi, what about the files? I called and spoke to a guy named Lucas but he was dragging his feet."
"I'll talk to my colleagues again. If they agree, Garrett, you'll get access."
"Sounds good," said Garrett. To me, he pointed at Damien and said, "Glad you brought this guy in. He's got some fresh ideas.” Then, to Damien, he said, “Remind me to let your captain know how much we appreciate your assistance in this investigation. It can't be easy for you."
"Please," said Damien. "Don't say another thing. There's a clamor about the lieutenant job opening and I don't want people thinking I'm calling in favors just to get a leg up."
"They'd think that?" asked Garrett.
Damien nodded. "It's getting pretty tense. I'm glad I took some vacation time."
"My wife is bugging me about taking vacation time," smiled Garrett. "There's some quaint, little, mountain town she wants to visit. Apparently, I have to go with her. That said, she mentioned something about not taking the kids with us, so remind me to file my vacation request."
"I don't know why you aren't filing that request now," said Maddox.
"Bigger things, buddy," said Garrett. "Much bigger things."
"If you solve this, I'll pay for your vacation," I said, the thought of Solomon's check pinging in my head. I hadn't cashed it yet, or done anything with it. The idea of cashing it meant Solomon would never wake up. In which case, he was right to leave it to me.
"If I solve this, you two should come too," said Garrett. "You both need a break."
"Then who would solve all the crimes in this city?" I asked. Garrett nodded to Maddox. Maddox laughed.
"I'm gonna step out and make some calls," said Damien.
"Take the office across the room," said Garrett, standing up and walking around his desk to show Damien where to go. "There's a phone in there you can use along with anything else you need."
"Thanks," said Damien. He already had his phone to his ear before he left the room.
"Nice guy," said Garrett. "He's been a lot of help in this case. I felt kind of strange about it at first since he's Solomon's brother but he's got a smart brain and he came up with a lot of suggestions that we're following up on. Neither of us ever imagined there could be any gang connection though."
"I'm glad he's able to help. I think he'd feel useless if he weren't here. You've helped him focus his efforts in a good way," I said.
"You spend much time with him?"
"No, the first time I met him was after Solomon got shot. We never managed to get together before. Actually, I was pretty surprised to hear he was working with Boston PD."
"Damien said he transferred there a few months back. You'd think he'd want to reconnect with his family."
"I figured he was a lone wolf like Solomon," I said.
"Solomon might have been that way a long time ago, but he hasn't been alone for quite a while now," said Garrett. "You probably destroyed his peace."
"If you're going to do something, you should always try to do it well," teased Maddox. "Why did Damien transfer to Boston if it wasn't to be closer to his brother and sister?"
"Anastasia lives in New York," I explained. "So, he probably saw her more when he was there. As for why he moved, I don't know. I don't recall Solomon saying anything. Maybe he planned to reconnect with Solomon but never found the time. You heard what he said about the promotion. He's probably been really busy with whatever that might entail."
Garrett murmured agreeable noises, then said, "Maybe you'll all see each other more often now. Solomon might need some help through his recovery."
"Speaking of which, can I use your phone to call Delgado for an update?"
"Here." Garrett handed me the phone and I stepped outside the room.
"Any news, Garrett?" asked Delgado. "How's Lexi?"
"I'm fine, it's me," I said. "Are you with Solomon?"
"Never left his side," he said. "I'm rotating with Fletcher and Flaherty. We're patting down every doctor and nurse we don't recognize before they can enter."
"I'm sure that's going well," I said, trying to imagine the medical personnel getting the treatment from my touchy colleagues.
"Everyone is cooperating. They're all pretty shook up about the shooting so they fully understand. The good news is Solomon won't know a thing and the doctors say he's even showing some improvement."
"Really?" My hopes soared.
"Yeah, no word of a lie. When are you getting here?"
"As soon as I can. Garrett wants me to keep out of sight until they pick up the hit man but I'm not sure it's totally necessary. Mooch was dumped on PD's doorstep this morning. Garrett just interviewed him and he says there wasn't any hit on me."
"Doesn't matter if someone shot at you anyway. I agree with Garrett. Lie low and get in touch whenever you can. I won't leave Solomon. I promise."
"There's one more thing. I think we should let Garrett take a look at our files. There's a possibility that this hit could have something to do with the Niners but we don't know why or how yet. Could there be anything in our files that might explain everything?"
"So far as I know, we've never worked a case involving them."
"That's what I thought too, but maybe it's not as obvious as directly involving them."
"Turning our cases over exposes both us and our clients."
"What if the eyes on them are limited to a precious few?"
"That could work. There're too many cases to send over and many of them are archived already in a secure facility. It would probably be easier to search the digital files. If the pairs of eyes were strictly limited to Garrett and someone he trusts, we could work something out."
I hung up and returned the phone to Garrett, feeling a brief moment of elation, before I hit a horrible low. If I couldn't get out anywhere, how was I supposed to help? I couldn't interview anyone. I couldn't go home. I couldn't stake out Frederickstown or even bug the Niners' suspected boss at his fancy Bedford Hills house. I was useless. One thing I hated was feeling useless, unless it was helping me to recuperate in some way.
The answer came to me as I stared at the stack of business cards on Garrett's desk. While he and Maddox spoke, I slipped my hand into my pocket, feeling the small card that I deposited there. Duncan O'Malley's hotline. He already delivered once. Would it hurt to ask him again? Despite that he scared the crap out of everyone else I knew, he appeared to exhibit genuine friendship and a deep loyalty for Solomon. I wasn't sure what he might ask for in return, if anything at all. The longer I thought about it, the more the lifeline he offered me seemed to be my only option.
"Maddox, can I borrow that burn phone?" I asked.
"Sure. You want to call your mom?" he asked, patting his pockets for it.
"Yes," I replied while crossing my fingers behind my back. "Thanks," I said as I took it from him. "I'll head out here and leave you two to talk."
In the corridor, I fished the card from my pocket and dialed the number. It went directly to messages. "Hi," I began hesitantly since I didn't know who would be listening to it or if it would be recorded forever. If Mikey and Mooch had anything to offer me by way of learning about criminal enterprise, it was a clear warning not to be so stupid. I wasn’t about to leave a direct message that could be used against me in court later.
"Thank you for the delivery and gift. I really appreciate it. I wonder if you heard about all the excitement after you left yesterday? One of the guests departed before we got the chance to talk and he didn't leave his contact details but he might have been somewhere near Ninth Street. It would be great if he visited us again. I don't have my phone with me but I hope we can talk soon. Bye!" I hung up, wondering why I left such a cheerful goodbye but figured it fitted in well with the cryptic message. I was sure Duncan O'Malley would know exactly which unwelcome guest I was referring to. I only hoped he could work his network and produce him soon. I wanted to say more about the Niners but I had no doubt O'Malley had already connected those dots long before we did, since he located Mooch so quickly.
One thing I was sure about: the Niners had nothing to do with O'Malley. I couldn't see him being thrilled about business contacts taking shots at his friend. All I could hope for was that O'Malley had plenty of gift wrap.
I called my mom next and she answered the phone with a cautious, "Hello?"
"Mom, it's me."
"Lexi, thank the Lord! I was afraid someone was calling with bad news."
"No one would call you in that case. They'd simply knock on your door."
"That would be so much better," said Mom dryly.
"Didn't Garrett call you?"
"Yes, but he wouldn't tell me anything and that doesn't stop me from worrying. I'm your mom. It's what I do. Lily's here and she's worried about you too."
"Tell her I'm okay."
"When can you come over? Or should we come see you at the hospital?"
"I can't come over. Not yet anyway," I told her, "but say hi to Lily and Dad and I'll call you again as soon as I can."
"Where are you?"
Garrett didn't give me express instructions not to say where I was, but he didn't say I could either. Plus, what if the phones were tapped? Maddox kept insisting it was a good thing I left my phone behind. He dismantled his and was already prepared with another burner, which made me wonder: what did he need to be prepared for?
"I'll call you soon, Mom. I promise," I said and hung up before she made me feel any guiltier than I already felt. My parents were worried. My family was worried. My fiancé was in a coma and surrounded by armed guards and I couldn't get to him. His family were worried. And... my cheeks burned when I remembered last night... I kissed Maddox. My guilt was so overwhelming, I seriously wondered if I should cash the million dollar check, hire a therapist, and take up residency on the couch while I talked it out for the next decade.
I jumped when a hand landed on my shoulder.
"Hi, Damien."
"You look worried. Are you okay?"
"Perpetually full of joy!" I squeaked.
"So... yes?" Damien frowned at me.
"Yes."
"Who were you talking to?"
"My mom."
He nodded knowingly. "I had a short talk with my buddy in gang enforcement and I have some information," he said. "Let's go back into your brother's office." He turned and walked ahead while I trailed after him. As I neared the door to the office, the large whiteboard standing in the corner grabbed my attention. Instead of following Damien, I walked over to the whiteboard and came to a stop in front of it. Folding my arms, I focused on the case information Garret's detectives had already gathered about Solomon's attack. Very little of it was new information but it was strange to see a photo of Solomon in the center and a photo of me on the side. Apparently, someone must’ve questioned if I had any motive to shoot Solomon and a large red cross nixed that idea.
"Lexi!"
I turned and nodded to Garrett as he beckoned me forwards. "Ignore all that," he said. "We have to brainstorm new ideas."
"It's normal to suspect the people who are closest to the victim," I said.
"Oh, I thought you saw the other thing."
"What other thing?" I turned back, searching for the offensive information Garrett assumed I'd read and found it in the top corner. "You suspected one of the agency guys too?"
"They all had the opportunity but we ruled out any motives."
"I'm so pleased."
"I'll let you off for the sarcasm since it's been a rough few days."
I peered at the whiteboard. "Is there anyone you don't suspect? Maddox is even on there!"
"He has a teeny, tiny motive," said Garrett, holding his thumb and forefinger an inch apart.
I didn't need to ask what that was. His motive was attached to his lips just hours ago, but he was not someone I could see as a killer. "You know anyone on this list could have killed him in a much quieter way. They wouldn't even need to knock on the door," I pointed out.
"It's just more ideas to throw around. We know now it's definitely gang-related, which narrows it down a little more."
"I should get Lucas in on this," I said. "He's really good at tracking people down."
"It wouldn't hurt."
"I'll call him and join you in a moment," I decided before tapping the agency's main number into Maddox's phone and asking to be put through to Lucas.
"Lexi? Is that you?"
"It's me."
"I tried calling you but Delgado answered your phone and said you weren't available."
"That was correct at the time."
"What do you need me to do? I finished running the rest of the names on that list and they're all dead. We've ruled out..."
"That line of inquiry is over. I don't have time to explain but I need for you to look into something else. There's a gang called the Niners based in Frederickstown. It looks like they are involved but we're not sure how Solomon got mixed up in it since he doesn’t have anything to do with them."
"I've heard of them before but we've never had any run-ins with them."
"Can you go through all the files in Solomon's office and check our database too? Any mention of them at all?"
"Done."
"Also speak with Delgado about making our files accessible to Garrett and any detective he decides to nominate."
"Okay. Solomon’s brother was on my case about that."
"He told me. Also, I want someone watching the Niner bar located on Ninth Street too."
"Also done."
"Find out everything you can about a guy named Timothy Mooch. He's connected to all of this too. He hired Mikey for the initial shooting but we don't know if he hired the second guy. Someone told him to act as a middleman. If we find out who that was, we could find out why."
"I'll know what he ate for breakfast every day during first grade by the end of the day," said Lucas.
"Great. Damien is working on the Niner connection with the Boston Police Department and it would be great if you could dig up something about that too. He transferred to Boston PD so he'll probably get much of the same information but it would be great if you could find out more. See if anyone at the agency has someone they can reach out to."
"I'll get everything."
"I know you will."
"Have you seen Solomon today?"
"No. Everyone thinks it's best if I lie low until last night's shooter is caught, so the faster you can find a connection, the faster I can get back there."
"I understand," said Lucas, his voice full of sympathy. "Leave it with me. How do I contact you?"
"Call Garrett. He'll know how to get in touch with me," I said, still avoiding the mention of my exact location. A little paranoia might have kept me safe until the answers became clear.
"Lucas is digging deeper," I said when I rejoined the three men in the office. They were watching the videotape of Mikey Gibb's confession on a small screen on Garrett's desk. Garrett waved me into a seat and I watched it with them. "What were you looking for?" I asked when it finished.
"Any hints that he knows something more," said Garrett, "but I'm pretty sure he's just as stupid as I first thought."
"Did you cut that deal with him?" I asked.
"The DA is still working on it. Anyway, we were waiting for you. Damien has some information about the Niners."
"Yeah," started Damien. "I spoke to my buddy who works in the gang taskforce unit and he says the Niners came onto their radar a few years ago; but if there was any connection to someone in Boston, it's long gone."
"How did they get on the radar?" asked Maddox.
"The unit was looking for any coalitions that might have been helping to move product. With Montgomery being one of the biggest cities near Boston, they naturally checked out this direction. The Niners came up but were discounted quickly as low-level thugs. They don't have any drug connection. I don't see how my brother is involved in anything to do with drugs anyway. Someone probably knew Mooch was a bad dude and could have set something up. It doesn't necessarily mean the Niners were directly involved."
Garrett relaxed into his seat and tapped his pen on the table. "Then where's the heroin coming from? We know its coming into town and the money in Mooch's house suggests he's the official treasurer."
"Not Boston," said Damien.
"Hmm, maybe not then, but it might be now," said Garrett.
"My buddy didn't have any new information on the Niners."
"What if it's coming in via New Hampshire or Rhode Island?" asked Maddox.
"New Hampshire doesn’t have much of a coastline and Rhode Island is too complicated."
"Connecticut then?"
"In that case, Springfield would be the most likely destination for any drug traffickers," I said. "Or they could skip Montgomery altogether and funnel it through New York State."
"We can theorize about this all day," said Garrett when an officer stuck his head around the door and said, "Timothy Mooch's lawyer wants to talk."
"Tell them I'll be right there," said Garrett. "I suggest you all watch the interview, but I don't think I'm going to get much. Why don't you wait here and work on some more theories?"
"I'll call my contacts," said Maddox.
We waited an hour for Garrett to return and by the time he did, we had several sheets of paper filled with new possibilities. It was a fruitless task, however, and my brother's return was more than welcome.
"Well," started Garrett. "That didn't go so well."
"Did you get anything?" asked Maddox.
"Anything at all?" added Damien.
"I got the usual story that he doesn't know where the drugs came from and some crap about the money being his life savings from under-the-table construction jobs that I'm fairly sure don't exist. He says Mikey is making up all the stuff about hiring him as a hit man. He asked me who in their right mind would have hired Mikey to do a job like that anyway? He's got a valid point. I'm not sure the DA could make a strong argument that hiring Mikey was a clever decision for anyone to make."
"Is Mooch going to walk?" I asked.
"Unless I can get some solid evidence to implicate him. Now, it's turning into he said, he said. The good news is: he's definitely going down on possession and intent to distribute. He’ll be charged for the drugs and cash we found."
"Why wouldn't he talk if only to save himself?" I asked.
Garrett shrugged. "My guess is he's scared of whomever is above him on the ladder."
"We might never catch this guy," said Damien.
"Or we could wait for another attempt. Lay a trap?" suggested Garrett.
"I don't want to use Solomon as bait," I said as Garrett's phone rang. He answered it, then passed it to me.
"I have some information on Mooch," said Lucas. "He gets a lot of phone calls from a burner phone in Bedford Hills. I triangulated the location and compared it to the registered owners in the area and came up with one guy who has a connection to the Niners."
"That sounds like the boss! He lives in that area." I put Lucas on speaker so I wouldn't have to repeat the conversation play-by-play.
"Yeah? Okay, well Grant Copley called Mooch three times two days before Solomon was shot. They spoke for ten minutes, five minutes, then fifteen minutes. I also did a search on Mooch's vehicle. He bought an expensive motorcycle a year ago and he's been paying it off every month. At the same time he was getting those calls from the boss, his motorcycle loan was coincidentally paid off by a corporation, which I traced back to Copley Imports."
"That sounds like a payoff."
"That's what I thought too. There's more," said Lucas, excitement edging into his voice. "I looked for cameras in the area and all the times the calls were made. There's camera footage of Mooch giving a package to Mikey the day before the shooting. It's small and square."
"A gun?"
"That's my guess. I dug around a little bit into Mooch's background and he's not exactly a spontaneous creature. Mostly, he's at the bar or the auto bodyshop down the street, or he’s at home. He doesn't socialize very often but he definitely speaks to Grant Copley every few days, or to a Gerard Copley. I looked into Grant Copley and it turns out he owns the bar and the bodyshop as well as a bunch of other places around town. Officially, he's the landlord and all of his taxes look legit, but I noticed an anomaly on the financials regarding one building. It looks like it's fully leased, but I know the building has been empty for years. There're a ton of payments being put through every month, like rents and maintenance costs. I dug deeper. There's another building in Boston that has the same basic scenario."
"That could be how they’re laundering the drug money," I said, sitting up straighter. "That’s great work, Lucas."
"I have more on the buildings and the taxes, but I'm not the finance man. There're some photos too. Maybe you'll recognize one of them as the guy who shot at you. I think Special Agent Maddox should take a look at their financial papers. It's part of his his expertise."
"I'll get him to pick it up —" I paused as Garrett shook his head. "What's up?" I asked him.
"Maddox is in just as much danger now as you, since he's a witness too," said Garrett.
"I'll go," said Damien. "No one knows who I am."
"Damien Solomon is coming over to pick up the file," I said.
"Okay."
Garrett motioned with his head for Damien to go and he did, promising to return quickly.
"He's on his way." I looked up from the phone at the sound of a loud commotion before the same officer from earlier ducked his head into the office. "There's a delivery," he said, looking like he didn't know whether to laugh or apologize.
"Do I need to sign for it or something?" asked Garrett.
"Or something. It's in front of the building. You need to come and see it!"