fall for his crimes. To kill for him, like Michael Thompson.
Did Colton hate Sean so much that he was willing to kill him? They had been best friends … was it a case where love turned to hate? Where respect turned to contempt?
Sean only told Lucy that his visit with Colton after the shit hit the fan in New York hadn’t gone well.
“I betrayed him, Lucy. I lied to him. It was the only way to catch Paxton … but he had been my closest friend for so long. My only real friend after everything that happened at Stanford. And he’ll never understand why.”
Colton must have no idea that it was Sean who kept him out of prison. He pleaded with Rick Stockton not to send him away, and Rick agreed to probation.
She’d hoped that at some point, Sean could try again with Colton, but when she mentioned it Sean said it was impossible. So she dropped it, then they moved to San Antonio and never talked about it again.
A loud knock on the hotel door made her jump. She walked into the living area but Patrick was already answering the door, his gun in hand.
It was John Banner. He held up his badge to Patrick. “Are you Patrick Kincaid?”
“Yes.”
“What the hell are you doing interfering with my investigation?”
“What investigation?”
Banner tried to step inside, but Patrick blocked him.
“Can I come in?”
“No.”
“You’re obstructing justice.”
“Arrest me.”
“Are you all this way?”
“All who?”
“Fuck! You talked to one of my witnesses yesterday. You’re interfering with my investigation.”
“You closed the investigation. You arrested Sean and didn’t follow up with the witness. That’s on you.”
“He came down to the station yesterday because you talked to him. He said he was afraid we’d tried to talk to him but couldn’t find him on campus and he wanted to do the right thing. Did you pay him off?”
“You can go.”
“I’m serious! Because all of the sudden there’s another suspect? He saw someone coming from Hill’s apartment?”
“He didn’t see her leaving the apartment, but she passed him in the hall from the direction of the apartment.”
“Did you coach him?”
Patrick started to close the door.
“Dammit, this is fucking a mess, Kincaid! I have a cop killer on the loose and the FBI arrested my witness!”
“The escape is not your case,” Patrick said. “And Sean Rogan is not a cop killer. Your rhetoric is going to get him killed. You don’t want the truth. You have a fucking theory you want to prove.”
“I want justice.”
“So do we.”
Megan came out of her room, her hair damp, but she was dressed. “What is all this yelling?” She straightened when she saw Banner. “Detective.”
Banner ignored her. “Do you realize that withholding information in a police investigation can get you tossed in prison?”
“I’m not withholding information. I told Ned that a detective may come and speak to him as they continue to investigate Mona Hill’s murder. It’s not my responsibility to do your job for you.”
“Yet you think your friend is innocent.”
“My partner. My brother-in-law. And he is. And the fact that you bought into this so quickly tells me either you’re corrupt or an idiot.”
Lucy stepped forward. “Patrick, stop.”
“If you know where the escaped prisoners are, you have an obligation to notify authorities.”
“I don’t know where Sean is, and if I did, I would notify the authorities, but sure as hell not you because I don’t trust you won’t shoot first, ask questions later. Maybe you should read Kate Donovan’s reports on this, because she’s been copying in your office from the beginning.”
Banner looked confused. Then he said, “Take my advice and back off.”
“Good-bye.” Patrick closed the door.
“What was that?” Megan said.
“He’s a prick. And if he hasn’t read Kate’s reports that’s on him.”
Kate had been sending frequent reports as she confirmed facts. She confirmed that the phone found in Sean’s cell was not used to change the transfer orders. She located the exact terminal where the transfer orders were changed, and had proven that Sheffield had used the terminal at the time the orders were changed. They had Erica Anderson’s statement that she had been working for the Hunt family for the last three months but when she heard a cop was killed during the prison break, she wanted to come forward—but feared for her life and the life of her children. And Kate had sent Erica’s statement to Houston that she planted the gun in Sean’s plane. And yet here they were, still thinking that Sean was guilty.