the smartest guy I know. He’s going to find a way out.”
Felicity came in and closed the door. Lucy introduced her to Megan. “We should talk alone,” Felicity said.
“Anything you can say to me you can say to Megan.”
“With all due respect, she’s an FBI agent.”
“And my sister-in-law.”
“She doesn’t have any privilege.”
“I trust her. And my other sister-in-law is on her way. I need them working on this.”
“Kate Donovan. I know.”
That surprised Lucy. Word did get around fast.
Felicity continued. “Houston FBI is up in arms that the national office is sending in someone to take over the investigation. They don’t know she’s your sister-in-law, however, so we’ll keep that to ourselves until they discover it on their own.” She paused. “She’s not related to your husband, right?”
Lucy shook her head. “My brother’s wife. Kate is one of the top cybercrime experts in the FBI. She teaches at Quantico. She can look at the data from the phone they found in Sean’s cell and prove he didn’t do anything. And what about his prints? Did they dust it for prints?”
“They’re doing everything, Lucy.” Felicity looked at her phone. “The SSA of Violent Crime is taking point on this. His name is Steven Pierce, he’s been in the Houston office for more than ten years. He wants to talk to you.”
“I know Steven,” Megan said to Lucy. “We’ve met several times over the years. You can trust him.”
“No, I can’t,” Lucy said.
“Talk to him,” Felicity said, “and I’ll make sure Sean’s rights are protected. I promise you that.”
Reluctantly, Lucy agreed, and hoped she wasn’t making a mistake.
Steven came in alone, which Lucy appreciated. She already felt completely overwhelmed after Banner and his partner had talked to her earlier. After introductions, Steven sat down and said, “When was the last time that you spoke to your husband?”
“Yesterday late afternoon,” Lucy said.
“Did he give you any indication that he planned to escape?”
“He didn’t plan to escape.”
Steven stared at her. It didn’t faze her. She’d interviewed more than a hundred suspects, an FBI agent wasn’t going to get to her.
The Houston cops did. You need to be focused, Lucy.
She knew that the FBI would want to bring Sean in alive. Houston PD, she wasn’t so certain. So she needed to trust Steven Pierce—up to a point.
Steven shifted gears. “Where would Sean go that he feels safe?”
“If he can escape Hunt, he’ll call Rick Stockton, assistant director of the FBI, and arrange to turn himself in.”
“Does Sean have any friends in Houston? Anyone he trusts?”
He did, but Lucy wasn’t going to share that information and bring a SWAT team into someone’s life. Patrick was already talking to everyone Sean knew; better him than her, in case the police had her phone tapped.
“You’re focused on the wrong thing, Agent Pierce,” Lucy said. “Jimmy Hunt planned this escape. He took Sean against his will. Find out where Jimmy Hunt would go, who he associates with in Houston. Find his daughter Elise and ask her where her father is.”
“We are following all leads,” Steven said. “I’m trying to help you. I don’t want anyone hurt. I’m doing everything in my power to bring your husband in alive.”
That blunt statement stabbed Lucy in the gut so hard she had to pause before she could speak.
“And I’m telling you right now, Sean will do everything in his power to free himself and turn himself in.” She wasn’t a hundred percent certain of that. Sean might run if only because he feared for his life. But for now, she was sticking to this. “Multiple people helped Hunt break out. Talk to the corrections officer who lied when he said Sean killed a cop. Sean would never kill a cop. Talk to the people Hunt was in prison with, whom he associates with, who would take a job from him. He ran a major drug smuggling operation for years, he infiltrated the DEA, he has people on his payroll, and if you don’t focus on that, you’ll never find them and Sean will be dead!”
Megan put her hand on Lucy’s arm and said to Steven, “You have Hunt’s files, correct?”
“Of course.”
“Can I speak with you outside?”
“Megan, I don’t know—”
“Steven, two minutes.”
He stood. “Agent Kincaid, I’m sorry that you’ve been put in this situation, but I’m doing my job, and you want me to do my job. I’m very good at it. If you know anything about the whereabouts of your husband, you need to tell me.”