each revelation, the creases in his forehead seemed to get deeper.
“Obviously, don’t tell anyone about this,” he said when she was done. “Not Detective Bray, not your young researcher friend, no one. I’ve created a secure cloud account for just the two of us. Send a copy of the files there. Otherwise, don’t distribute them anywhere. We’ll share them when the time is right.”
Jessie nodded.
“I’m assuming all these precautions mean you’re no closer to uncovering the mole who stole the thumb drive from Parker’s locker?”
“I don’t have anything official on that,” he said cryptically. “But I wouldn’t say ‘no closer.’ There’s movement.”
“Well, whoever did it is definitely not a free agent,” she said, telling him about her visit to Beto Estrada without naming names.
He listened intently as if what she was saying comported with suspicions he already had but wouldn’t share. When he replied, it was more generally.
“Once the mole is caught, we can make our next move.”
“What would that be?” Jessie asked.
“Get someone to go on the record—maybe the mole, maybe someone from one of these cases who hasn’t settled, maybe a new victim, maybe the source who gave you the file. Once someone speaks out, the floodgates should open.”
“You think someone will really speak out against Jasper Otis?” Jessie asked skeptically, “Because I’m pretty sure my source won’t.”
“We’ll see,” he said with more confidence than she would have expected. “I have some tools at my disposal that I prefer not to share just now. I may be old, Hunt, but I’m also wily.”
“But—” she started to say.
“No more ‘buts’ tonight. It’s getting late. Don’t you have folks waiting for you at home?”
Jessie looked at her watch. It was already 5:36 and she’d promised Hannah she’d be home for dinner at six. A rush of angst passed through her as she realized she was in danger of violating her promise.
“Yes,” she said. “If I’m not home in twenty-four minutes, I may have to sleep in the backyard hammock.”
She was already halfway across the courtyard when she heard Decker call out “good luck.”
*
Jessie made it with three minutes to spare.
After dinner, John the night nurse helped Hannah with the dishes. Jessie retreated to the guest bedroom to change. Suddenly the weight of the day hit her. She had a source afraid he was a dead man walking. She’d uncovered a massive sex-trafficking ring that had been essentially ignored for a decade. She kept hitting dead ends in her murder investigation. A billionaire mixed up in both was suing her into the ground. Her wheelchair-bound, barely verbal boyfriend looked completely wiped out from his first full day at home. And, though Hannah was all smiles, Jessie got the unsettling feeling that her half-sister was hiding something big. Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door.
“It’s open,” she said.
Hannah opened it, a look of trepidation on her face.
“Can I talk to you about something?” she asked.
“Of course. Come on in.”
Hannah entered and closed the door behind her, a sure sign that this wasn’t going to be a chat about her calculus grade.
“I have to tell you something,” she said. “When you hear it, you might be a little pissed at me. But you have to promise not to interrupt or say anything until I’m done.”
“Okay.”
“I need you to promise,” Hannah reiterated.
“I promise,” Jessie said, wanting to give the girl space to be honest but terrified at what she might be about to hear.
Hannah proceeded to walk her through the events culminating in this afternoon’s drive with Rico. She mentioned the first approach from Elodie weeks ago; how it seemed to fit with Jessie’s suspicion about a sex ring; that she’d engaged Elodie today; the ride she’d taken with Rico; what he’d revealed and what he expected of her tomorrow.
“I recorded the whole conversation with him,” she concluded. “I got his license plate number. I couldn’t risk taking his picture without him noticing but I was able to sneak one of Elodie. I have all of it on my phone.”
She seemed to be done. Jessie waited an extra moment to be sure before speaking.
“Are you okay?” she finally asked.
“I had a little moment after it was over,” Hannah admitted. “Kind of a delayed freak-out where I realized it could have gone bad and you might have found my head in a dumpster. But yeah, I’m okay. You think this stuff will help with the case?”
Jessie looked at her little sister and took a deep breath, trying to give the impression that