was found not guilty and his record expunged. We’re going through known associates of Randy Drew to see if anything pops.”
“How much do you want to bet Jason knew that? Knew that Milton had changed his name and used that fact for his benefit, the reason he was selected as Katrina’s representative,” I said.
“I think so, too.” Zac said. “How’s Ethan?”
“Falling in love with his nurse.”
He chuckled. “Good. Alright, get some sleep. I’ll see you in the morning.”
“Night, Zac.”
I dropped my phone on the bed. So Milton wasn’t Jason, but still, he disappeared. Paid someone off and ran, which meant he knew who Jason was and was afraid. Considering Jason seemed to be cleaning house, he was right to be afraid.
I climbed from bed. Milton had cooperated in the beginning, genuinely upset about Samantha, sincerely interested in helping. So him fleeing was a total one eighty. My blood started to race because I would bet money he hadn’t known what happened to Jason after Katrina died, and probably, hadn’t seen him since her death, but something changed. He saw him. Holy shit, Milton saw Jason, recognized him and took off.
I’d seen Milton at both the NYPD fundraiser and Kade’s masquerade ball. The fundraiser had been before we visited him that first time, but the masquerade ball…I started from the bedroom. When we’d seen Milton at St Regis, he’d been less inclined to help us. Nervous…scared. If we compared the list of people at Kade’s party, to the names we’d collected during this case, ones linked to not just Katrina Dent but also CyberTech, because I was still convinced there was a link, I’d bet money we’d find the new identity of Jason Benjamin.
Reaching Kade’s office, I knocked.
His deep voice responded immediately, “Come in, Molly.”
Carmine was standing at the window looking royally pissed.
“Is everything okay?” I asked.
Kade crossed the room to me. “It will be.”
Carmine wasn’t far behind Kade, and despite being livid, he pulled me to him for a hard hug. “Congratulations.”
I hugged him back. “Thanks, Carmine.”
“I’m sorry about your friend, but glad he’s going to be okay.”
He really was a good man. “Thank you.”
He released me; I didn’t let him get far. “If I can help, just say the word.”
He almost grinned, looked at Kade. “If you hadn’t put a ring on her finger, I would have.”
Kade ignored him, his focus on me. “Did you need something?”
“Milton isn’t Jason. Milton was a kid by the name of Randy Drew, who changed his name because he had a juvenile record.”
I didn’t miss the look Kade and Carmine shared, but I moved past it.
“When we visited Milton, the first time, he was eager to help, surprised and sincerely upset about Samantha. The next time we saw him, he was less helpful, even scared, and then he ran. I think he saw Jason. I think he recognized whoever Jason is now, and he fled.” I paced to the window. “I saw Milton at the cop fundraiser, but that was before our first visit to him.” I looked back at them both. “But there was another event that had the who’s who in attendance.”
“Fucking hell,” Carmine said.”
Kade’s focus never left me. “Jason Benjamin was at my fucking masquerade party.”
Zac and Cap shared a look, when I shared with them my theory. “Fucking nice detective work, Molly,” Cap said.
“So we go through the lists and find the names that pop,” Zac said.
“Kade is sending over the list to his party,” I said.
“If you’re right, Jason Benjamin has been hiding, in plain sight, this whole time,” Cap said.
“And why not. Who’s going to look for him,” Zac said. “If the Enzi family hadn’t stirred the shit up, his identity would have stayed hidden.”
“Yep.”
“We need Vin because our cases are intersecting,” Cap said, reaching for his phone, then stopped. “Something about the other night bothers me. If senior is targeting his son, looking to hurt him, why go after Kade and not Carmine? From what I understand, Carmine is like a son to junior.”
My heart and stomach dropped at the mentioning of that night, but I pushed through it. “I don’t know.”
“Unless…” Zac said.
Silence followed. “Unless what?” I asked.
Cap finished Zac’s thought. “Unless Kade wasn’t the target.”
Took me a minute, the night coming back. I had stopped to take off my jacket. I went numb. “They wanted me.”
“Not Enzi behind it, but Jason. Knows we’re getting close. Targets you because of your connection to Kade and Carmine, which would trigger, well, all hell breaking loose in