Cut and Run (Lucy Kincaid #16) - Allison Brennan Page 0,71
was scared? Or had done something illegal?
Max continued, “Victoria thought Denise left the country, or she wanted to believe it. What happened after I can’t even guess, but everything went back to normal. Until the bones were uncovered.”
Lucy rubbed her eyes. “You think that Victoria was killed because the bones were found.”
“Exactly. Because then she would realize that her best friend had been murdered three years ago and she would go to the authorities with whatever she knew. Victoria may have been committing a crime, but when your best friend and her entire family are executed you will do the right thing.”
“You think so?” Lucy asked sarcastically, uncharacteristic of her. But she knew too many criminals who could justify any crime.
“Based on what I know of Victoria, yes, I think she would. I’ve interviewed a lot of criminals—I know you have, too. White collar criminals are distinctly different than violent predators. I think Victoria would have come clean. Perhaps worked out a plea arrangement, I don’t know. She wasn’t given the opportunity. She was killed. Or she threatened to expose the wrong person and they killed her.”
“There are several problems with your theory, Max, but I can’t share them with you because they’re part of a federal investigation.”
“I have just given you a motive for Denise Albright’s murder. Don’t tell me you already figured this out, because you had no idea Denise and Victoria knew each other.”
“I would have with enough time. We got this case less than forty-eight hours ago.”
“I have access to the Mills family. We can get information faster using my access than if you jump through hoops.”
“Those hoops are there to ensure a conviction when a case goes to trial. You don’t have to worry about things like that; I do.”
“You have no probable cause to interview Harrison Monroe. In fact, you made it clear that the Victoria Mills homicide is a local police issue, so you have no reason to interview Mitch or Simon or anyone else.”
“If you continue down this path and you are even partly right, then you could blow the entire investigation, and could very well put a young boy at risk.”
Max glared at her. “I do not blow investigations.”
“We believe that Ricky Albright is alive and in hiding. We think he knows something about his family’s murder, possibly as a witness. We have a plan to bring him home safely, but if he’s scared—and if those responsible find out we have a line on him—he may never come home, and could be in more danger.”
“I would never put a child in danger. Between the two of us, we have far more information than separately.”
“The difference is I have a badge and you have a pen. Would you seriously withhold information in a capital case because you want to be in the middle of the investigation?”
“It’s really hard not to take that as an insult.”
Sean spoke up.
“Max, can you excuse us for a minute?”
Max walked out without comment, closing the door behind her.
“What’s wrong?” Sean asked.
“Wrong? Are you actually taking her side?”
“I’m not taking sides because there is no side to take. We all want the same thing.”
“I want justice. She wants a story.”
“I don’t think that’s fair to Max.”
“That’s not what you used to think. It’s so hard to compete against her!”
That didn’t come out the way Lucy intended, and by the look on Sean’s face he didn’t understand.
“You sound jealous, and you don’t have a jealous bone in your body,” he said.
“It’s her way. I know you and Dillon are friends with her and she is so persuasive and smart, but she’s a reporter. She’s not a cop, and her concerns are not my concerns. I admire her work—she is truly brilliant on so many levels. Her books are textbooks in how to investigate cold cases—but also in what not to do.”
“I think I understand,” he said.
“You don’t.”
“Now you’re not being fair to me, Luce. I know that your hands are often tied, and I know that you wrestle with bending the rules.”
“I’ve done it, to save lives, and I’ve never regretted it.” She’d once broken a rule that resulted in saving a woman’s life … but also let a human trafficker walk. It hadn’t been a hard decision, because life is precious. That woman deserved to survive, and if she hadn’t gotten the information out of the trafficker the woman would have died.
But he walked, and that was a heavy burden to carry.