headed back to the station house via the gas station to grab coffee and snacks.
By the time they walked in, the place was in full nighttime mode, with only a few people on the premises. Most of whom were gathered with Conroy and Basuto in Conroy’s office.
Conroy waved them in. Aiden deposited the majority of his snacks onto an empty desk and took his coffee with him into the room.
“Donaldson and Ridgeman—” Conroy indicated which of them was which. “—these are Special Agents Nicholson and Turner from the Denver FBI field office. They are working with Homeland and the Marshals in a joint task force, looking closely at the Capeira family. Or, what’s left of it.”
Aiden and Jess shook the hands of the agents. He opted to lean against the wall while she sat.
Nicholson was around forties and female, with dark features and a dark complexion, while Turner was at least a decade younger and probably had a side career as a heavyweight champion. If the FBI allowed that kind of thing.
Nicholson turned her attention to Aiden as he sipped his coffee. “Benito Capeira has been on our radar for almost two years. Now I hear through the grapevine that you might know who killed him, handing over his empire to his younger brother.”
“You heard he’s dead, or you found a body?”
“We have a DEA agent in Venezuela on the taskforce. I’m sure you understand that’s a dangerous position to be in. Still, he took the time to inform us Benito’s body turned up.”
“So he’s dead. For sure.”
“Which means Enrico inherits everything legitimate and illegitimate.” Nicholson eyed him. “Or, at least, he would if he was anywhere to be found.” She stared him down for a full second, all that federal authority on her face. “Do you know who killed Benito?”
“On official record?” Aiden didn’t know if they were recording the conversation in here, or if the plan was to possibly subpoena him later. He needed a life with less complication. Not one where he could be called on to testify against the mother of his child.
Added to that, he had no idea who the second woman was. All he could give Nicholson would be considered hearsay.
“Humor me.”
Aiden said, “No offense, but I barely know who you are, let alone any of these guys you’re talking about.” It wasn’t a good excuse, pleading ignorance. But he was going to go with it since it was hard to argue without insulting his own intelligence. “So, I’m sure you understand I can hardly speak to this with any level of authority.”
Conroy shifted in his seat. “And your friend?”
Nicholson said, “I’d like to talk to her.”
Aiden didn’t take his gaze from Nicholson. He knew it was unlikely Bridget would voluntarily surrender herself for questioning. Even if she’d done nothing wrong, she wouldn’t risk getting tied up in something formal that exposed her to official record.
He didn’t shift out of his purposefully lazy stance, though it was getting harder to hold. “That’s up to her. Last I knew, she left town to go do something.”
“So tell me where to find her.”
“I have no idea where she is at present.” That was true enough.
Nicholson twisted to Conroy but said nothing. Aiden couldn’t see her face. Whatever happened there resulted in a shrug from the chief. “Officer Donaldson has been forthcoming.”
Nicholson let go a tiny snort.
“If, or when I’m able to tell you more, I’ll do that. Right now, I have nothing more to say.” Aiden nodded to Conroy and strode out to his desk.
Too many people in a small space made him antsy. Sydney might be a whirlwind sometimes. Eventually she crashed and he’d usually get some peace and quiet. Both were enjoyable—peace and quiet—but when he needed to think something through, it took space.
Jess followed but didn’t strike up a conversation. She logged onto her computer while he drank his coffee and stared at the front door of the police station.
He needed to do right by Bridget, someone who hadn’t had many people in her life treat her that way—except for the people she worked with now. Over the past few years, she’d found a family of sorts. When she showed up here a short couple of days ago, he’d thought of her as his ticket to final redemption. A way to truly make amends for all his bad decisions by giving her what she should have had all along.
The family that’d been taken from her.
Even being a cop hadn’t given him that deep