back to Smith. “What else did you find on Ellie’s laptop?” I shoosh Ellie by placing the barrel of my gun against her lips. I’m sure the heat of its recent firings will sting her lips, but it’s got to be better than a bullet wound between the eyes. “I don’t care about anything that doesn’t relate to Fien and Roxanne. Even if it has the ability to take my father down, I don’t care. I just want the information that will help bring my family back.”
Smith balks, as shocked by the use of the word ‘family’ as me, but he keeps his head in game mode. “There’s information on a possible new sanction popping up in the New York region. No names were mentioned, but a quick once-over makes it clear who it’s about.”
“Rimi Castro?”
When Smith jerks up his chin, Ellie gabbles out, “That can’t be true. I’m not working Rimi’s case. I don’t have any of his files.”
Aware federal agents never believe anything unless it’s shown to them in black and white, Smith stomps back to his van, snatches up the only bit of equipment he didn’t demolish in his tirade, then returns to my side. Although he’s giving proof to Ellie, he keeps the screen tilted my way, ensuring he displays whose team he’s on.
“They’re not my files.” Ellie lifts her eyes to mine, surprising me with the amount of wetness in them. “I swear to God, this is the first time I’ve seen those files.” When Smith scoffs, as unbelieving as me, Ellie tries another angle. “Then, I’ll swear on Jonathon’s life.” Jonathon is her little brother. He had an even rougher start to life than Fien. She would never place him in danger, not even if it could save her life. “They’re not my files. Someone placed them there.”
“Why would they do that?” I’m not saying I believe her. I’m merely ensuring I flip over every stone in my endeavor to find Roxanne and Fien.
Ellie shrugs. “I don’t know.” She freezes before her eyes widen. “Internal affairs is investigating our unit. They think we have a leak.” The color drains from her face as her eyes bounce between Smith and me. “Do you think that’s why I have those files? Is someone trying to set me up?”
“Perhaps.” Smith’s voice is more controlled than mine.
“But we don’t have time to look.” I shift my eyes to Rocco and Clover. “Let’s move out.”
My steps halt for the second time today when Smith’s hand shoots out to grip my arm. His hold isn’t what frustrates me. It’s the desperation in his voice. “What if these cases are linked?”
“What if they’re not, and we waste another six hours preparing for an ambush that isn’t a fucking ambush!”
My roar doesn’t harness his objective in the slightest. “Ellie was sent here for a reason, Dimi. If you find out what that was, you’ll have more chance of finding Roxie.”
I drift my eyes to Rocco. Don’t ask me why. I don’t seem to have control of anything today, much less my emotions.
When Rocco shrugs, leaving the decision up to me, I return my eyes to Smith. He’s all but begging for me to listen to him. It isn’t something I often do, and in all honesty, I sometimes wonder if that’s where I’ve gone wrong.
Smith’s exhale ruffles Ellie’s hair when I ask, “Who sent you here?”
She hesitates. Not long enough for me to give my crew the signal to move, but long enough to take in the plea in Smith’s eyes for her to cooperate. “Theresa Veneto.”
A collective hiss rolls across the warehouse.
I should have known she was involved.
“Why?”
Ellie shrugs again before her brows join. “She didn’t say. She mentioned something about a Megan…”
“Shroud,” Smith and I fill in when she pauses to glance down at her notepad.
With her eyes wide and her jaw unhinged, she nods. “I was to wait here until you arrived, then bring you in. I assumed you had information on her death.”
“Megan Shroud died over a year ago.”
We know that’s a lie. I’m merely testing Agent Gould. If she lies, our conversation is over. If she doesn’t, I truly don’t know where we’ll go from here.
As the confusion in her eyes grows, Ellie informs, “Megan Shroud’s disappearance was ruled a homicide late this afternoon.” Not asking permission, she swivels Smith’s laptop around to face herself, then clicks on a file on her desktop. Since Smith is already hacked in, it makes the process remarkably quick. “See.” She