I make any moves—as Dagger or as Cole Michaels.”
Eddie was quiet. “You think it was someone from the inside?”
Cole bit back another groan. The idea that one of their own had ratted him out was beyond disappointing…it was depressing. “I don’t know enough yet to say. But I have an idea on how we might find out.”
“I’m all ears.” He could hear background noise and heard Eddie tell a cab driver to keep the change. “Tell me where you are and I’ll come and get you.”
“That’s not necessary.” The bar was empty for the moment but it wouldn’t be for long. If a Corada member didn’t come in, there was no telling which of their friends might come by. This was their territory, they had friends everywhere. “You coming here won’t help matters if they don’t know who I am. No offense, man, but you look like a cop.”
“None taken.” Eddie sounded like he was trying not to laugh. “There’s a reason you fit in on undercover operations and I’m left behind to man the desk.”
Cole was too busy scrolling through pictures to engage in their old joke—Eddie made fun of his gangster look while he gave Eddie a hard time for being such a square. But right now, his mind was elsewhere. A couple walked into the bar and Cole slunk back further in the booth and lowered his voice. “Look, I can’t stay here for long. If I’ve been made, I’m a sitting duck.”
“If it’s internal, they could know your real name. Until we clear this up, don’t use any credit cards.”
“Yeah, yeah.” Eddie was just doing his job but at the moment Cole wasn’t interested in protocol. He was far more interested in figuring out what had gone wrong.
“I’ve got a picture I need to send your way. Once I can get access to a computer, I’ll send it. The bigger problem is, this camera’s owner.” He filled Eddie in on Andie, leaving out the part about how he couldn’t stop fantasizing about her, even now when he was wounded and on the run. “Anthony wants these pictures and he’ll be going after her.”
“I’ll get some officers on it, they can keep an eye on her place if we can track her down. You said she worked at a bar nearby, do you know the name? They might have her contact info.”
A new thought occurred to him, making him mutter a string of curses. “If Anthony doesn’t know who I am…if this was another gang…”
“Having cops on her tail would tip Anthony off that we’re on to him,” Eddie finished. This time it was Eddie’s turn to curse.
“I’ll keep an eye on her.” Cole tried not to overthink his eagerness to see her again. He was a cop, she could potentially be in danger. It was his job, that’s all. “If they don’t know I’m a cop, they’ll just think I’m sleeping with my client. And if they do…”
He didn’t want to finish that thought. If they knew he was a cop who’d been spying on them, he’d be a dead man. His job would be to make sure Andie wasn’t caught in the crossfire. “They’d be focused on getting me out of the picture. She’s not a threat to them. They just want her camera.”
“Can you get to her first?” Eddie asked.
“Yeah, I think so.” It wasn’t like she’d told Anthony her last name or address. It wasn’t like she’d told Cole, either. He started to put the camera back in its case. First he’d have to track her down, which wouldn’t be easy. But Eddie was right, the bar could be a good start. His hands froze in the middle of packing up the camera. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“What is it?”
There in neat handwriting on a little tab inside the carrying case, someone had written, “If found return to 799 Park Avenue.”
“Wait, where are you going to stay? Do you have enough cash for a motel?”
No. He barely had enough for the subway uptown. But he remembered the way Andie had asked if he needed a place to crash. That would give him the perfect excuse to stay close to her just in case she was in trouble. It would also give him a place to lay low for a night or two.
Was he really going to take advantage of that kindness? Was he really that much of a jerk?
He sighed as he hung up with Eddie and he answered his own question.