Meeting Danger (Danger #1) (29 page)

“I’ll take good care of it. We’re also comparing the blood to the sample from the victim profile you provided. We should know soon if it’s a match.”

After Camden hung up, he relayed the news to Autumn. “We need to get dressed. I got your duffel from Wade’s bike before they impounded it. Your things are all still in it.”

“Oh thank God,” she said. “The thought of putting those filthy clothes back on . . .” She shuddered.

He headed for the bathroom, calling over his shoulder, “And I need to call Grayson and Eli. They can get the process for Brian’s release started, pending a new trial.”

Autumn smiled. “You’ll need to call Brian too.”

“Right.” Camden grinned as he turned on the shower. He could just imagine Brian’s expression when he was told the news.

Shavertown, Pennsylvania

First thing Monday morning, Camden was at the Shavertown police station watching two detectives interrogate Thomas Cooper. Or try to, anyway.

Cooper was still being held on robbery charges for breaking into Camden’s house. The detectives were taking a last crack at interrogating him before arresting him for murder. Camden sat watching from a video monitor in another room.

“It’s just like the other day,” the detective seated next to Camden said. “He won’t give us a damn thing.”

The detective in the interrogation room tried again. “You’re okay then with taking the fall for whoever hired you?”

Cooper’s gaze flicked up to the detective’s face. “Save your breath, because I’m done talking.”

“Done talking,” the detective beside Camden muttered. “I didn’t realize he’d started.”

The detectives in the interrogation room asked Cooper to stand. He was placed under arrest for the murder of Lee Wells and led out of the room.

Brian’s release was in process with the governor. But without Cooper’s testimony, there was no way of tying Josh Solomon or his father to Wells’s murder.

Camden thanked the detectives before leaving the station. As he drove home, he called Grayson and filled him in.

“What about financial records?” Grayson asked. “Has anything turned up there?”

“Cooper was paid in cash. The detectives haven’t been able to find a source for the money.”

“I’m planning to visit Hale Lewis to see if we can get a lead on the heroin investigation. Now that Butch is dead and his crew that we arrested aren’t talking, we have no idea where to find the source of the drugs,” Grayson said. “Want to come with me?”

“I can’t. Autumn and I are headed to Scranton. We want to be there when Brian gets released.”

Newburgh, New York

Grayson parked in front of a small blue house surrounded by a white picket fence. Tucking his sunglasses into his pocket, he walked up a slate path and knocked on the front door. A tall, well-built man answered.

“Hale Lewis?”

The man frowned down at Grayson, pulling back his impressive shoulders as he said, “Who are you?”

Grayson flashed his badge. “I’m a federal agent. Can we talk for a minute?”

Lewis let out a long sigh before stepping aside. “Fine.”

Grayson walked into a small, tiled entryway. Since he didn’t seem invited any farther, he stopped there.

“What do you want?”

“I’m looking into the Wicked Disciples’ drug operation.”

Lewis scoffed at him. “You guys are still pursuing that? Butch is dead.”

“We are. We’re trying to figure out where the drugs are being produced. You weren’t cooperative before, but we’re hoping for your help now. There’s no need to protect Cobb any longer.”

“Doesn’t matter that Butch is gone. I ain’t ratting anyone out, so get that through your head right now.”

From where he stood, Grayson could see a bedroom decorated in pink. “Why don’t you think about your daughter?”

“What the hell are you doing?” Lewis spat out. “Don’t you dare bring my family into this.”

Grayson held up a hand. “Sorry. All I meant was that two of the people who died from the club’s heroin were teens. More kids are going to die unless we get this stuff off the street.”

When the large man crossed his arms but said nothing, Grayson took a different tack. “I’ll get out of your way, but I’d like to ask you one more question first.”

Lewis rolled his eyes. “What’s that?”

“You never became a member of the Wicked Disciples. Why?”

The man still looked pissed, but he moved into his living room and took a seat on the sofa. Although he didn’t have an invitation, Grayson followed and stood to the side, waiting for him to answer.

When a moment ticked by with no response, Grayson said, “Do the right thing here, Mr. Lewis. We need to take these guys off the street. Help me figure out who’s at the other end of the supply chain. Did you ever hear a name?”

Lewis shook his head, his gaze on the floor, but said nothing.

“No one will ever know you helped us.”

The man sighed before finally looking up. “I don’t have a name, but I’ve seen him.”

Well, damn
. “You’ve seen him?”

“Twice. Out in Philadelphia. It’s an older man. Once he was with a younger guy.”

“What did the men look like?”

“I was in Butch’s truck and it was getting dark. I only got a good look at the older one. He’s in his fifties and has gray hair. Looked to be a corporate type, wearing a suit and all.”

Philadelphia.

The mental gears clicked inside Grayson’s head. What were the chances the people Lewis was talking about had something to do with the case Camden was working on?

Camden had told him about the case when they’d been in Ohio together, and Sean Solomon and his son, Josh, fit the description Hale Lewis had just provided. Plus, they were pharmaceutical distributors, basically legal drug wholesalers, and some of the heroin in their investigation had been found in pill form. Could the drug dealing have anything to do with the Solomons?

Grayson took out his phone and brought up the website for the Solomons’ business, Cobalt Systems. He scrolled through the pages until he found a photo of Sean Solomon, then held the phone toward Lewis.

“Is this the man?”

“No.”

Shit
. “You’re sure?”

When Lewis looked at him like he was crazy, Grayson returned his gaze to his phone. He scrolled down until a picture of Josh Solomon became visible. “What about this guy?”

“Not him either.”

“You said you didn’t see the younger man well.”

Lewis’s lips pressed tightly together. “I saw him enough to recognize him. But that guy ain’t him, and the older guy ain’t the other one.”

“You never heard a name?”

“No.”

“Where did Cobb meet with them?”

“At an office complex.”

“Can you describe it?”

“We drove through an office complex to a brick warehouse at the bottom of a hill. It was somewhere in Philadelphia. Like I said, it was dark, and since I wasn’t driving, I wasn’t paying attention to the location.”

The front door opened, and Grayson turned to watch as a little girl of about three years old bounded inside. Lewis stood and lifted her into his arms.

“I want you to understand something,” he told Grayson. “I like to make an honest living. It’s why I never got involved in club business.” He shifted on his feet. “I didn’t ask Butch things, and he didn’t volunteer them. All I did on that trip to Philadelphia was sit in the car.”

Grayson stepped toward the door but then turned back. “I’m going to work on finding that warehouse. I may need your help again.”

The big man looked down at his daughter, tickling her belly and making her laugh before he glanced back at Grayson. “That cop, Cam. You know him?”

“I do.”

“How’s he doing?”

“He’s okay.”

Lewis nodded, looking thoughtful. “And Autumn?”

“She’s fine too.”

After saying hello to Lewis’s wife, Grayson left the house. He pulled out his cell once he was inside his SUV, itching to share with Camden what he’d learned.

“Where are you?” he asked when Camden answered the call.

“Philadelphia. Autumn and I are at Brian’s welcome-home party.”

“Turns out Hale Lewis had something interesting to say,” Grayson said as he backed the car out of the driveway.

“Lewis said the drug contact was from Philadelphia?” Camden sounded stunned on the other side of the line.

“It’s a long shot, but I showed him a picture of Solomon and his son. He says it isn’t them. I was thinking, though, a pharmaceutical distribution company like that would make a good cover.”

• • •

Camden gripped the phone as he spoke with Grayson. “You’re right. That would make a good cover.”

“How’s the party going?”

Camden glanced at Brian. “Great. Funny thing is we’re right near the Solomons’ company. Brian’s girlfriend and her father are hosting this party, and the Solomons’ office is in this same complex.”

“Enjoy. I’ll check in with you later.”

“Right.” After Camden hung up, he looked around for Autumn. She was across the room, speaking to Andrea’s father.

Michael Graham met Camden’s gaze. At the look that came into his eyes, Camden’s pulse took off. For a second, he stood frozen as Grayson’s words replayed in his head.
Fifties with gray hair. Corporate type.

Could it be? All these months that they’d been searching for the other end of the drug supply chain, the source of the drugs themselves. Was the answer staring him right in the face? Maybe it was Graham who’d framed Brian. Maybe he’d wanted Brian out of his daughter’s life. Could the younger man Hale Lewis had seen in the car been Thomas Cooper, the thug who’d broken into his house?

Graham’s expression darkened as he broke his gaze with Camden and said something to Autumn, then quickly led her from the room.

No!

Camden pushed through groups of people as he struggled to make his way across the crowded room. By the time he’d made it out of the building, there was no sign of Autumn and Graham.

Frustrated, he raced back inside the building and down the hallway. A hillside was visible through a side exit. He yanked open the door.

Autumn and Graham were entering a warehouse at the bottom of the hill. Camden reached down and drew his gun from his ankle holster, thankful he’d decided to bring it, and took off.

When he reached the door to the warehouse, he opened it slowly. It opened into an office area, but Graham’s voice was coming from down the hall. Graham peeked his head out of a doorway at the end of the hall and caught sight of Camden, and then disappeared from sight.

Camden held up his Glock as he ran down the hall, practically hugging the wall, and paused outside the open doorway Graham had disappeared into.

When Camden darted a glance inside, his heart stopped. Graham stood inside the open warehouse area with a gun pointed at Autumn’s head. Swallowing down his panic, Camden stepped inside, trying not to stare at her terrified face as he focused on the older man.

“Drop it, Graham! We know what you’re involved in.”

Graham snickered but held his gun steady. “I could see you making the connections back there. You don’t have much of a poker face; your expression gave you away when it dawned on you. But you’re in a bad position here, Mr. Taylor, and it’s you who’s going to put your gun down.”

The men stood staring at each other for a long moment before Graham shouted, “Do it now!” His voice echoed in the cavernous space.

The look of panic on Autumn’s face twisted Camden’s insides. Slowly, he lowered his pistol to the cement floor.

“Kick it over.”

Camden did so but shrugged. “Backup’s on its way.”

It was a complete bluff. He hadn’t called anyone, and he and Autumn were in grave danger as a result.

Graham gave him a confident smirk as he scooped up Camden’s Glock and slipped it into his pocket. “Somehow I’m not worried.” Keeping his gun trained on Autumn, he stepped over to a shelf and grabbed a box, then tossed it at Camden’s feet. “Tie yourself to the steering wheel of that forklift.”

Camden picked up the box, finding it full of zip ties, and glanced at the forklift several feet away.
I need to stall for time.

“Take me as your hostage,” he said. “Leave Autumn here.”

“I don’t think so, but I agree with you that it’s a shame your girlfriend ended up involved.”

“What are you going to do?”

“For starters, Autumn here is going to help me escape.”

“Why did you do it? Why did you kill Wells?”

Graham shrugged. “Let’s just say it solved a lot of problems by doing so. Wells wasn’t a good business partner. He introduced me to the Disciples, but he was a greedy son of a bitch who took too many risks. And Brian Bailey wasn’t good for my daughter. He and Wells went to high school together and hated each other. It wasn’t a stretch that Brian would kill him.”

“So you had Thomas Cooper kill Lee Wells, and then you partnered with the Disciples to sell the drugs?”

“Diversification, like I told you.” Graham smirked. “The Disciples were loyal, just like Cooper was. Even when you arrested him, I knew Cooper wouldn’t talk. Of course, none of that matters now. I’m going to be leaving the country.” He waved the gun at Camden and frowned. “Hurry up.”

Camden’s heart stuttered. “Lock us both inside the warehouse. You’ll have plenty of time to make an escape.”

“No!” As Graham pressed the muzzle of the gun against Autumn’s temple, she gasped. “Last chance to do what I said.”

Camden raised a zip tie and dropped the box to the floor. “All right!”

“You’d better pull it tight. Otherwise, Autumn here will suffer.”

Unable to restrain both his own hands, Camden held one hand to the steering wheel of the forklift, then looped the zip tie around the wheel and his wrist and pulled it tight.

“Now slide your phone over.”

Camden could barely swallow through the fear he felt for Autumn. He took his phone from his pocket with his free hand and leaned over as far as he could, then dropped it to the floor and kicked it over with his foot. “Just leave her here.”

“Once again, a nice try.”

Graham picked up the phone and dropped it into his pocket, then dragged Autumn to the doorway. There he leaned over to pick up something that Camden couldn’t see before he shoved Autumn ahead of him into the hallway beyond.