“A deal for what?” said Myers sharply. “I wasn’t aware I’d done anything wrong.”
Knox said, “Anton Charpentier. And we have the pictures to prove it. The Feds are already working up their indictments.”
Myers paled and glanced out the window.
Rogers said, “They want Jericho. Not the small fish. You talk, maybe you walk.”
Myers said, “I…I don’t know.”
“You don’t know?” said Knox incredulously. She looked at Davis. “Okay, so we nail her ass for espionage and she goes away for life. How about you? You want to deal?”
Rogers glanced at her. “Don’t be dumb.”
Davis shrugged.
Puller added, “Cooperate now and it will only help you down the line.”
“They just hired me to look after this guy,” she said, indicating the old man. “Other than that, I don’t know squat.”
“Guys, don’t you mean?” said Knox.
“I don’t know, do I?”
“You play games, you’re going to do some hard time.”
“Well, I guess that’s why they have lawyers.”
Knox glanced at Rogers. “Is she stupid or tougher than she looks?”
“She killed a guy, so I’d opt for the latter.” He looked at Davis. “They hired you? I thought you said that Jericho had adopted you.”
Myers gaped and said, “What?”
Davis kept her gaze on Rogers. “Nobody adopted me. I got the gig through Josh. I told you I knew him before.”
“How did you know him before?” asked Knox.
“We had some good times. And we had some bad times.”
“And you’re not sorry he’s dead?” said Knox.
“Like I already said, I don’t care one way or another. I can tell you that Josh wouldn’t have cared if I were the one dead. That’s sort of the relationship we had.”
“You had enough of a relationship to screw him,” said Rogers. “At the beach house.”
Davis appraised him. “Well, I screwed you too. Does that mean we have a relationship?”
Knox and Puller exchanged a quick glance.
Rogers shook his head, “I think it was just sex.”
Davis and Rogers looked away from each other.
Puller kept driving.
Chapter
68
THEY REACHED THE motel in Hampton at three in the morning. They got the old man into the bed, leaning him up against the headboard because he was having a little difficulty breathing. He had said nothing the whole trip and now immediately fell asleep.
Knox looked at Myers and Davis and motioned to two chairs. “Sit.”
Davis said, “You can’t just keep us here against our will. It’s kidnapping.”
Puller said, “I’m a cop.”
“Yeah, I saw you at the bar with your Army creds. Guess what, I’m not in the military, so you have no jurisdiction over me.”
Puller looked at Rogers. “You didn’t tell me she was a lawyer.”
“I’m not a lawyer, but I want to call one. So even if you think you can hold me, you can’t stop me from talking to a lawyer.”
Myers said, “Why don’t you shut up and listen to what they have to say?”
Davis gave her a withering look. “I’m not the one passing government secrets, am I? So why don’t you shut the hell up, Little Miss Spy?”
An exasperated Myers said to Puller, “What kind of deal can I get?”
“Depends on how much information you have.”
“If I give you Jericho and Charpentier?”
“Then we may be talking minimal prison time in a federal country club. You’ll be out and setting up a new bar in no time.”
“Okay.”
“So is that a yes?”
She nodded while Davis looked disgusted.
Knox said, “How did you get involved with all this?”
“Through Josh. He came to me. Jericho had brought him in to ‘run’ Atalanta Group, but really to ferry the information to Charpentier. She had a prior relationship with him.”
“So Claire Jericho handpicked them both?”
“Yes.”
Knox said, “Makes sense to use the bar as a transfer spot. Lots of military there, no one would be suspicious.”
Puller nodded and looked at Myers. “And the secrets? Were they commercial applications of the patents that Ballard held?”
“Yes. They were worth an unbelievable amount. But like you said, Ballard controlled them.”
“And what’s the deal with Ballard?”
“He got Alzheimer’s.”
“And is this Ballard?” asked Puller, indicating the old man.
Myers started to say something but then stopped. She glanced at Davis.
Puller looked at her. “You want to get in on the deal too, or are you going to let your friend here get all the goodies?”
“Ballard’s dead,” said Davis. “He was dead before I came on board.”
“How did he die?” asked Knox. “Natural causes?”
“If you call a bullet to the head natural causes.”
“And who killed him?”
“Jericho, at least I think. I wasn’t there. Josh thought it was her.”
“And how did you get involved?”
“I already told you that. Through Josh.” She eyed Rogers. “I told you we went way back, right?”
Rogers nodded, his gaze steadily on her.
“He was a dick and a crook. That’s why Jericho hired him. Then he brought me on to babysit the old guys.”
“Josh was a good man,” interjected Myers.
“Bullshit.”
“How does a crook get a security clearance to work for a defense contractor on classified work?” asked Knox.
Davis said, “Jericho. She pushed it through, I bet. And you know how many ways there are to beat a polygraph? And what, we haven’t had spies in the ranks before?”
“You sound like you know about stuff like that,” said Puller. “What’s your background?”
“I’m just a party girl who learns fast and thinks quick on her feet.”
“Right,” said a skeptical Puller. “But why kill Ballard?”
Davis was crossing and uncrossing her legs.
“You can go and pee if you need to,” Knox said.
Davis jumped up. “Thanks.” She hurried off to the bathroom.
When the door closed behind her, Myers said in a low voice, “She’s lying.”
“About what?” asked Puller.