Once they were inside, Kemper said, “This part of Pennsylvania,Interstate 80 and some of the state routes are known drug distribution routes. We have a number of heroin and fentanyl drug rings that use it. A lot of it comes from New York and is brought to Middle America through those avenues. There’s another pipeline that carries the drugs down from Detroit and over from Columbus.”
“So, Beatty and Smith were working on that?”
“Yes. Theywere trying to identify both suppliers and shippers.”
“Had they made any progress?”
“Not really, although we were hoping that Haas would be able to assist. He’d been part of one of the drug crews using those very same pipelines.”
“But I don’t quite get how, if Beatty and Smith killed Haas, he was able to make a dying declaration.”
Kemper said, “He was foundin an alleyway in Scranton. He’d been injected with an overdose of morphine. He cried out and some people nearby came to his assistance. The syringe was found in his arm. He told the people who discovered him that it had been Beatty and Smith. Then he died. The onlookers reported his last words to police.”
“No prints on the syringe?”
“None. They would have worn gloves. Theyweren’t rookies.”
Decker looked out the window at Frank Mitchell’s grave. He watched as they lowered the coffin into the ground. He glanced over at Zoe and her mother climbing into the car provided by the funeral home. Zoe was looking back at the coffin going into the ground.
Decker could see her shiver at the sight.
“Did Haas have any family?” asked Decker, his gazeholding on the little girl until the car door closed behind her.
“Family? I suppose so. We really didn’t check into that.”
Decker turned back to her. “Well, I would if I were you. Did you do a post on him?”
“Of course. The morphine stopped his heart. That was the COD.”
“Did the post show anything else?”
“Like what?”
“Like Haas was maybealready dying?”
“What? The ME didn’t mention anything like that.”
“Because you just wanted to know how he died, probably. Did you actually read the whole report?”
Kemper pursed her lips. “No, I didn’t. But I can remedy that right away.” She took a moment to thumb in a text. “I’ll let you know what they say.”
“Okay.”
“Why did you even think thata possibility?” asked Kemper.
“Because I don’t think your guys went rogue.” He glanced at her. “And I’m surprised you were so quickly convinced they had.”
“We’ve had other agents go bad, Decker. Nature of the beast. We chase after guys who literally have billions of dollars to throw at people to make them turn.”
“I get that. But that’s true of any law enforcement.Was there something else about the pair?”
“We didn’t always see eye to eye. They were unorthodox to a fault. I like to do things by the book. Smith and Beatty didn’t.”
“I’m glad you’re not my boss, then.”
She smiled. “Maybe I’m glad too.” Her smile vanished. “Why would Haas have lied about who killed him?”
“I can think of two reasons. And I hope we’ll haveanswers very soon.”