Chapter 32

THIRTY-TWO

Aidan entered the conference room on Sunday morning to cheers he didn't think he deserved. "Don't clap for me," he said, then jutted a thumb at Jamie who entered behind him. "He was the one who pushed us outside in time."

"You're still standing, Irish," Jamie said, a hand at his lower back. "That counts as an applause-worthy win. Especially on this case."

"Which we closed," Rick said. "With William and Maryanne in custody."

They'd picked up the brother and sister pair at LAX, trying to hop a flight to Europe with the money Martino had paid them to lure Aidan and Angel to him. Russo had beat them out of town on a supposedly planned vacation to Italy, but as he wasn't the target of this investigation, they hadn't notified Interpol. Nor had they stopped Pudge and Lara from flying to Las Vegas a few short hours after Russo's flight had taken off. Aidan had figured he knew what for, and that Pudge figured he was on the FBI's, LAPD's, and LBPD's radars now. Maybe he'd stick to just being a rich husband and soon-to-be father. As for Martino, he had died in the blast. Another death in addition to the White siblings. Aidan couldn't help but feel a niggle of guilt that there wouldn't have been three deaths without the original one—Arty, who he and Tom had sent to prison.

As if reading his thoughts, Jamie leaned close and whispered in his ear, "You were just doing your job, then and now."

It was an inescapable part of it, which was why it was so important to get it right. And for those criminal suspects who were arrested, doubly important that the rest of the legal process was followed as well. It certainly had been for Angel. "They'll have counsel, William and Maryanne?" Aidan asked Rooster.

The prosecutor nodded.

"Good," Aidan said, then to Matt, "I'm sorry this didn't turn out to be the answer to your jewel thief case."

"Not an answer," Matt said, "but more of a lead than I've had in over a year. We'll be working through all those visitors to Martino's box. See if any of them had been looking to buy those jewels or other stolen goods in the past."

"And we know a lot more now about the cargo theft rings operating in the city," Rick said.

"Not to mention the meth dealers," Berat added. "I shared White's list from the bathroom wall with LAPD. They've made two arrests already."

Aidan shuddered, recalling that awful house, glad that neither he nor Bev ever had to go inside it again.

"What time's your flight back today?" Matt asked.

"Last one out tonight," Aidan replied. Mel and Danny had already left with the private plane, leaving Aidan and Jamie to fly commercial, after dinner with Izzy, Angel, and Bev.

"Good. You should have plenty of time to fill out this, then." Matt dropped a stack of familiar post-case paperwork on the table in front of where Aidan stood.

Beside him, Jamie snickered. "Don't miss that."

Matt dropped a second stack in front of Jamie. "And for you, Mr. Eyewitness and consultant."

Jamie's face fell, and Aidan laughed out loud, earning an elbow to his side. He risked another one by slapping a pen on the stack as he took his own seat. "Better get going, Whiskey. I know how long it takes you to complete these."

He sank into the chair beside him, a pout on his face and in his voice. "Did Izzy have this big a stack?"

"No," Matt said. "I filled out most of it for her."

Aidan cocked a brow. "Is someone trying to get his flirt on?"

Heat hit the agent's cheeks, but he waved off the suggestion. "Nah, just trying to do a favor for a very busy mom with two kids under her roof, for now."

Aidan had used every connection he had and pulled every string he could to get Beverly placed in Izzy's care pending review of his and Jamie's adoption application. Bev didn't want to go back into the system, and none of them, Izzy included, wanted that for her either. At Izzy's, Bev would be in a safe, stable, queer-friendly home that would allow her to finish out the school year in her current district. Aidan hoped like hell that would be enough time to push through their application and for Bev to visit San Francisco to meet the rest of their family. As much as they wanted her to be a part of their family, she had to want it too. Aidan also hoped it would give him and Jamie enough time to convince Izzy and Angel to move back to the Bay Area as well.

"And I've done a favor for you two," Rooster said as he dropped another stack of paperwork between them.

Aidan leaned back his head, glancing up at the disconcertingly dressed-down prosecutor. "Please tell me by favor you mean it's mostly filled out, otherwise we are never making that flight tonight." He tipped his head toward Jamie. "I wasn't lying about this one. Take the speed he drives at and go to the opposite end of the speedometer. That's his paperwork pace."

Rooster chuckled. "Yes, these are filled out already. You just have to submit them." Aidan drew them closer, flipping through the official documents as Rooster explained. "Affidavits of support to go with your adoption application for Beverly, including ones from Angel and Bev."

Aidan whipped his gaze back up, anger tickling the back of his throat. "You questioned?—"

"Your godson and future daughter cornered me in the hospital and demanded to make statements."

"That tracks," Matt muttered on his way out the door.

Beside Aidan, Jamie laid his head on his shoulder with a heavy, dramatic sigh. "We are gonna be so hosed when they join forces with Katie."

Aidan smiled, imagining the holy trinity of terror. "I can't wait."