Chapter 27

Frantic didn’t even come close to describing Roman’s state of mind. All he could think of was Caleb. Even as Wander and the others were brainstorming possible solutions, his brain remained focused on Caleb. Was he still alive? The thought that he might not be was unbearable. Just when Roman had found love, would fate cruelly rip it out of his fingers?

“Roman?” Wander asked.

Roman raised his head, surprised to feel wetness on his cheeks. He hadn’t even realized he was crying. His movements were slow as he wiped the tears away, as if he was moving through a fog. “What is it?”

“We need you to focus, Ro,” Wander said gently. “Caleb needs you to pull it together. I know you’re worried sick. We all are. But we have to push past that and concentrate our efforts on finding him.”

Roman blinked and sucked in a deep breath. Wander was right. Crying didn’t help anyone, least of all Caleb. “Okay.”

“Have you heard what we discussed?”

“Sorry, no.”

A warm hand landed on his shoulder. “No worries. Our working theory is that somehow, Joey DiMartino figured out who Caleb is and took him. So we need to find Joey. If we find him, we’ll most likely find Caleb.”

“Right. So how do we find Joey?” His brain slowly started up again, like an old computer. “Have we tried tracking his car? The one on the security cam footage outside my apartment?”

“We don’t have that ability, Ro. Not without involving law enforcement.”

Of course. “I can make some calls.”

“We fear that would put Caleb in danger. If Joey gets wind of the cops being involved, he may take drastic measures.”

Drastic measures. That was code for killing Caleb. Oh god, Roman couldn’t let himself go there. “Okay, so let’s not do that. What options do we have?”

“Alex and I are heading back to Boston to see what we can shake loose from the people we already talked to,” Ryan said. “Maybe one of them knows something they haven’t shared yet.”

They needed someone with contacts in the city, someone linked to the mob. “What about Connor?” Roman asked his brother. “Can we reach out to him and ask him if he still has connections?”

Wander nodded as he whipped out his phone and made the call. “Connor, you’re on speaker with the team,” he said as soon as Connor picked up, thankfully not wasting any time. “We have an emergency.”

“What happened?” Connor asked.

“Caleb was investigating our case in Boston, and he’s gone missing. We suspect Joey DiMartino has him.”

“Fuck.”

“We were wondering if you have any ideas on how we can find him. His phone is off. His last known location was the office building he was working in, and we don’t have any leads as to where he could be.”

“Do you have the license plate and model of Joey’s car?”

“We do.”

“Send it to me. I can pull some strings and get a BOLO out.”

“Won’t that drive him to violence?” Roman asked.

Connor was quiet for a few beats. “Men like Joey are inherently violent, unfortunately. They don’t need a trigger. In my experience, putting pressure on them can work positively, since they also have a finely honed survival instinct. If Joey fears it’ll be game over for him, he may turn on your guy.”

“I thought the mob never ratted each other out,” Wander said.

“Each other? No, but from what I understand, the man he’s working for isn’t organized crime.”

“He’s not,” Roman said.

“So Joey won’t have the same loyalty to him that he would have to his family members. At the end of the day, this is business for him, not personal. He won’t take the fall for an outsider.”

Roman leaned forward, a thought sparking in his head. “You’re saying pressure on him could work well? Public pressure, I mean?”

“What are you thinking?”

If he wanted Connor’s honest opinion, he had to give the man more information. “I’m investigating Senator Whitman. He’s our target and the man Joey works for.”

Connor whistled between his teeth. “Can’t say I’m surprised because rumors about him have been flying for years, but damn, that’s a wicked tough fight you’re in.”

“Ideally, Whitman goes to prison for a long time, but right now, I’ll settle for him losing his power and influence and, above all, his job. He’s up for reelection in November, so it needs to go public before then,” Roman said.

“Gotcha. You’re thinking of going public now? Do you have enough dirt on him?”

“No, not yet. That’s what Caleb was working on.”

Someone in the background spoke to Connor, and they waited to hear what was happening. “Hi,” a strange male voice spoke. “I’m Miles Hampton, one of Connor’s housemates. I couldn’t help but overhear the discussion. Mind if I share an idea?”

“You may wanna mention you’re former FBI,” Connor said dryly.

“Right. Forgot about that. Yes, I used to work for the FBI.”

It couldn’t hurt, right? “What’s your thought?” Roman asked.

“You said you didn’t have enough on Whitman yet.”

“Correct.”

“Does he know that?”

“He knows I’m investigating him.”

“But does he know where you are in your investigation? Does he have a mole that has fed him recent updates?”

“He doesn’t, not anymore. I’ve taken a leave of absence, and ever since, I haven’t updated anyone about our progress.” The implication hit. “You mean…”

“If there’s reasonable cause for Whitman to assume you could have the evidence, that could be enough to spook him. Go public with what you know, hint at the evidence, and include enough details so he can only surmise you’ve got the goods on him, then reference the kidnapping. If he thinks he’s about to go down, he won’t want to add murder to his charges.”

Roman looked at Wander. “Could this work?”

“You’d know that better than I do. I’m not gonna lie, Ro. I’m out of my depth here. Organized crime is not my area of expertise.”

“Fair enough. Connor, what do you think?” Roman asked.

Connor’s answer came quickly. “I think Miles is on to something here. Yes, I could totally see this working.”

“We could combine it with putting pressure on Whitman’s wife like we discussed,” Ryan said. “She was out of town last week, so we didn’t get a chance to talk to her again, but she’s back.”

Hope bloomed inside Roman. “How do I do this? How do I go public?”

“Do you have contacts at your local TV station? I’m sure you know some reporters,” Miles said.

“I do. You think I should go that big?”

“If you want it to work, yes,” Miles said. “For Whitman to be sufficiently spooked, you have to reach a big public. This needs to be front-page news, the lead on all the news reports.”

“But what if…?” Roman’s throat closed again, and he had to force the words out. “What if it backfires and they hurt Caleb?”

Silence descended. “I’m gonna be honest with you, Roman,” Miles said softly. “They’ve probably hurt him already, trying to get information out of him. But they have no reason to kill him, not until they’ve gotten every detail out of him. As long as he keeps his mouth shut, they’ll let him live. And once you go live, his chances of survival increase significantly. So the question is, how easy would it be for them to get Caleb to talk?”

“The kid won’t break,” Wander said. “Not unless they bring serious threats to the table. Don’t forget, he’s a sub with an affection for impact play. It’s not the same, but his body knows how to handle pain. He can compartmentalize that. It’s his fear for others that would be his downfall.”

Wander’s faith in Caleb brought Roman hope. If Caleb could withstand torture, Roman could power through his despair and do his job. “I’ll start making some calls on the way to Boston, since I’ll have to do those interviews in person,” Roman said. “For something this big, they’ll want to talk to me directly rather than through Zoom or something.”

“I’m sorry. I don’t know everyone there. Who said they were heading to Boston to talk to Whitman’s wife?” Miles asked.

“That would be me and Alex, my partner,” Ryan said. “I’m Ryan Mason, former homicide detective and now a PI for Dwyer Security.”

“Good to meet you, Ryan. Would you care for some company? Connor and I may be of use to you. Connor because he’s local, and me because of my background as an FBI agent.”

“No need to sell me,” Ryan said. “We’ll take all the help we can to get Caleb safely home.”

“Everyone is coming,” Wander said in a tone that left no room for debate. “If Roman is traveling, we’ll have his back. Lowell and Jonah, you’re his primary, with Alex and me as backup. Sorry, Alex, I need you to cover Roman. If Connor and Miles go with Ryan, he’ll be fine.”

“Yes, boss,” Alex said.

“Let’s pack up and be ready to move out. How much time do you guys need, Connor?”

“We’ll be there in fifteen,” Connor said.

“All right. Everyone be ready to leave in twenty,” Wander said.

Roman had no time to worry as he had to focus on packing a bag and then shaving, grooming, and getting changed into a nice suit. He needed to look every inch the professional, even if this would be the very last thing he’d ever do as a DA. After this, his career was officially over, but he was at peace with it. All he cared about was getting Caleb back.

Connor wasn’t tall, but the man was built like a wall, casting an imposing figure. Miles was taller and much leaner, but he carried himself with that unmistakable confidence of a law enforcement officer. Both were carrying, as were Wander’s men. Roman was the only one without a firearm…and he was okay with that.

They piled into two cars, and the ride flew by while Roman made call after call, talking to TV reporters as well as the Boston Globe, the Washington Post, and the New York Times. Miles was right. For this to work, everyone needed to hear about it, and so Roman talked and talked and talked to anyone who would listen.

He dropped names, shared evidence that wasn’t confidential, hinted at bought cops and LEOs, and speculated that the attorney general of Massachusetts didn’t seem interested in taking Whitman down. He showed evidence of the slander campaign against him, defended himself against the accusations, and shared the pictures of Joey surveilling his home. And last but not least, he made clear references to other pressure tactics, like going after Roman’s loved ones, including his boyfriend. Yes, he was casually coming out, but he didn’t care. It would only help make this story bigger. Joey might not know what Caleb was to Roman, but he would understand soon enough when it hit the news.

Before Roman knew it, it was time for his first TV interview. Wander and his team stayed in the background as Roman sat down with Michelle Claiborne, Boston’s most prominent TV anchor, known for asking the tough questions.

“We’re here with District Attorney Roman Dwyer tonight, and he has some bombshell revelations about Massachusetts Senator Douglas Whitman,” she said in the intro, perfectly dramatized for maximum effect. “Roman, what can you tell us about your investigation into Senator Whitman?”

A lot. He could tell them a lot. He took a deep breath. “I first came across rumors about Senator Whitman’s dealings when I overheard a call in the courthouse from a man who claimed he’d been pressured by Senator Whitman into taking the fall for something. It coincided with a host of rumors, so I started digging, carefully at first.”

He walked her through the investigation, sharing whatever he could without endangering people or violating his professional ethics.

“There have been many rumors about you recently,” Michelle said. “Rumors that have cast doubts about your mental health.”

Roman nodded. “I’m aware of those, but that’s exactly what they are—rumors. They were started by people closely connected to Senator Whitman in an attempt to discredit me.”

“Your secretary accused you of sending inappropriate sexual messages.”

“She did, but I proved that I was in a meeting with several witnesses when those messages were sent, so they weren’t originated by me.”

“This interview is, by your own admission, not sanctioned by the Massachusetts Justice Department.”

“Correct.”

“Why?”

“I never asked them for permission, knowing I wouldn’t get it. I have been stonewalled and thwarted by cops from within the Boston PD, coworkers, supervisors, and even FBI agents at every step in the investigation into Senator Whitman. It only proved to me how deep Senator Whitman’s influence extended.”

“Let me get this straight. You are accusing the senator of bribing people?”

“Yes. Bribing, paying them to look the other way, exchanging favors for favors, whatever you want to call it. He’s done whatever he could to frustrate my job.”

“Those are heavy accusations.”

“Yes, but I can back them up. I have collected a broad range of evidence over the last months, all leading to the inevitable conclusion that Senator Whitman is as dirty as they get.”

“Are you planning on bringing charges against him?”

“Me personally? No, I think that after this interview, that ship has sailed. I’m pretty sure that by the time we’re done, I will be fired. But I do hope my successor will have the courage to do the right thing and indict Senator Whitman. The evidence is overwhelming, so ignoring it would only prove the senator’s guilt.”

“That’s a high price to pay for the truth.”

Roman shrugged. “It’ll be worth it.”

“So why now? Why did you decide to go public?”

Roman swallowed. Moment of truth. “Because someone closely connected to the senator has threatened someone I love. My boyfriend.”

Her eyes widened. “I wasn’t aware you’re gay.”

“I’m not. I’m bisexual, though up until now, that isn’t something I’ve been open about.”

“But you’re in a relationship with a man now.”

“Yes, I am, but I won’t reveal his name or any details. All I will say is that he’s being threatened right now and I implore Senator Whitman not to add another charge to the already considerable list of felonies.”

She opened her mouth, then closed it again, narrowing her eyes. Roman could practically see her figuring it out and processing her next move. “We all hope for a peaceful solution for your partner,” she finally said smoothly.

“I appreciate that, Michelle. Thank you.”

After a few more questions, she finished the interview, and Roman leaned back in his chair.

“Off the record,” she said, “is your boyfriend in danger?”

Roman nodded. “The gravest danger imaginable.”

“That’s why you went public. You needed Whitman in the public eye.”

“Can you blame me?”

“No. I would’ve done the same thing. And between you and me, and still off the record, I’m not even a little bit surprised by your findings against him. Like you said, rumors have been circulating for years.”

“And now they’re not rumors anymore.”

She patted his hand. “Your boyfriend is in my thoughts, Roman. I hope it’ll all work out.”

“So do I.”

By the time he finished his last interview, the story had broken everywhere, not just on the local news but in all major newspapers, blogs, and websites, as well as on CNN and all news channels. The headlines were all a variation on Boston District Attorney Drops Bombshell Investigation into Senator Whitman. Roman coming out was a mere footnote, but his remark about his boyfriend being threatened was reported everywhere.

“And now we wait.” Wander put a hand on Roman’s shoulder and gave him a comforting squeeze.

“Have you heard from Ryan yet?”

“Yes. Not here.”

They found privacy, with Alex, Lowell, and Jonah standing guard, something that didn’t go unnoticed by the news crews.

“They spoke with Whitman’s wife,” Wander said softly. “She’s agreed to cooperate with them. They’ve taken her to a safe location, and she’s telling them everything she knows.”

Thank fuck. “Any ideas for a location where Caleb may be held yet?”

“No, but they’re working on it. Keep the faith.”

He would keep the faith. If only because the alternative was too horrible to consider.