Chapter 35

Would he kill her?

Disable her and flee?

Avery stared at Ryan. His tux was so black it seemed to suck all the light out of the room. The bulge under his arm indicated that he wore his sidearm.

Even if he wasn’t armed, she had nowhere to run.

Her mind was mush. Ryan, her supervisor, the guy who’d been riding her about the Rain Bay case was helping Lars Stenberg. It was like finding out Santa Claus was a drug dealer.

Stupid details assaulted her. Ryan’s serene expression. The tang of his cologne mixed with desperation. The string quartet downstairs playing something classical and boring, the kind of music that made her want to stick a fork in her eye.

She squared her shoulders, looking him right in the eye. “You’re the leak,” she said, her voice as steady as she could make it.

Ryan shook his head and scratched his nose, his face a mask of innocence. “This isn’t about your drug trafficking case. I’m under orders to look into Stenberg about an unrelated matter. Need to know.”

She snorted. “You’re lying. You have a tell, you know. You touch your nose when you’re not being straight with me.”

He stared. She had him. He was backed into a corner, and he knew it.

“Fine,” he said, his voice tight. “I’m working for Stenberg. But it’s not what you think.”

Avery felt like she was going to hurl. The room spun around her, the walls closing in like a trash compactor. Ryan and Stenberg? It was like finding out your favorite teacher was a serial killer.

“I don’t care what it is,” she said, her voice shaking with anger. “You’re a sworn law enforcement officer, and you’re helping cover up murders and a counterfeit drug trade. How could you?”

Ryan grabbed her arm, his fingers digging into her skin like claws. The heat of his desperation rolled off him in waves.

“The guy is blackmailing me,” he said, his voice frantic. “I had no choice.”

Avery yanked her arm away, glaring at him. “What could he possibly have on you?” she demanded.

Ryan sighed, running a hand through his hair. “I’ve got a gambling problem. I’ve had it for years, but I’ve been good at keeping it off the radar. Stenberg runs a card club, among other things. Two years ago, he extended me a hefty line of credit. By the time I realized who I’d borrowed from, it was too late. He refused to let me pay him back. Said he’d come calling for a favor one day. And now he has.”

Avery shook her head, trying to wrap her mind around what she was hearing. The air in the alcove seemed to be getting thinner. A bead of sweat trickled down her back.

Ryan, a gambler?

But something about his words rang true. She prayed silently, begging her Savior to help her sort truth from lies. Her life depended on it.

“So what now?” she asked, her voice hard. “You’re just going to keep helping him?”

“No!” He shot her a pleading look. “I want to use my inside status to help you bring him down. We can take him out together.”

“Right. Sure. Which makes so much sense after you shut down my investigation.”

He grabbed her arms, squeezing hard. “Because I knew you’d ignore me. I didn’t want anybody else in the office knowing about the case. I knew you’d find the link to me eventually. I figured I’d have time to talk to you first. Convince you to work together. But that gonzo SEAL showed up. You two made progress way faster than I expected.” He released her arms and kicked at the carpet like a toddler. “I’m sorry I didn’t clue you in sooner. I was wrong.”

Avery hesitated, her mind reeling. The sound of the string quartet was getting louder, the music swelling to a crescendo that made her head throb. She wanted to believe him, but she knew her judgment was clouded. She needed time to think, to figure out what to do next.

Time to decide whether Ryan was telling the truth or not.

“I’m glad you want to fix this mess,” she said, her voice neutral. “I’ll get back to you.”

She turned to leave, but Ryan grabbed her arm again, his grip like a vise. “Hurry,” he said, his voice cracking with desperation. “If we don’t take Stenberg down soon, I’m as good as dead.”

Like those mechanics? And the bookkeeper? She bit her tongue. No point in antagonizing him when she was defenseless.

He pulled out a phone, fingers shaking as he texted. “I just sent you a text. It’s a burner phone. Call me anytime,” Ryan said, his eyes boring into hers. “But make it soon.”

“Sure.” Maybe. She pushed past him. The click of her heels on the marble floor echoed through the hallway, a sharp staccato that seemed to mock her with every step.

She had no idea what to do next, but one thing was for sure: she needed to find Mason. If Ryan was telling the truth, they’d have Rain Bay shut down in a matter of hours.

And if he was lying? Then all bets were off.