Chapter 85

CHAPTER 85

T HE SUV PULLED UP TO the curb and Devine hopped in.

As Pru Jackson sped off, she said, “You got the girl?”

“Yeah, but your friend got Danny Glass.”

“You told me on the phone that Anne had been leaking intel to Glass.”

“I talked with Betsy. King had her call Glass and plead for him to do what the kidnappers wanted. Betsy said she saw no woman there so King never revealed herself to Betsy, which makes sense. No way for Betsy to ID her later if things went to hell. She could have had someone else put the screws to Betsy and oversee her calling her uncle. Then I think King called Danny shortly thereafter, probably with an offer to help free Betsy. Neither of them knew at the time that Betsy had already been freed. Her henchmen at the house where Betsy was taken have already made statements and implicated King. And when she communicated with them early this morning to check on the status of their ‘prisoner,’ we had them pretend everything was fine.”

“So why would she snatch Glass?”

“She suckered him in, and has probably delivered his ass back to 12/24 for some big payoff. So they must be at the place where you saw the chopper leave from.”

Jackson shook her head. “I don’t think she brought Glass back to 12/24 for a payoff.”

Devine looked startled. “Why not?”

“You need to understand Anne Cassidy. She was already working with the KKK people, so why expect them to pay her any extra? And when I overheard her and Nick Dawkins talking at the restaurant, she never once mentioned that she had opened a secret communications channel with Glass. She’s playing this op like she played all ops at CIA, strictly close to the vest and for her personal benefit. And that tells us something vital.”

“What?”

“What does Danny Glass have that Anne Cassidy may want?”

Devine thought for a moment. “For starters, a criminal empire worth billions.”

“I don’t think she wants to run an empire.”

“Then cash. A ton of it.”

“And if she could get her hands on that by making Glass think she could get Betsy back for him? Or maybe she sells Glass to any number of his other enemies who bid the highest? Then she takes the treasure and disappears and leaves this mess for everybody else to clean up.”

He thought this through and then glanced at her. “You must have been one hell of an operative at CIA.”

“I did my job. You have a team put together?”

“I can put one together pretty fast. You want to be in on it?”

“Why should I?”

“Because Anne Cassidy will be part of the bag.”

“So she gets arrested and probably kicks the charges with the lawyers she can afford. Why should I risk my life for that?”

“Pull over.”

“What?”

“Just pull over!”

She slid to the curb and put the vehicle in park. “What?”

“The only person I care about is Danny Glass. I get him, I’m out of there. What happens to anyone else is not my concern.”

They stared at each other for a few seconds.

“Wait, are you saying what I think you’re saying?”

He answered, “You in or not?”

“I’m in,” she said. “So how are you going to pull the bitch into this?”

“We’re going to ask her.”

“You’re going to ask her?” parroted back an incredulous Jackson.

“In a way that she can’t refuse.”

“And what about finding out where Glass is being held?”

“Based on what you just told me, I think it’s one of two places.”

“How will you know which one?”

“I’ll let someone else do that for me.”