Page 122 of To Die For

Devine knelt down to get a closer look. He knew that man. Well, herecognizedhim.

It wasn’t one of Danny Glass’s men.

It was one of the police officers who had followed him around Ricketts.

When he ran back to tell Jackson all this, the woman was no longer there.

CHAPTER

56

WHAT WERE YOU DOING OUThere at this hour?” asked Braddock as he gazed down at the dead man sprawled among the trash.

Devine, who was standing next to him, said, “Running down a lead.”

“And did it pan out?”

“Not sure. But I am certain the dead guy was in a police uniform in Ricketts.”

“And you saw him fire at you?”

“No, but who else could it have been?”

“You winged him in the leg, then?” noted Braddock, looking down at the wound there.

Devine knew he hadn’t fired his gun. And for all he knew, Jackson’s slug was still in the man’s leg.

“I don’t know.”

“You don’t know if you shot him?” Braddock said incredulously.

“Things were happening fast. Bullets were flying. For all I know, he wasn’t alone and one of his guys accidentally shot him. But I do know that he killed himself. I heard that shot and found him like this seconds later.”

Braddock looked at him grimly. “This is going to open up a shitstorm.”

“Blame the guys who were trying to kill me.”

“Any idea why theyweregunning for you?”

“Someone tried and failed to kill me back in Ricketts. I assume they followed me to Seattle and tried to complete the mission.”

“The same ones who killed Dr. Coburn?”

“Probably.”

“And this all has to do with Danny Glass and the town of Ricketts and the murders of the Odoms?”

“It makes the most sense, but I have no direct proof. I think Glass knows who’s behind all this and why, but he’s not talking.”

“I mentioned it might be our own government before,” noted Braddock. “And they dropped the RICO charges against Glass. And Beth told me about the three witnesses who were killed. That would take a lot of intel and planning. And inside information.”

“Yes it would,” agreed Devine.

“I don’t like the feds doing shit like this in my backyard.”

“I don’t blame you. I wouldn’t either.”

Braddock nodded. “Okay. We’re going to need your weapon for ballistics, if the round is still in the guy’s leg.” He knelt and peered closer at the dead man’s bloody limb. “And I don’t see an exit wound.”

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