Page 126 of To Die For

“Sit down and tell me about it.”

Devine gave her the blow-by-blow, from Glass in his room after the hearing to the attempt on his life last night. But he did not mention the girl on the train. Telling Campbell about her was enough. He trusted Saxby, but his instinct was to keep that on the QT. Apparently, in the world in which he operated now, few could be trusted, even fellow agents.

“I think you’ve used up all of your nine lives now,” warned Saxby.

“Let’s hope I’ve got a few left.”

“And you’re sure the man who tried to kill you was a Ricketts police officer?”

“Yes. And his body is now with the Seattle PD.”

“Well, then the Ricketts police chief will have some questions to answer.”

He decided to broach the elephant in the room with Saxby.

“It seems our own government is working with Danny Glass. They got him off the RICO charges.”

“Maybe,” said Saxby cautiously. “Nancy Fine didn’t really confirm that.”

“I think she did. And what if they killed Betsy’s parents, too, as part of whatever deal they’re doing with Glass?”

Saxby looked alarmed by his comment. “Ourgovernment killing two innocent people? Have you lost your mind?”

“Clears the way for Glass to adopt Betsy. Maybe that was why she was left alive.”

“Look, I’m no Pollyanna, and I’ve seen some crazy shit in my time, and not everyone who carries the badge is a saint, but we do draw the line at the cold-blooded murder of American citizens.”

“What if the survival of our country is at stake?”

Saxby slipped a smoke out of her pack and lit up. “Do I want to hear this?”

“I’m afraid you’re going to have to.”

He told her about Dr. Coburn’s report being taken off the official record.

“She suspected cyanide poisoning combined with another compound that would make absorption nearly as quick and lethal as inhalation. I was told by the cops in Ricketts that it was a drug overdose. Coburn told me she found no evidence of that.”

“Well, let’s get Coburn to make an official statement to the police.”

“She can’t.”

“Why the hell not?”

“Because she was blown up in a house on the outskirts of Seattle the night before the court hearing.”

A substantial amount of blood drained from Saxby’s face. “Blown up?”

“After men tried to kill her in the house.”

“How the hell do you know all this?”

“Because I was there with her. I tried and failed to save her.”

“That’s where you got those scratches and why you were walking so stiffly?”

“Yes.”

“So what are we talking, organized crime, a South American drug cartel?”

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