Page 38 of Hold a Candle

He’d spent the better part of the last few years trying to infiltrate the gang Ruskag and Blackburn were a part of, but they never told him anything except that he could get his drug of choice satisfied with Belton at Hope Barks. Gaining trust was a slow and arduous process. He’d bought from the kid a few times in hopes of finding out something, but the kid was extremely tight-lipped, which was why he’d recruited Luca.

Blackburn just said the“boss”wanted Luca gone, and he wouldn’t say anything else. Luca’s friend Belton was terrified, but how deeply the kid was involved, he wasn’t sure. His visit this morning with Belton hadn’t produced any results either, but Brodie was sure he knew something about what happened to Luca, and might need some“private persuasion”to talk. He sincerely didn’t want Belton to end up like Blackburn, but sometimes accidents happened in the pursuit of justice.

Brodie frowned. With Interpol authorizing the take-over of the investigation into the deaths of the two thugs, it had given him access to anything Tannock’s constables had gleaned so far, as well as protecting his alias. He wasn’t ready for Pauley to know about his alias, or that Luca was his CI.

At least not yet.

He could simply make the trip to Heaven’s Gate and interview Luca as part of the case if he wanted to, but it would most likely tip Pauley off that Luca was his CI. Turning her son as his CI was just one more glass of wine from the bottle of victory, and taking over the investigation from her partner was another. They both had the same title, but if they ended up at a crime scene together, he would be her senior, which gave him great satisfaction. The look of shock and surprise on her face would be worth waiting to reveal it in his own good time.

Chapter 10

Jamie opened the doorand he and Pauley stared in fascination at Mica Peterson standing on the doorstep. No one spoke until finally Mica’s eyebrows went due north.

“Since I haven’t said anything, it can’t be something I said. So, are ye having trouble remembering me? It’s Mica, just in case ye aren’t sure,” he drawled in amusement. “Ye two look like ye seen a ghost. I assure ye, rumors of my demise, should there be any, are greatly exaggerated.”

Jamie cleared his throat and glanced at Pauley. “Um...is this what ye call dialing in?” He was having a hard time believing Pauley’s wish had suddenly produced Mica, but there were many strange and unexplainable things in the land of Scotland.

It was a country of deep sorrows and injustices that could produce many a mournful or vengeful wandering soul if a man believed in such things. He couldn’t claim to be a full-on believer, but he did accept that strange and mysterious things happened that defied explanation.

Just to be on the safe side, he usually avoided places that were said to be haunted, like the Kelly Woods near Heaven’s Gate. And even Culloden. It was rumored the sounds of battle and men’s dying cries could be heard in the wisps of breezes that floated over the battlefield on a gloomy day. Goosebumps raised on his arms at his own thoughts and he shivered involuntarily.

Pauley’s eyes narrowed and she grinned at him. “Ye are a believer, I can tell,” she teased.

“Harrumph,” he sputtered stepping back and motioning Mica inside. “Come on in before the lass calls in the Ghillie Dhu himself.”

Mica stepped in looking interested. “As much as I’d like to explore this line of conversation, we need to talk, Pauley.”

“Come into the kitchen, Mica, and I’ll fix some tea,” Jamie said briskly, heading toward the back of the house.

“Has there been a development in the case?” Pauley asked as they followed behind him.

“Aye, but I’d like that tea and a biscuit if Jamie has one. It’s lunchtime and I haven’t eaten yet, but I knew ye would want to hear this straight away.”

“I still have left-over sausage rolls I can pop in the microwave,” Jamie offered.

Mica licked his lips. “I’ll take it!”

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