Page 47 of Rules of Engagement

"Yeah, if that wallet got dropped accidentally, that's exactly what I'm suggesting."

I gulped and stared out the window for a little while, looking at the houses and businesses we passed, wondering if we were focusing entirely on the wrong people. Initially, I'd been looking for something from Solomon's distant past for the reason he was attacked, something that was planned over many years. Now I had to wonder if a hastily thrown together plot, coupled with an inept hit man meant it was something far more recent. I couldn't argue with what Maddox said. It wasn't just reasonable, but quite plausible.

Reaching for my phone, I called Lucas. "Did the traffic cam footage pay off?" he asked.

"It did. The motorcycle was nearby but burned out. Fletcher and Flaherty are checking a lead on a private security camera that might have caught something and I would like you to find all the information you can on a Mikey Gibbs and pass it on to them."

"On it."

"Where are you with the list?" I asked, knowing I didn't have to tell him which list I referred to.

"Nine are dead. I'm still working on the rest of the names."

"Is there anyone local on the list?"

"I don't know. I don't think so."

"I need some local names, perhaps someone connected to one of our agency cases."

"Is there something more I should know?" he asked.

"Find out if anyone local has any connection to Mikey Gibbs."

"Okay," he said slowly. "Anything..."

"That's all," I cut him off. "Talk soon." I hung up, and waited for Maddox to say something. He didn't. Instead, he drove in silence, leaving me to think hard about his idea. The suggestion that someone close to us, maybe even another Montgomery resident, could have been responsible for the murder attempt was worrying. Having someone from Solomon's past be the one who ordered the hit possessed a greater degree of personal removal from us and the hit man. Adding time and distance between us made it harder to track the perp, but someone close to us was a different matter. They could even be someone I knew. They could be someone with whom we spoke or conducted business with. They could be around the corner or someone passing me on the street. I looked around with renewed interest, noticing the people in cars, pedestrians, a dad with a double baby buggy hitting the crosswalk button, and two men jogging.

"Don't do that," said Maddox.

"Do what?"

"Don't look at everyone like it could be them. You'll drive yourself crazy."

"You know me too well."

Maddox laughed a half-hearted huff, and we turned onto the street that bordered Fairmount Park. He pulled up and parked before he unbuckled his seatbelt.

"We're meeting him at the park?" I asked.

"I couldn't take you to where he works. It's top secret."

"You don't know where it is, do you?" I teased.

Maddox rolled his eyes before he shrugged. "You know me too well, too. Miller said he would meet us here. Ready?"

"Not to sound trite, but as ready as I'll ever be."

"Let's go."

It had been a long time since I'd seen Special Agent Miller but he hadn't changed much. His hair was still gray but a little longer and he sported a gray-speckled beard that he cut very short. He waited for us by a bench overlooking the lake, looking every bit like a regular citizen in his knitted cardigan, zipped up to the chin, and jeans. I wondered if he remembered meeting me in a closet-sized room. I met Solomon in that room at the same time, and the memory of it hit me like a sucker punch.

"Hi, Matt," I said, since he told me to call him by his first name a long time ago.

"I've followed your career," he said, reaching a hand to shake mine. "I'm very impressed."

"I'm not sure what to say," I said, his words catching me by surprise. I didn’t know whether it was because he actually bothered to look into my career or because he was truly impressed. The thought of both was surprising, and also very interesting. Who else could be watching me?

"Special Agent Maddox tells me this is a matter of extreme urgency. How can I help?" asked Matt, moving the conversation on with a swiftness that relieved me.

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