Page 99 of Rules of Engagement

"I can cover that," I said as both men turned to me. "Solomon had an insurance policy. That is, he arranged for a check to reach me if anything happened to him so I would be okay," I explained. "I never cashed the check. If I take it to the bank, I can give the money to Damien and he can use it to pay off those people. Solomon will be safe. So will Damien."

"What makes you think they won't just shoot Damien the minute he gives them the money?" asked Maddox. "He's caused them a lot of trouble and we already have three of their men in custody. They have to know someone is going to sell out sooner or later."

"I think I know how to facilitate a meeting," I said. I hated to ask Duncan O'Malley for another favor but he'd already helped out, and so quickly and rather spectacularly on the past two occasions.

"You can't ask O'Malley again," said Maddox.

"How did you know?" I gasped.

"I figured his private meeting with you at the hospital wasn't to deliver grapes. Seeing that Mooch was later served up on a silver platter only confirmed it."

"Oh."

"Plus, I saw you talking to him outside the police station earlier after the second hit man magically appeared strung up on the flagpole."

"Why didn't you say something? Or arrest him?"

"He wasn't my top concern at the time. I figured you'd say something eventually."

"I'm lost," said Lucas. "What does Duncan O'Malley have to do with anything?"

"I'll explain it all another time," I said. "Let's go to the bank and cash the check."

"There's no way they'll give you that much money and let you walk out with it," said Maddox.

"Why not?"

"For a start, they probably don't have that much cash in the whole bank. There is a strict protocol and legal procedures for ordering such large quantities."

"Then what are we supposed to do?" asked Lucas.

"We need to find Damien and persuade him to help us," I said. "It's the only other option. If he tells us everything, Garrett can go after everyone who was involved. No more hit men."

"I agree," said Maddox. "So where do we look?"

"He might have gone back to my parents’ house. Maybe he wasn't running. Maybe he went to pick up a sweater. Or he could have gone to the hospital."

"And switched off his phone?" asked Maddox, shaking his head in disbelief. "You call your parents to make sure. I'll call Delgado."

"I need a phone," I said.

"Solomon has a bunch of burn phones in a bin in his office," said Lucas.

"I'll go get one." I turned and charged up the stairs, running to the shared office with Maddox and Lucas on my heels. As I pulled open the doors and sprinted to Solomon's office, I noticed it was unusually quiet. Normally, someone was in here working but everyone except me was currently out of the office. I opened Solomon's door and made for the bins that took up the lowest shelf of the bookcase that occupied one wall. The third bin held a variety of cellphones, still in their packaging. "They're not charged," I said, tossing the one I picked up back into the bin. "This does not happen in the movies!" In frustration, I grabbed the desk phone and dialed my parents, already cross at the delay.

"Hello," said Dad.

"Dad, it's me, Lexi."

"What happened? Where are you?" he asked, automatically alert at my hurried tone.

"I'm fine. Is Damien there?"

"No, he's with Garrett," he said.

"Are you sure?"

"That's where he said he was going this morning after he took Anastasia to the hospital. I offered to take him but he hired a car for a few days."

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