Page 43 of Forged By Fire

“Ah!” He pulled a file up on the third monitor. Clearly, the man had multiple things going on at the same time.

Clint admired his ability to keep track of them all like he did.

“Here we go.” Logan pointed to a set of bank statements. “According to these, King gets a paycheck weekly. That paycheck has been pretty consistent through the two years he’s worked for the paper company. It looks like he earned a small raise last Christmas, which is reflected here.” He used his mouse to highlight the first time the pay amount had increased. “Now, here’s where it gets interesting. Starting about five months ago, he began to deposit five hundred dollars into his checking account every Monday.”

“That’s pretty unusual. Any idea where he’s getting the money from?”

“None. He deposits cash, he does it himself, and he always uses the drive-through at the bank. Five hundred dollars at a time like that isn’t a large enough sum to cause the bank any concern. I checked the bank’s security.” Logan’s hands flew over the keyboard until a picture of King, seated in the front seat of his car, popped up on the monitor. “And it’s always him, and he’s always alone in the car.”

“Has there been an increase in his spending?”

“No, he’s just been adding to the balance in his account.There’s nothing else unusual going on, at least not on paper.”

“Could you send a picture of King to my phone, please?”

“You’ve got it.”

“All right, Logan, thanks.”

Clint pulled his phone out as he left the office. He wanted to send Leslie a picture of King and give her an update. It’d be good if she at least knew what he looked like in case he showed up at the station.

Chapter Twenty-Three

Leslie was on the phone with Becca when she got a text from Clint, immediately followed by a phone call that she couldn’t answer before it went to voicemail. As soon as she hung up with Becca, she checked the text to find a photo of a man, but no explanation. She called Clint back.

He answered on the first ring. “Hey, I was leaving you a voice message, but this is better.”

“Sorry I missed your call. I was on the phone with Becca.” She’d gone to the kitchen area while talking, and several of her co-workers were nearby and clearly listening in. No doubt they were anxious for word about Danny, and she couldn’t blame them. She raised her voice slightly to make sure they could hear what she was about to tell Clint. “Becca says his fever broke early this morning. The doctor is continuing the IV antibiotics to be safe, but he’s hopeful that the quick response to the infection means Danny will be in the clear soon.”

Her fellow firefighters all grinned with relief and nodded theirapproval.

“That’s great, Leslie. I’m so relieved to hear that. Do they have any idea how much longer he’ll be in the hospital?”

“Nothing definitive. The doctor mentioned the possibility of going home on Saturday, but that they’ll know more tomorrow.”

“Still, that’s wonderful news.”

“So, I got this picture you texted me. What’s going on?”

Clint told her about the interview with Christopher King.

“He isn’t the shooter, but there’s more to this guy than he lets on, and Paris and I are confident he’s involved in some way. He strikes me as the type who’ll keep his nose clean to keep from drawing more attention to himself, but I wanted to make sure you have his picture. Show it around the station. If anyone sees this man, please let me know immediately.”

Anger flared in her chest. If this guy was involved at all, then he put all of their lives in danger, and especially Bryce and Jin, who were the ones who found King and got him out of the warehouse. The very idea that King might have been playing them all was unacceptable.

“You okay?” Clint must have sensed her fury in the silence between them. “I promise you, honey, we will get these guys.” He emphasized every word of his last sentence.

His determination, combined with the first time he’d used a term of endearment, and Leslie’s heart swelled with gratitude that not only was Clint on her side, but that he was becoming such a big part of her life.

“I know. Thank you.”

“I have to run. Be careful. I’ll touch base again later.”

“Yeah, you be careful, too.”

The information she had about King weighed heavily as she ended the call.

Bryce and Chet, who were still in the room, immediately approached. Bryce put a supportive hand on her shoulder. “What is it?”

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