Page 81 of Golden Touch
And I’m nervous as heck.
“Okay, the first play is getting Razor to admit wrongdoing on a phone call. I’ll tape it.” Benito points to the thumb drive. “You’ll get him talking about everything you found here.”
My heart sags, because Razor isn’t stupid enough to chat about fraud with me over the phone.
Nash doesn’t like this idea, either. “But you have all the evidence Livia saved,” he argues. “That should be enough, right?”
“Unfortunately, no. It’s enough evidence to nail that dude from Burlington for doing shitty work and faking the VIN numbers. But that won’t take down the organization. And the evidence Livia gathered doesn’t connect Razor to the money-laundering or the drugs.”
“He’s too smart to spill anything over the phone,” I argue.
“No, he will,” Benito explains. “Because you’re going to exaggerate what you have. Then you’ll offer him the USB. If he arranges to collect it from you, that shows motive. Besides, we can manipulate him even further if we’re clever.”
“Oh,” I say slowly. I suppose itmightwork. “And he’ll play along, because he thinks it gives him a fresh opportunity to snatch me, right?”
“No fucking way,” Nash says. “I don’t want her anywhere near him.”
“Of course you don’t,” Benito says with a grin. “But that doesn’t mean it’s the wrong play.”
“How are you going to keep her safe?” Nash barks. “Look me in the eye and tell me you’d be fine with Skye doing this.”
Benito takes a sip of his beer and studies Nash coolly. “I hear where you’re coming from. I’d feel the same way if I were you. But if you want this asshole gone from her life, we’re going to have to be strategic. The good news is that he’s a high-value target. There’s a lot of manpower at my disposal.”
“Tell me how it would work,” I whisper.
He turns to me with a calm expression. He’s the only one at the table who isn’t freaking out a little right now. “First, you’ll call him and offer to give him back all the evidence you swiped. And you’re going to exaggerate what you’ve got.”
“Like how?”
“You’ll tell him that you made a recording in the bike shop where they thought you couldn’t hear them. You’ll tell Razor that he’s on tape calling the shots. I’ll feed you the name of that guy they roughed up in Massachusetts and some locations they use for their drops. He’ll believe you.”
“Oh, you are a tricky one.”
He grins. “I love my job. I spend all day trying to outsmart assholes. It’s very satisfying when it goes right.”
Nash doesn’t smile. He drains his beer and smacks it onto the table. “Let me get this straight—you’re going to tell a violent criminal that he haseven morereason to hurt Livia than he thought he did?”
“Yes, but it’s only for a day,” Benito says levelly. “Livia will tell him she’s leaving town. She wants a clean break from Vermont. He can meet her for the thumb drive, or not. We’re going to planthe hell out of this operation, but he won’t have that chance. He’ll have to show up or shut up.”
I’m still terrified, but I really like the way this guy thinks.
Nash seems less impressed. “Livia should not be in any danger, atanytime. I need your word on that.”
“You have it,” Benito insists. “The full force of Vermont’s drug task force and the tactical services unit will back us up.”
“So this isn’t just a phone call?” I press. “I actually have to show up.”
“The phone call is first. We need that to motivate him. You’ll give it to him all breezy—like you’re on your way out of town forever. You want to make a clean break and even the score between the two of you. On the call, you’ll pick a time and place to meet the next day. You’re going to imply that your new man is there with you, and he won’t like this arrangement.”
“He doesn’t,” Nash snaps.
“That’s going to make him jealous,” I say slowly. “So he’ll show up himself, instead of sending some deputy asshole.”
“Exactly,” Benito says. “He’ll want to see your face.”
“Yeah,but,” Nash growls. “If seeing her face were enough for him, I might not hate this plan. Don’t forget he’s already tried to grab her. He’ll try again. She can’t actually show up to this meeting.”
“No, I have to,” I say slowly. “Because he won’t show his face if I’m not there, right?” I turn to Benito for confirmation.
