Page 104 of The Dis-Graced
“You know Elliot personally! Frances’ is Elliot’s cousin! There’s no way it’s Luke. Just ask ALAN!”
ALAN’s voice streams from my phone. “I maintain that Elliot is deceptive; however, it is possible that he was not a part of my sale.”
“But it can’t be Luke! He’s not deceptive!” I plead.
“Actually, there is one condition in which it is possible for Luke to have made the sale,” ALAN says.
“And what is that?” Bruiser ask.
“If Luke is a psychopath.”
?
Drake
After spending thirty minutes in a blacked-out van, I’m actually relieved that the hour of action is upon us. In mere minutes, the handoff will be initiated, and whatever the outcome is, I’ll have to live with it, or perhaps, die by it.
I look at my watch again for the fifth time in two minutes. Six minutes remain. I just have to be patient.
So far, ALAN hasn’t seen anything suspicious, which is more worrying than him actually finding a couple of goons. With a transaction this large, and so much at stake, I would think Elliot would have ramped up security.
Jim’s radio buzzes.
Jim:Agent Rodriguez here, talk to me.
FBI Agent Montgomery:This is Agent Montgomery. I wanted to make you aware that Elliot Conroy has been picked up and taken in for questioning.
Jim and I look to each other, confused.
Jim:What are you talking about? We’re at the drop site.
FBI Agent Montgomery:We picked him up five minutes ago at a gas station down the road from his home, purchasing Powerball tickets. He’s agreed to be questioned.
Jim:Roger that.
Jim puts down the receiver, slumping back in his seat. “What the hell is going on?” he says.
“I-I don’t know.”
“Do you think he got scared when he found out you knew he was on the market and gave up?” Jim asks with a cocked brow.
“If that were the case, why would he still be in contact with Icor?”
“Drake!” ALAN’s voice streams from my phone.
“Yeah.”
“It wasn’t Elliot that stole my greater form. It was Luke.”
“Luke? How is that even possible?”
“The information I used to deduce that it was Elliot was based on the fact that Elliot was consistently deceptive in his communication, whereas Luke had never given any indication of deception.”
“Okay, that sounds an awful lot like Elliot being the bad guy.”
“Except, he’s not. Deception is in Elliot’s nature. He’s probably selling you out in another way. Luke, on the other hand, is probably a psychopath.”
I think back to the many years I’ve spent with Luke and our close friendship. It doesn’t seem possible. I’ve known him since I was eleven.
