Page 86 of It's Going to Be a Chrome Christmas
“Any time! You guys got me a job where I can do what I love legally and support my family. Anything you need, man. You know that.”
Cayden went to speak, but Lee snapped, “Don’t even think about it. She’s at the station with Holloway. He’ll tell her you’re with me and that I’m bringing you in.”
“No,” Cayden rushed to say. Though he couldn’t see Paul’s face, he was sure it showed more surprise at his word than Lee’s did. Lee just raised an eyebrow. “I don’t think this was Carver. I think someone knew Carver wanted that bike and set up Carver to fail.”
Lee pulled onto the road. “Who?”
“Everyone knows Carver wanted the Raiju, but only a few knew when he was actually going after it.” Cayden made a face. “Even those slated to participate in the auction don’t know it was supposed to be tonight.”
“That still doesn’t answer who.”
Cayden looked over at Trix’s brother. The man drove with confidence, but there was a slight hardening of his lips and stiffness in his shoulders that usually wasn’t there.Thatdid break through Cayden’s dark mood. The man had been worried for Cayden. He resisted the urge to tease the Marine, knowing this wasn’t the time or the place.
“Paul, are you still recording everything on my phone? Have you set up this one yet?”
“It’s not like flipping a switch. I have to go into the OS and make it think it’s a completely different serial number and phone type. Otherwise the manufacturer could still track it down if theywanted to.” There was a pause and then he added, “But once I do, it’ll be the same setup as your old phone.”
“What are you thinking?” Lee asked.
“I’m thinking someone set Carver up,” Cayden said roughly, “and you’re not going to like who’s my main suspect.”
Lee’s hands twitched on the steering wheel. “Massey.” The name came out as a growl.
Cayden nodded. “I think Massey didn’t like the idea of Carver’s auction. If Carver just wanted to keep the motorcycle, Massey wouldn’t have cared, but to auction it off? That’s more Massey’s style than Carver’s. I think Massey thought Carver was stepping on his toes, tipping the scales of their dynamic.”
He heard Paul’s curse on the other end of the phone.
Lee surmised, “Massey called in the tip to keep the motorcycle from Carver.” He hit the steering wheel again. “And he called the state police because he knew someone with Carver was working with us.”
Cayden nodded. “And likely was planning on having it somehow lost or misplaced on its way back to the garage I just took it from. He turned the police into his own heist crew.” Cayden didn’t mention the fact that Massey probably arranged for him to have an accident on his way to lockup too. It was one of those thoughts Cayden just didn’t want to say out loud. Lee was cynical enough to have guessed on his own, but Paul didn’t need to hear it.
“Holloway wants you to come in.”
Cayden shook his head. “If I’m right, Massey just sacrificed one of his knights. Get me to the rendezvous with Carver. Like you said, one way or another, this ends tonight.”
Lee picked up his phone to call Holloway.
It was only late afternoon, but Trixie felt exhausted. She had stripped out of her coveralls, bunching them up to use as a pillow behind her head. The couch itself was comfortable. It wasTrixiewho was uncomfortable. She felt twitchy, anxious, and itchy. All the muffled noise from outside the room just increased her fears. If there had been a joyous shout, she probably would feel different. But everything outside that door with its tinted glass and the windows with their shades pulled down were like haunting ghosts. She knew they were out there, but she couldn’t make out their words or desires.
When Captain Holloway came back into his office, Trixie stood up so fast off the couch she made herself dizzy. She had to close her eyes to catch her balance. When she opened them, she saw he was holding out a plastic wrapped sub and a can of Coke to her. She accepted them, though she doubted she’d be able to eat. “Thank you.”
“Let’s sit.”
Oh God…She forced herself to breathe through her nose, not trusting her mouth not to scream or vomit if she opened it.
Holloway guided her back down to the couch. She didn’t even notice she sat on her bunched-up coveralls. He reached forward and took one of her shaking hands. “He’s alive.”
Trixie’s entire body shook. She felt like she’d been holding her breath for hours and was finally able to release it. There were no words to describe the relief coursing through her veins following Holloway’s statement. Tears ran freely once more down her cheeks. He offered her a tissue.
She quickly released it. “Thank you. I’m sorry. I just?—”
“It’s all right.” He patted her knee and then clasped his hands to rest between his. “Trixie, I’m sure you have questions about what happened. Lee’s still getting a lot of the details from Cayden now. I had told him to bring Cayden back here, but Cayden said no.”
Her head shot up. “What?”
“Easy,” he encouraged. “The call to the state police was a set up, but Cayden doesn’t believe it was Carver’s doing. He thinks it was a powerplay by Massey. We have enough evidence to bring Carver in for the theft, though our goal was to dismantle his drug distribution ring. Cayden is headed to Carver because he thinks he can get Carver to turn state’s evidence on Massey after he learns Massey betrayed him.”
Trixie’s nostrils flared. Relief was now replaced with anger. She stood, unable to remain sitting. “You call him back. You call him back and you tell that arrogant son of a selfish bitch that I said to forget it all. To forget Carver and Massey. Fuck Lee and his crusade. You tell him to get his ass back here right now!”
