Page 80 of Hard Wired

Before he lost his nerve.

* * *

The callfinally came after lunch. His burner phone rang in his pocket. Not Raymond’s number.

Dominic and Maureen were sitting out on the balcony. Before he answered it, he nodded his head toward the patio doors. “DA’s office,” he whispered. Maureen understood and nodded. They went inside and up the stairs.

Dominic answered as they walked down the hallway toward the game room. “This is Dominic Crane.”

“I think you know who this is,” Lana said. “Can we talk?”

Maureen switched on the television and turned up the volume. Dominic was trying to take every precaution to keep the Syndicate from somehow listening in.

“Yes, we can talk.”

“I have one of our investigators on the line with me. It’s routine.”

That made him nervous. But he said, “Okay.”

“Does Aaron Sandford still represent you?”

“Not if I can help it.”

“Then the first thing we should do is get you a new lawyer. I can arrange for a public defender. But we have to strike Sandford as your attorney of record so he can’t make any more decisions for you.”

Dominic was standing by the card table, and Maureen had taken a seat right beside him so she could hear most of the conversation. These decisions affected her safety too. Dominic had wanted her involved.

“That’s a bad idea. The minute Sandford realizes I’m cutting him off, my uncle is going to come after me. It would be a declaration of war.”

“So are you telling me that you’re under duress, and you want to fire your lawyer but can’t because he’s threatened you?”

“Pretty sure I just said that.”

“I have to make be certain. Otherwise, it’s unethical for me to be talking to you when you have counsel of record. But clearly, you’re in a difficult position, and so am I. The offer the district attorney authorized me to make still stands. Full immunity if you agree to testify against your former allies in the Syndicate. Have you considered that offer?”

Dominic hated this kind of legal speak, where they kept talking around the issue. But at least Lana seemed to be getting to the point, even though she had to already know the answer.

“Yes, and I want to accept. I want to testify. But there’s more I need in return. You mentioned a safe house before.”

“That’s right. Provided by the federal government. Nobody will be able to reach you there.”

“I want my younger brother Raymond and my housekeeper Maureen brought with me as well. Sandford and my uncle have been threatening them.”

“That can be arranged. But I’m also going to need a proffer of what you plan to testify to. So that my boss and I can be sure it’ll be worth it on both sides. The US Attorney will want to make her own demands of you, too.”

“I guess I can do that. But only after we’re all in the safe house. I’m sure it’ll take a while for me to go through everything I know.” He felt sick at the idea of confessing his family’s private information, everything he’d learned growing up as a Crane and then as a member of the Syndicate. It could probably fill a book. And he knew he wouldn’t come out looking good to anyone.

Once again, he’d be giving pretty much the entire world a reason to hate him, though for very different reasons. What would Sylvie say if she knew the full extent of the compromises he’d made? He’d done a few decent things, but could that wipe away even half the shit he’d failed to stop?

“Given the recent attempt on your life, I’m inclined to agree on arranging the safe house first. Especially now that we know it was Sandford’s interference that kept you from going into protection before. But I need to be sure you’re serious. This is going to be difficult, Dominic.”

Maureen put her hand on his arm. He looked at her, and she nodded her encouragement. I’ve always known you were capable of so much more than you believed. That was what she’d said to him that morning. He wanted to believe that, too.

“I’m ready. I want to do this.”

“I’m very glad to hear that.” He heard the smile in Lana’s voice. The triumph. This could very well make her career, and he was happy at least one person could come out ahead from all of this.

“When do we get moved to the safe house?”

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