Deadly Games - Cate Noble [97]
“In the closet.” He backed away and picked up a towel but didn’t move closer. “We’ll get it after you’re dry.”
Gena bit her lip against the urge to cry. She shut off the water and walked naked to Clay. He unfolded the towel and slowly moved behind her before draping the towel over her shoulders.
“You look upset, Gena,” he drawled. “Does it bother you to be naked in front of a stranger?”
“Of course it does,” she snapped.
“Tsk, tsk.” He wrapped his arms around her and pressed his mouth to her ear. “Good thing I’m not a stranger.”
Gena felt nauseated as the tone of Clay’s voice suddenly changed. Now he sounded like Harry. She locked her knees against the urge to faint.
“That’s right.” He laughed. “I’ve seen you naked before, Gena. And honestly, you left me just as cold as my wife as you do now.”
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Washington, D.C.
October 7, 8:00 A.M.
Rocco’s flight had landed at Dulles at six that morning.
As promised, Dante had a driver and a new cell phone waiting at the airport. Rocco had instructed the driver to take him straight to his town house.
On the way, Rocco talked with Rey Salvador but was no closer to getting answers about how Gena’s abductors had connected Rey to Rocco. Rey had also promised to expedite evidence handling from the real Clay Watkins’s murder scene. If they could get a lead on the man who had assumed Clay’s identity, perhaps they could figure out where the man was holding Gena.
At his town house, Rocco had quickly showered and changed then got online and placed the personal ad in the Washington Post so Gena’s abductor could reach him. Keep the faith, Gena. I’m coming for you. The irony that he and Gena had just started to unravel their past only added to his fury. Rocco would get her back. And the men who had abducted her would deeply regret it.
Rocco reached his office ten minutes before his eight o’clock meeting with Travis and Dante. Once inside the building, he arranged to have some evidence processed. He still had one of the magazine clips with bullets, even though he’d lost the gun. It was a long shot, but if Clay had loaded them, perhaps a fingerprint could be lifted. Or maybe the bullets could be traced to a specific dealer, though that was even less likely.
But at this point, Rocco was desperate. He’d try anything that could save Gena.
He called Dante’s cell phone, to let him know he was in the office. Rocco was eager to get a full update from Dante and Travis.
“Yo, bro,” Dante answered on the first ring. “Where are you?”
“Headed for Travis’s office.”
“Detour to basement-level three. We’re in room seven.”
Rocco disconnected and headed for the elevators. Level three held the interrogation rooms. Had they had a break?
Dante and Max were both in room seven. The room was darkened as was customary when an interrogation was under way in the adjacent room.
The men all shook hands as Rocco moved closer to the one-way glass. Travis Franks was on the opposite side, seated at a table. The subject, whom Rocco assumed was an Agency employee since he wore an ID badge, was seated across from Travis, facing the glass window. The subject was sweating profusely, stuttering as he answered questions about his work history.
“Who’s this?” Rocco asked.
“Ian Brown. Works in information technology. Before that he worked in records,” Dante said. “He’s our mole. Travis set up an impromptu sting. We nailed Ian this morning when he checked your log-in records.”
“Was he waiting for me to get here this morning?” Rocco glared at Ian through the glass.
“No. Travis had Cat log on, as you, last night. Travis wondered who else knew that you’d contacted Rey Salvador. His hunch that the leak came from here was dead-on. Someone obviously pried into Rey’s affairs and learned that he’d contacted Clay Waktins.”
“Do we know who Ian was leaking this info to?” Rocco asked.
“Ian claims he doesn’t know the guy’s identity.” Dante held up a hand. “Travis isn’t buying that either. Ian admitted that he’d originally monitored information for Abe Caldwell. Ian said his new handler took over at Abe’s