Playing Dead_ A Novel of Suspense - Allison Brennan [143]
“Hell if I know, but he’s unaccounted for and that’s the only explanation.”
“Phil adores Claire.”
“How much?” Mitch demanded.
“That’s not—”
“Dave, how well do you really know Philip Palmer?”
“He’s been a cop for over fourteen years.”
“Fourteen? He wasn’t on the job when O’Brien was framed for murder?”
“What? What does that have to do with anything? Why aren’t you looking for Claire?”
“When did he start with Sacramento PD?”
“I don’t know—yeah, okay, it was during Tom’s trial. I was on leave, and when I returned he was on my squad. He wasn’t even here during the murders. He lived in Los Angeles.”
Mitch frowned. Maybe he was wrong and Palmer had nothing to do with the Taverton-O’Brien double murder. But why would he kidnap Claire now? Something had to have happened to make Palmer act now, and the only thing that even remotely fit in was that he knew about or was involved in O’Brien’s frame job. He whispered to Grant, “Call Meg and have her follow up on Palmer being from Los Angeles.”
To Dave, he said, “I need everything you know about Palmer. Family, history, where he went to school, where he grew up, police academy, college, anything. Fax it over.” He gave Dave the fax number in Meg’s office.
Grant pulled into FBI headquarters. Mitch walked directly to Meg’s office. “Anything?”
“Palmer graduated from Los Angeles Police Academy, but never served in LAPD. Sac was his first assignment.”
Odd, but not unheard of. “Fourteen years ago?”
“Yes.”
Mitch frowned. He looked at his notes from his first conversation with Dave. “Palmer is nearly fifty. Isn’t thirty-six a little old to join the academy?”
“I’d think.”
“Dig deeper. There’s something there.”
“I have everyone on it, but we have a crisis with Collier right now. His attorney is here and I don’t see how we can hold him. Matt went around with the U.S. Attorney on charges, and I think they’re on the same page. Matt went in with Collier when his attorney arrived.”
“Who’s with Collier now besides Matt?”
“Richardson.”
Bob Richardson was the special agent in charge. Mitch and Richardson had butted heads on more than one occasion, but Richardson had also gone to bat for him during Mitch’s last round with the Office of Professional Responsibility. Besides, Mitch knew more about this case than anyone.
Meg handed him an envelope. “J. T. Caruso came through. This might come in handy.”
Mitch glanced at the document and nodded. “Perfect.”
He stalked into the interview room, Hans Vigo at his side. Richardson showed no reaction at their entrance.
Collier’s attorney was saying, “Release my client or I’ll file charges for false imprisonment, false arrest, failure to—”
“Shut up.” Evidently, Richardson had had enough of Collier’s attorney. They were playing hardball, and so was the FBI.
Claire’s life was at stake. Collier knew something important, and Mitch was determined to get it out of him.
Hans Vigo said, “We have one offer for your client. He’d better take it, or we’ll hold him.”
“You can’t hold him.”
“Domestic terrorism,” Richardson said.
“That’s bullshit!” Collier screamed. “You fucking fascists. You think just because you have a badge you can wave around false charges and accuse me of terrorism? Where’s the Department of Homeland Security? Bring it on, I’ll have all your pensions in my bank account . . .”
“A sitting judge is dead. A developer. A congressman is missing. And the person who killed them is still out there. Do you think he’s going to let you walk?” Mitch said. “Do you think you can disappear?”
Collier’s Adam’s apple was moving up and down, though he kept quiet. Oh, yeah, he was scared.
“You are protecting a killer, and we will find him. And you will be charged with accessory to attempted murder of a law enforcement officer.”
Matt Elliott spoke. “We already have evidence that you worked in the same law firm as Thomas O’Brien’s defense attorney. And”—he pulled papers out of a file folder—“we also know that you worked as an intern in the same law firm as Hamilton Drake, prior to your employment at Johnson & Mather. I’ve already cut one deal