Page 102 of Deep Tide

“Why?”

“Because you’re running into walls.”

She frowned. “How would you know?”

He reached into the back again and grabbed a brown accordion folder. Nicole’s curiosity ramped up as he thumbed through it. He tugged out a paper and passed it to her.

She scanned the page. It was a typed list of names, thirteen in all.

“Recognize anyone?” he asked.

“No. Should I?”

“That’s a list of known or suspected assassins for a certain organization you’re interested in.”

“How would you know what I’m interested in?”

He ignored the comment. “Are any of them on your suspect list?”

She didn’t have a suspect list. She was still chasing down leads and waiting on lab results. But she wasn’t about to admit that to a reporter.

“I can’t give you that,” he said, “but you can take a picture of it with your phone if you want.”

“Where’d you get all this?” she asked.

“Court documents, police reports, news articles. It’s all publicly available.” He shrugged. “I’ve compiled a shit ton of research about them.”

Them being the Saledo cartel.

She glanced at the list again, feeling torn. The name of Amelia’s killer could be sitting right under her nose. But if she took the list, then she’d owe this guy. Again.

“Nicole, come on. You’re in week two here.”

She glanced up. With a sigh, she took out her phone and snapped a shot, then handed the paper back.

“Thank you.”

“Sure.” He slid the list back into the file.

“Why are you helping me?”

“I told you already.”

She studied his face. Miguel Vidales was twenty-nine, but he seemed older. His eyes had a shadowed, haunted look about them, as though he’d seen some very bad things.

And he had, if his articles were any indication. Nicole had done her homework, too, and this reporter had covered some of the most heinous crimes committed south of the border.

“You’re wasting your time with Dumont.”

She blinked at him. “How did you know—”

“I saw you at the cop shop in San Antonio yesterday. Now, Detective Romero might be a different story. But Dumont’s tight as a tick with info. You won’t get anything from him.”

“You were the one who told me to contact these guys.”

“Yeah, to confirm what you already knew. What were they going to do? Deny it? No.” He shook his head. “But in terms of handing you new leads, you’re probably not going to get anywhere. They want to make the collar themselves.”

It was just what Brady had said, too. They were holding out on her.

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