Page 58 of Midnight Escape

“Okay. We need to call Declan and update the team. Moira, would you excuse my brother and me for a bit? I’d really appreciate it.”

She looked about to argue, but after looking at Justin and his small nod, she exited the room. He watched her head to the stairs and refused to speak until she was out of earshot.

“Tell me.”

“I was right. There’s definitely someone else pulling the strings. I was so close but then the money issue came to Boyle’s attention and I was a goner. Thank God the men love Diana. That means there’s someone we don’t know about. I’m not sure if they’re after her too or if it’s just Boyle. All I know is I failed in making our dad’s killer pay. After all those years working in the organization, trying to find out who pulled the strings, so I could bring down the man who had our father murdered, it’s all gone up in smoke. I have nothing but Boyle. Oh, I can bring him down, but without who’s in charge, it’s almost a waste, because someone else will just jump in that slot.”

After a minute, Justin continued, “After failing our father when he was killed, I wanted so bad to bring down the person behind the attack. To bring closure to us all, especially Mom. To show the agency that I was right about who ordered the hit, because that is what it was. I was there and nothing could convince me otherwise. All these years for nothing. I’ve wasted this time.”

Danny couldn’t help but be moved by Justin’s journey to find a killer. By his wanting to do this for their family. He’d been angry at his brother for disappearing. Then to hear he worked for Boyle, that anger grew into something deeper. But hearing the story wiped it away. This was his brother who wanted things to be as they should. The right killer to be brought to justice.

“You haven’t wasted the time. We bring down Boyle, and if someone steps in, we figure out how to bring them down.” Notwithstanding HIS had no jurisdiction anywhere, especially in Ireland. But they’d find a way. They always did. And he still had agency friends he could phone. “We’ll find a way. Maybe even work out who the boss is.” The anonymous boss worried him. He hated the unknown.

“I’m sorry, I’m not sure who the boss is, as in drug boss. I think he pulls strings and Boyle is just one string of many.”

“Strings?”

“Yeah. It’s a hunch, but my gut thinks it’s right. I just had no proof.”

“Mm. We’ll figure it out.”

Chapter Twenty-Five

“And you’re sure he doesn’t know where they are?” AJ asked for the hundredth time. Or so it seemed like it. Justin had been updating HIS on what he knew, and it’d been an interrogation like no other. It had been obvious the men didn’t trust him, and Danny understood the feeling. He hadn’t, at first, but it was his brother, and once he’d given him the benefit of the doubt, trust had come. Except for the slight wavering when he’d shown up the night before.

“I don’t think so, but I don’t think it’ll be long before he figures it out. At least to Boston.” Justin had been confident in his answer, every time he’d given it.

AJ and Devon huddled together. It irked Danny that they left everyone else out of the discussion. Yet, he had to remember these were the men taking the risks and who would have to fight any battles that occurred because of their actions.

“Here’s what we’re going to do,” AJ said. “The information on Boyle goes to the DEA. But, you,”—he pointed at Justin— “aren’t the one to give it. You burned that bridge. Danny will provide Boyle on a silver platter to them.”

“What about who really leads it all?” Justin urged. He’d been fighting that point the entire time. Yet, with no proof, even Danny wouldn’t do anything on it. Not with legal channels anyway.

Devon shook his head. “You’ve got nothing more than speculation. Danny can tell the DEA we think there is someone higher, but that’s it.”

“I want to be the one to bring down Boyle. He ordered the hit on my father,” Justin said.

“You’re no longer a law enforcement officer and you can’t prove it,” AJ insisted.

Justin had one man who’d admitted to overhearing Boyle order their father’s death, but the man had soon disappeared.

“Do you really think Boyle would’ve hired you and let it slip he killed your father?” Devon asked.

Justin deflated. “He hired me because he thought I could be bought. It took a long time to convince him I really could, and that’s when I was able to get the evidence on him for drug running. But no, I guess I never really expected him to drop his admission of having my father murdered in my lap. I’d just hoped.”

After a bit more rehashing of what Justin knew, Justin and Danny were left alone.

“Why didn’t you tell me Mom is getting married?” Justin asked.

“If you were around more, you’d have known. I like Mitch. He’s a nice guy and treats her like a queen.”

“Until I find work, I’ll be around more. This is as good a place as any to lick my wounds.”

“You did an excellent job,” Danny told him. “Don’t forget that.”

“And I get none of the credit,” Justin bemoaned.

“Oh, the agency will know it all came from you,” Danny assured him, knowing his brother meant having his reputation restored.

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