Page 75 of Cat and Mouse

I wait, tapping my nails against the table. A few minutes later, Matteo comes back, my phone in hand. I snatch it from him, muttering my thanks before dialing Captain Harris.

He answers after the second ring. "Elizabeth? Didn't expect to hear from you. How's Cabo?"

I blink. Cabo? What the hell is he talking about? "Cabo?" I repeat.

He chuckles. "Yeah. PTO, right? You were taking some time off."

Right. That's the story. "Uh, yeah. Just taking care of myself."

"Good to hear." Harris sounds genuinely pleased, which makes me feel worse about lying.

I pause for a second, then dive in. "Listen, do you know who gave Whitmore the tip on Miguel?"

Harris pauses. "Whitmore? He used a CI… Hold on, yeah, a guy named Nathan Pierce. Why?"

A knot tightens in my stomach. Nathan Pierce. Mike's informant. "Can I talk to him?"

Harris clears his throat. "You'll have to go through Mike for that. He's the handler."

Figures. Everything points back to Mike. "Thanks, Cap. I'll take it from here."

I hang up and stare at the phone. Just as the pieces start to click, my phone rings. It's Mike.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing looking into my CI?" His voice is tight, panicked.

I grip the phone tighter. "I know the truth, Mike."

There's silence. Then, "Fuck. Look, it's not what you think. Marco's been blackmailing me, okay? Just like Leo's got you under his thumb."

My pulse spikes. "What the hell are you talking about?"

He lets out a dry laugh. "You're married to the Phantom, Elizabeth. I know everything. And you're pregnant, too."

I freeze. Shit. "What do you want?"

"Meet me. We'll talk. You help me with what Marco's holding over me, and I'll keep your secret. Victim to victim."

"Where?"

"The warehouse off Main. Turn left at the interstate, drive for 30 minutes. You'll find it. No tricks."

I swallow, trying to calm the storm brewing inside me. "How do I know this isn't a trap?"

"Because if you squeak, we both lose. Come alone."

I hang up and toss the phone onto the table. Matteo watches me, arms crossed.

"Everything okay?" he asks, voice too casual.

I stand, grabbing my coat. "I need a car."

Matteo shakes his head immediately. "Absolutely not. Leo will kill me if anything happens to you."

I roll my eyes. "Then come with me. Or don't. But I'm leaving, and you're not stopping me."

He curses under his breath, pushing off the table. "Fine. But if we die, it's on you."

We head outside, and he reluctantly opens the car door for me. Once we're settled in, Matteo starts the engine and glances at me. "Where are we going?"

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