Page 60 of Final Exit

“She’s not listed on the police report. Oh, wait, you said it’s a fake report. Okay, so in the real report, which we don’t have, what would it have told me about your wife?” He waited, arched a brow. “If I Googled her, what would I find? Where is she buried?”

He looked down the table at Austin.

“Already on it,” Austin said. “Nothing’s coming up for Abby Quinn.”

“Abigail,” Kade snapped. “We were only married a couple of months. Try Abigail Winters. That was her maiden name.”

Austin started tapping on the keyboard.

“While we wait for that,” Jace said, “I’m still puzzled. I should find a marriage license, or even a death certificate since that would be issued under her married name. Guess what? I got nothing.”

“Then you’re obviously looking in the wrong places.”

“Naturally. I figured that was the problem,” Jace mocked. “What’s the name of the cemetery where she’s buried.”

“She was cremated. Her urn is on my mantel at home.”

“I don’t recall a fireplace when I was there.”

“The house in Boulder was rented for this mission by the FBI,” Kade said. “My home is in Jacksonville, Florida. And, no, I’m not taking you there to show you my wife’s ashes. What the hell is all of this about?”

“Austin,” Jace said. “Any luck with that Google search?”

“Nope. Can’t find a driver’s license, tax return, utility records, nothing for Abby Abigail Winters Quinn. It’s like someone made her up out of thin air or something.”

Kade shook his head. He didn’t know whether to scream or laugh at this bizarre conversation. “None of this makes sense. And it has nothing to do with my work to bring in the Enforcers.” He looked at Bailey, but she was staring off into space.

“You mentioned that Hawke’s death was an accident.” Mason’s deep voice cut through the room. “Who did you say was the lead agent you ordered to capture him?”

“I’m not sure that I did. His name is Simmons.”

“There was another Enforcer killed while you and Bailey were in Colorado Springs.”

Kade hesitated. “Yes. There was. Henry Sanchez. Why are you—”

“Who was the lead in that case?”

“That ‘case’ wasn’t a capture situation. I assigned an agent to perform surveillance. He ended up trying to kill Bailey and me. He’s one of the men I’m investigating, if I can ever get back to the investigation. There’s a strong possibility that he might be the one behind all of this, assuming the missing Enforcers really are being killed.”

Mason didn’t look impressed with his assessment. “His name?”

“The bad agent? Lamar Porter. Again, why are you asking?”

Mason motioned to Jace. “Show him.”

For once, Jace didn’t preface his search through the pile of papers with sarcasm. Instead, he was quiet, almost somber. He flipped open a folder that was beneath the papers and pulled out two photographs, which he set down in front of Kade.

Kade stared at the pictures, the blood rushing from his face, leaving him cold. Simmons had been shot twice, a double-tap to the head. Porter’s death had been less precise. Whoever had killed him shot him three times, none of them probably fatal by themselves. But he’d obviously bled out from the combination.

He shoved the pictures back toward Jace. “Your work, I presume? After all, you did follow Bailey to Colorado Springs.”

Jace gave him a droll look. “Nice try. The pictures are from police reports. One of our contacts in Colorado Springs brought the deaths to our attention. What did you do, sneak out of that house where you and Bailey were staying so you could tie up some loose ends? Pay the men back that you think double-crossed you?”

Bailey frowned and stared at Jace. Was she actually believing Jace’s theory? Or was there another reason altogether?

“I have no idea who killed those men,” Kade said. “I didn’t even know they were dead. If this little interrogation of yours was legit, this is where I’d be asking for my lawyer. Since it’s not, I’m putting an end to it. Nothing we’ve discussed is helping my investigation. You’re only muddying the waters.” He looked at Bailey, who was again staring off into space. “And making trouble,” he said softly.

“We’re almost done.” Jace reached beneath the table. He straightened and placed Kade’s leg brace in front of him. “Look familiar?”

---