Page 47 of What's Left of Me

“Where did you record these?” Phoenix pointed to the device.

“The father we had to record at his house. The brother, Jaron, was harder to track down. He’s been busy, so this was recorded in a café downtown. It was the best I could do to get this?—”

“A coffee shop?” Phoenix’s eyes widened.

“There weren’t a lot of people there—no one heard.”

“I don’t care about that. Who was with him?”

I looked at Phoenix, then glanced at JJ, who had a worried expression on his face.

“Was someone with him, Agent Rose?” Aziza asked.

“How’d you know that?”

“Answer his fucking question,” I growled.

“When I met up with him, he was on his way out of town, so he had work associates with him, but they weren’t near us when we recorded Jaron.”

“And yet I heard him.” Phoenix was visibly shaking.

“Jaron?” Rose scooted closer. “That’s him?”

“No.” Phoenix’s hand curled into a fist. “In the background, I can hear him. Play it again.”

Rose rewound it once more and they were faint, the voices in the background, two of them. One declared that black was theonly way to drink it, and the other responded that it was gross. How had anyone missed that?

“Which one?” I squeezed his hand.

“The one who said black was the only way to drink it.”

JJ stepped forward. “Who were his work friends?”

The agent was noticeably shocked. There was no way this was how he’d seen this going and if I had to bet money on it, I’d say he’d never bothered to find out who they were because he’d been determined to get Jaron’s voice only.

“I didn’t get their names.”

“If they’re work associates, those men, both with access to the same things the family are, why did it never cross your mind that they’d be possible suspects?” I argued.

“You don’t understand the process of my job.” Rose was red faced—angry or embarrassed, I didn’t know or care.

“Are you sure you understand your motherfucking process?” I stood abruptly, and Rose followed. “You waste time, don’t utilize your resources, don’t even fucking think, for God’s sake. What is it you actually do, Agent Dickhead?”

“I’ve had enough of your mouth.” Rose came at me, but JJ and Aziza stepped in front of him.

“Agent, Noel, knock it off,” Aziza yelled. “This gets us nowhere.”

I took a deep breath, then looked over at Phoenix, who was staring at the carpet, his hands fisted together, knee bouncing.Shit.

“I’m sorry, Phoenix.” I sat down and gathered him in my arms. He hugged me with enough force to crush a walnut.

“Agent, I’ve worked with many agencies throughout my career and always have the utmost respect for law enforcement. What you do daily isn’t easy, and this case is rough, no one doubts that. But I have to agree with Noel here on the ineptness that has transpired. I will be contacting your boss in themorning. The safety of not only my patient, but the victims of this killer are of great concern.”

Agent Rose narrowed his eyes at Aziza, but she didn’t flinch. “You’re going to recommend I be taken off the case?”

She pursed her lips. “That’s what you heard?”

“It’s what you said.”

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