Page 134 of Don't Say a Word
“What did he say?”
“Not much. But I’ll bet he called someone to find out what I knew and who I talked to. Dammit. I need to track down Eric McMahon. If Bradford thinks he knows something, I don’t want that kid to get hurt.”
I ended the call, turned at the next street, and headed to Eric McMahon’s house.
He wasn’t happy to see me on his porch.
“What the fuck about leave me alone don’t you understand?” he said.
“I’m just giving you a heads-up. Someone’s been following me, and they might know I came to talk to you. You need to be careful.”
“I am out of that business.”
“I believe you, but I talked to Bradford at the prison, and now someone is following me. He could have called one of his people, told them to find out what I’m doing and how muchI know. People are dying, Eric. I don’t want you to be one of them.”
He looked up and down the street, eyes wide and scared.
“I swear, if anyone in my family gets hurt—”
“Just be careful,” I said and left. I’d warned him. There was nothing more I could do.
Chapter Forty-One
Cal Rafferty
Cal hit Highway 51 south, confident he’d lost Margo. Damn, that was close. She’d recognized him, even though he’d changed vehicles. He was lucky she hadn’t boxed him in.
He smiled. He was beginning to really like the PI.
His cell phone rang ten minutes later as he pulled into DEA headquarters thinking that Margo had caused him to burn two undercover cars in two days. That might be a record.
He looked at the number. It was the flip phone he’d given to Eric.
“Yep,” he answered.
“That PI came here. She says I’m in danger.”
“Explain.”
“She said someone is following her and might know where I live. Might think that I’m talking to her, that I know something. I don’t! I don’t know anything and I just want people to leave me alone. My sister is pregnant. God, if anything happens—”
“No one is following her.”
“Fuck, Cal, she was adamant. She’s not lying about this.”
“I was following her.”
Silence.
Cal continued. “So don’t worry, you’re in the clear.”
“But—she said she talked to Coach in prison and he called somebody.”
“He didn’t. The guards called me after her visit and have been monitoring his calls. You’re fine, Eric. Lay low and be good. I’ll take care of it.”
He hung up before Eric could argue with him. Dammit, he didn’t want to read Margo into the program yet, but he might not have a choice.
But first? He needed to figure out what was so important about the Cactus Stop. That meant going back to the Bradford file and looking at everything again. Had he missed something the first hundred times he went through it?
