Page 41 of Deadly Target
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Olivia scanned the picture on her phone. It was the one from the gossip magazine. Taken from fifty yards away, the photographer had caught Tracee and Victor in front of the hospital entrance. Tracee was leaning into him slightly, looking up with adoration.
The angle was such that Olivia couldn’t make out Victor’s expression, but he seemed stiff. Or maybe that was wishful thinking.
A call came in from Alfie. She swiped it away, sending it to voicemail. This wasn’t the place or time to talk to him. He’d probably caught wind of Valiant’s visit with the judge, although everyone was keeping it hush-hush, and there was no way she was discussing the situation in the courthouse in front of her partner.
“How much longer is this going to take?” Danny pushed off the wall opposite her, checking his watch. “I thought the lawyer already had the deal set up. How long does it take for Valiant to spill what he knows?”
Olivia wasn’t completely up to speed on Henry Valiant, but what she did know was he’d gotten some information out of his temporary cell partner regarding an ongoing murder investigation. It might help Valiant cut a deal to lighten his sentence.
Information that might also lead to the arrest of Frankie B Molina.
Alfie called again, and she rolled her eyes, hitting the ignore button once more. The mobster had his undies in a bunch, no doubt, wondering if his immediate boss was about to be arrested. If the judge felt Valiant’s intel was enough to go after Frankie B, Alfie’s confidential informant status was in jeopardy.
Valiant and his lawyer were inside the judge’s chambers and had been for the past two hours. The courthouse was already closing for the day, only a couple of security guards manning the exits. Olivia put her phone away, and leaned against the wall. “They can’t be much longer,” she said, reassuring herself as much as Danny.
Her phone continued to buzz as she stood there and she finally turned off the ringer. It was nearing six before the door opened and Valiant and his lawyer emerged.
“I want protection,” Valiant said. He was dressed in prison orange with handcuffs on his wrist and ankles, causing him to shuffle as he walked. “This gets out, I could end up with a shiv in my gut.”
His lawyer was short, bald, and heavyset. Sweat beaded on his forehead, and he dabbed at it with a hanky. “The appropriate paperwork will be filed tomorrow morning first thing, and I’ll look into getting you into solitary until the detectives have confirmed the information.”
Danny met Olivia’s gaze and rolled his eyes as he prodded Valiant to move toward the back exit. The man balked, jerking his elbow out of Danny’s grasp.
“I’m not kidding,” he said to his lawyer. “You promised I’d have protection if I came forward.”
Olivia was tired, hungry, and wanted to get this guy back to jail so she could go home. Victor had texted earlier to tell her he was on his way to Los Angeles for a meeting and hoped to be done and to her place in Carlsbad by eight. She barely had time to drop off Valiant, get home and cleaned up before his arrival. Tonight was the night when she planned to come clean.
But that meant getting this bozo to cooperate. “Tell you what.” She made a show of pulling out her phone and hitting some buttons. “I’ll see about getting you into solitary. Seems to me you’re being uncooperative, so I’ll tell Gambitt you need to cool your heels in there tonight.”
Gambitt, the prison warden, was a hardass and would have no reservations about throwing Valiant into isolation.
A convicted criminal locked eyes with her, seeming to reevaluate who had the power in this group. “You would do that for me?”
She nudged his elbow and they started walking. “Anyone who helps take down Frankie B Molina and his group gets a star in my book.”
The lawyer waddled behind them, trying to keep up. “That’s really not necessary. I can handle this.”
“You’re an overworked DA who has better things to do tonight than worry about your client.” They were heading for the back door, the transport vehicle waiting for them at the bottom of the steps. Once she had Valiant in the car, the rest would be easy. She held up the phone. “I’m making the call right now, so Henry will be taken directly to solitary upon arrival. I’ll handle any necessary paperwork, okay?”
They passed the guard, who nodded, more than ready to lock up and head home. The attorney shrugged but she could see the relief on his face. “I guess that works.”
Danny sent the guy a harsh glare. “My partner is doing you and your client a solid. Show some appreciation, huh?”
“It’s okay.” As the direct line to Gambitt’s office went to voicemail, Olivia caught sight of an incoming call from Victor. She accepted it as she maneuvered Valiant between them. “Hey, there, can I call you back? I’m not done with my prisoner transport.”
His voice was sharp, demanding. “Where are you?”
Danny pushed open the door and they walked out onto the top of the steps.
“Leaving the courthouse. I won’t be home until—”
Danny pulled up short, jerking Valiant to a stop and nearly causing Olivia to stumble into them. The lawyer brushed past her, gaze down as he jogged down the steps.
“Wait!” Danny called to him. At the same time, Victor said, “Stay inside! Thomas just got a tip that something is going down—”
She didn’t hear the rest as gunfire rang out.
