Page 76 of Off Limits Daddy

"I wasn't supposed to be in the car."

Hope bloomed. I surreptitiously opened the recording app on my phone, hoping Aiden was ready to talk. "I know. But you won't get in trouble. Not from me and not from Agent Matthews. Who was in the car with you?"

"The man in the picture."

I nodded. "Jonny Walters. Was he driving?"

He shook his head. "Daddy Wally was driving."

My gaze shot up to Matthews. Finally! Finally, the link was made. The proof was there. It was coming from a six-year-old child, which could be problematic, but I would make sure it wasn't.

"Can you tell me what happened?"

"The man in the picture shot the people by the car. And he got out and he grabbed something from the man, and then he got in, and then they drove off."

"That is so helpful, Aiden."

"Did Daddy Wally know you were in the car?"

Aiden shook his head. "I stayed there for a long time. I sneaked out."

That probably saved his life up until the moment his social worker, Ms. Thomas, took the picture he’d drawn to her supervisor, who suggested she bring it to me. The picture was proof that there was a witness, and somehow, Julia Racine had heard about it. She had to be the one who let Wally know.

“You’ve been a big help, Aiden. Thank you."

"Agent Marsden?"

I looked up as Eileen approached my desk. "This was delivered by a Mrs. Walters." She set an envelope on my desk.

“What is it?”

Eileen shrugged. “She didn’t say. Only that Jonny said to give it to the FBI if something happened to him and for her to leave town.”

I looked up at my supervisor. “Do you want me to handle it?”

“No.”

Was he kidding? With Aiden in my lap, I opened the envelope. It was a handwritten note detailing everything from when Jonny joined the Crew as a teenager, to going to prison and then trying to live a good life when he got out. He gave the date when Wally approached him about paying off a debt that involved killing Donovan and Patrick who were trying to double-cross Wally.

I should have known that wouldn’t be enough,Jonny wrote.Wally found me again and told me to kidnap and kill a former kid of his. I told him I’d snatch the boy, but not kill him. When it came to time to take him, I couldn’t do it. I knew my failure had signed my death warrant. Wally can’t hurt me when I’m dead, but maybe I can hurt him.

“It’s all here.”

Agent Matthews gave me an apologetic smile. “Everything needs to be corroborated. You know that, Marsden.”

I knew that. This letter alone wouldn’t hold up in court. But it was something. “Can you make a copy for me and take this to Agent Pinsky? I’d like to give a copy to Detective Riker as well.”

Eileen took the paper and headed to the copy room.

“Good work, Marsden. Let me know when Wally’s in custody.”

I looked down to where Aiden was nestled against me. Until Wally was captured, Aiden wasn’t safe.

“I’d like to take him to a safehouse. I’ll stay with him. Agent Pinsky and his team, along with Riker, can get Wally.”

He arched a brow. “Are you sure you’d rather babysit than catch this asshole?”

I nodded, not correcting him. I wasn’t babysitting Aiden. He was mine. Mine and Duncan’s. And when I had Aiden safe and secure, I’d call the hospital to find out how Duncan was and maybe let him know that I liked what we had too.

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