She looked up when they walked in the room.
“What are you doing?” asked Sean.
“Working on some motion papers.”
“Regarding what?”
“Ms. Paul’s information was very intriguing. I want to know whatever the government knows about Edgar Roy’s background. And what he actually does for them.”
Michelle said, “But if he is working in intelligence they won’t tell us anything. They’ll just bury it under national security mumbo-jumbo.”
“That’s right. But if we can get that on the record it may be enough to raise reasonable doubt in a jury’s mind. It’s certainly critical evidence. And in order to try to get that evidence we have to pull the government’s chain. Hard.”
“But the guy may never go to trial,” pointed out Michelle.
Sean said, “But if he does, some of the forensics help us. The different dirt, for instance, found on the bodies. It’s possible the bodies were brought from somewhere else and dumped in Roy’s barn.”
“Well, that could be all the exculpatory evidence we need,” said Megan hopefully.
“Unless they argue Roy killed them somewhere else, hid the bodies for a while there, and then dug them up and brought them to Virginia.”
“And buried them in his own barn so someone could find them and arrest him?” said Megan incredulously. “For such a smart guy that’s pretty dumb.”
Sean said, “And then there’s the mysterious caller that conveniently tipped the police off about the bodies in the first place. Who is that person and how did he know about the bodies? Maybe the tipster killed the people and set Roy up.”
“We still have to prove that,” noted Michelle.
“No, proof of guilt is the government’s job. We just have to raise it as a way to get reasonable doubt in a jury’s mind,” responded Sean.
Michelle said, “Murdock will be really pissed off when he sees the filings.”
“Let him be.” He looked at Megan. “You cool with that?”
She smiled. “The FBI doesn’t scare me anymore.”
Sean and Michelle headed up to his room. “There are a lot of roads we could go down, but I want to focus on Carla Dukes.”
“She’s probably an FBI agent.”
“I don’t think so.”
“Why?”
“You and I have dealt with lots of FBI agents. She’s no spring chicken, so if she were with the Bureau she’d have been with them for years now. She doesn’t have the walk or the talk of an FBI vet. And an FBI agent would have anticipated we’d pull the media card to get in to see Roy and would’ve had an answer for it. She didn’t.”
“But still, to her we’re the enemy,” replied Michelle.
“Enemies can still reach common ground.”
She cocked her head. “You mean we find some leverage with her?”
“Exactly.”
“It’ll have to be some damn heavy-duty stuff.”
“Yes it will,” said Sean.
“Do you have any in mind?”
“Yes I do.”
“When do we do it?”
“Tonight of course.”
CHAPTER 36
CARLA DUKES PULLED her car into her garage around nine o’clock. She unlocked the door that led into the kitchen, put her bag down, and stood in front of the alarm code pad, her finger poised to hit the appropriate buttons. It took her a moment to realize that there was no high-pitched squeal from the alarm system telling her that she had to disarm it before the delay ran out.
That was because the alarm wasn’t on.
She whirled around.
Sean stood there, the butt of his gun visible at the waist.
“What the hell are you doing here?” Dukes demanded.
“I need to talk to you.”
“You broke into my house.”
“No I didn’t. The door was open.”
“Bullshit. I lock everything up before I leave and then arm the system.”
“You must’ve forgotten. As you can see, the alarm system is off.”
“Then you turned it off.”
“I said, you said.”
“You’re in my house. I’m calling the police.” She eyed his gun.
He looked at where she was looking. “It’s a Beretta nine mil. Standard issue for the FBI, ironically enough.”
She slid her cell phone from her purse. “Good, why don’t we call them to come over and collect it and you?”
Before she could hit even one button, Sean said, “Would Agent Murdock want to know you’re working for someone else?”
“All right. I am with the FBI. And therefore I can arrest you right now. But instead I’ll give you five seconds to get the hell out of here.”
Sean didn’t move. He just looked at her, a tight smile edging across his features. “Just so you understand, Carla, the next minute or so will determine whether you end up in a federal prison or not.”
“What are you talking about?”
“You just made a big mistake.”
“I’m warning you.”
“You’re not FBI. You’re not even close to being FBI. So if anybody’s going to call the Feds I think that’ll be me.” He took out his phone and poised his finger over the numbers. She watched him dumbly. “But maybe you want to talk first,” he said.
“Maybe,” she said nervously.
Sean reached out and slipped the cell phone from her hand, and set it down on the kitchen counter.
“I think you want the FBI to believe you’re working with them. You’re certainly going through the motions. You have Murdock convinced. But he didn’t put you into play at Cutter’s Rock.”
“Look, I told you I’m with the FBI.”
“Then show me your creds.”
“I’m undercover. I don’t carry them.”
“Where’s your Beretta?”
“In my bedroom.”
Sean shook his head. “SOP for FBI undercover is to get into the part. Your office is barren. Not even one fake family picture on your desk.” He pointed to his gun. “And FYI, the FBI doesn’t use the Beretta. They carry either Glocks or Sigs.”
Dukes said nothing.
“So someone else put you at Cutter’s. Which means your loyalties lie elsewhere. The FBI really frowns on being played for chumps.”
“I was assigned to work at Cutter’s Rock. I have a long career in federal correctional institutions.”
“It doesn’t matter. You’re here temporarily. You haven’t even bothered to move into your office. And this place is a rental. With a six-month lease.”
“You’ve been spying on me?” she said.
“I’m an investigator. I spent a productive afternoon digging up stuff on you. And I’m not the only one.”
Dukes paled at this statement. “What do you mean?”
“I mean there are lots of people interested in you, Carla. You didn’t think you could just waltz right into this, play both sides, and think no one would notice? That kind of naïveté could get you killed.”
“These are not people to play around with.”
“Believe me, I get that message loud and clear.”
“Then you know I can tell you nothing. Please leave. Now.”
“I’ll just subpoena you for the court case.”
“What court case?”
“Edgar Roy? Six bodies? Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten.”
“What does that have to do with me?”
“Edgar Roy is the only reason you’re at Cutter’s Rock, Carla. And since I represent Roy it’s my ethical duty to try to have him exonerated. In order to do that, I have to muddy the waters. It’s called reasonable doubt.”
“You’re a fool.”
“Are you any less of one?”
“Get out.”
“By the way, Murdock already knows the truth about you.”
“That’s impossi–” She caught herself too late.
“Say what you will about the FBI, they do tend to get the right answer.”