She sorted through the in-box on her desk and saw a manila envelope with her name on it. She almost tossed it aside for her secretary to deal with, but something about it drew her attention.
She picked it up. It was addressed to her by name only—no stamps, no mailing address, no return address. She first thought it was a condolence card, but dismissed the idea—guests weren’t allowed upstairs and there was a table in the hall for cards and flowers.
Curious, and a bit suspicious, she opened the envelope and slid out the contents.
There was a photo and a letter.
Her stomach turned. The photo was of Harper, half-naked in a motel room. He appeared to be sleeping. But she knew he was dead.
The letter was short and to the point.
Adeline ~
I told you two months ago that if you changed allegiances, you would regret it. I want what you owe me. You have forty-eight hours, or you’re next.
I know you won’t say anything to the police or FBI, because I have enough evidence to bury you. Not only evidence of our arrangement, but proof that you had your husband killed.
~ Tobias
Adeline was shaking so hard that she dropped the letter. The words blurred, and her eyes were drawn again to the photo. There was no proof that she had had Harper killed because she hadn’t had him killed! What had Tobias done?
This was not happening. It could not be happening. She hadn’t heard a word from Tobias after she broke off what had once been a mutually beneficial financial arrangement. He’d been completely destroyed when the DEA shut down his gun-and-drug-smuggling operation. His inside cop had been arrested. Certainly that person would spill the beans eventually, and Adeline had had to cut all ties so she wouldn’t be caught up in the fallout. It had been a business decision, and she and Tobias were business people. She thought he’d understood that, his temper tantrum two months ago notwithstanding.
She hadn’t taken his threat seriously because he had no more power.
He’d had Harper killed? That’s what his threat meant?
Adeline paced, her heart racing. This could not be happening to her. Not now.
She hated being scared. Why was she scared of that man? He had nothing. He’d barely gotten out of Trejo’s compound alive, according to her sources. How could he think that anyone would believe she had something to do with Harper’s death?
He couldn’t possibly frame her for Harper’s murder! He couldn’t create evidence out of thin air.
Yet … maybe it was possible. Two months ago he’d had great power. What if he still had someone inside the police force? Someone to plant evidence? Someone to implicate her?
Dammit! What was she going to do? She couldn’t just sit here and take it. And giving him money? She’d had to spend a small fortune to protect herself when Tobias had lost the gun shipment. She’d had to placate people, make sure they understood that it was Tobias, and not her, who had screwed up. It was the cost of doing business, she’d told him, and she stood by it.
She had to fix this. And the only way to fix it was to take out Tobias himself.
Except … she had no idea where he was. She didn’t know what he looked like, or if Tobias was his real name. They worked through an intermediary. She’d talked to him on secure phones, but she’d never met with him in person. He was particular about that—she didn’t know why. Their arrangement had been working beautifully for years until he’d screwed up.
That was on him, not her.
If she couldn’t take out Tobias, she’d do the next best thing—take out his entire operation. And she knew exactly who to call to have it done. She’d use the rest of Tobias’s money to pay for it.
Fitting.
If Tobias thought that she was so weak that she’d cave because he killed her husband, he would learn that he’d screwed with the wrong woman.
She pulled a secure cell phone out of her desk and dialed the private number of Javier Marquez, whom she’d started doing business with exclusively after Tobias nearly got caught by the authorities.
“It’s Sunday,” Marquez said.
“Tobias had my husband killed and threatened me.”
“Why is this my problem?”
“He threatened our new arrangement.”
“Tobias knows better than to come after my operation, especially when he’s been cut off at the knees. You worry too much, Adeline.”
“He’s rebuilding.”
“Hmm.”
“I can tell you who and where. It’s Jamie Sanchez’s old operation. They moved safe houses. I know where they are.”
“It will cost you. This goes beyond our agreement.”
“I understand.”
“Send Mr. Contreras to me with the information and payment. I will take care of it.”
CHAPTER TEN