“What does this mean? Am I in trouble?”
“No, Mr. Huang, you’re not in any trouble. But I would strongly suggest that you don’t discuss this meeting with anyone—not in Mr. Hart’s office, not among your family, friends, staff, no one. Write everything down, and we’ll get you back home. We don’t want Mr. Hart to get suspicious.”
Huang started writing.
Matt motioned to Dean and they both left the room. “Shouldn’t we put him in protective custody?” Matt asked. “If we’re right, Hart may have conspired to have him killed.”
Dean seemed surprised. “Do you actually believe Hart himself had something to do with the shooting? Over a sketchy contract?”
“Yes, but I don’t think this is about that consulting contract, not specifically. I think Huang knows more about it, or that contract will lead us to Rykov or other illegal activities. That would damage Hart far more than Rykov. How would Rykov know that Huang was going to be at that press conference? It’s not part of his typical duties. Hart brought Huang in specifically for the event.”
Dean considered, but wasn’t convinced. “Huang may know more, but it’s difficult to interview a witness who doesn’t know what he knows, if you catch my drift.”
“Show him the pictures of Rykov, the shooter, everyone involved. Maybe something will come to mind.” Matt glanced at his watch. “Archives should have delivered the case Alex flagged yesterday. I want to go through it personally. She commented that the address was familiar, and when I dug deeper I learned that Tommy Cordell had been the arresting officer and Anthony Monteith—a drug lawyer—handled the defense even though no drugs were involved. The defendant was convicted and killed in prison. The whole case feels weird, but I won’t know until I read the transcripts and look at the evidence.”
“Let me know if you find anything before I meet with Alex at noon. I hope to bring something to the AUSA this week. If Huang helps us, we can take down Travis Hart first and flip him on Rykov.”
“You want to offer him a deal.” Matt hated the idea.
“Travis Hart will lose his career and be dis-barred, but he’s not a killer. He’s a corrupt politician. Rykov is dangerous. He traffics in human lives. I can’t let him walk. If we get something solid on Hart and the AUSA is behind me, I’m taking what we have to him and offering him a deal. I don’t need you to agree, Matt.”
Matt didn’t have to like it, but Dean was right. There were levels of crime, and while no prosecutor liked offering a deal to any criminal, there were valid reasons to do so. Sergei Rykov was one very valid reason.
“Whatever you need from my office, you’ll have it,” Matt said.
***
Alex walked into the coffeehouse in Old Sacramento and, after grabbing a large coffee, found a table in the corner where she could watch the door. She was practically smiling. She’d slept better than she’d had in quite some time.
From her pocket she pulled the note Matt had left on her nightstand.
Alex ~
I had to leave early to go home and dress for work. I’ll see you at the meeting with Dean at noon.
I told you we were compatible. Very compatible. I want to see you tonight. My place, so I don’t have to run out at the crack of dawn.
XO ~ Matt
Compatible? She’d call them combustible. She wasn’t going to read too much into their relationship, not right now. She was simply going to enjoy it. Enjoy Matt. See what happened, where this thing between them led, and not force anything.
But she certainly liked the D.A. Very, very much.
Alex’s best friend Detective Selena Black slid into the chair next to her. “You’re smiling. Spill.”
Alex couldn’t help herself. She showed Selena the note. She felt like she was in high school again, giggling over a crush. Except this was more than a crush.
“Matt Elliott? As in the hottest D.A. in the country Matt Elliott?”
Alex grinned and snatched the note from Selena’s fingers. She slipped it back in her pocket and sipped her coffee. “But keep it between us. I’m not going to tell anyone for awhile.”
“Why not?”
“I don’t want to jinx it.” She realized she probably shouldn’t have told Selena, either. If she took this position with Hart, she had to keep any relationship with Matt secret. The thought sobered her up quickly. “And there’s some people who can’t know.”
“Spill.”
She bit her lip. “It’s complicated. And I’m serious, this conversation can not go anywhere.”
“Alex, this is me. Selena. Who had your back at the police academy? Who’s your closest friend? I won’t repeat a word, but obviously something is bothering you.”
Alex still didn’t quite know how to bring up the subject. She started by hedging a bit. “You might not even be able to help, because you’re working sex crimes.”
“Ask. Anything.”
“Have you ever had any suspicion that my ex Jim might not be squeaky clean?”