Chapter 11 - FREE DOESN’T MEAN SAFE
Pike placed the papers on the table.
“The district attorney is dismissing the robbery charge.”
Daniel didn’t touch them.
“You’re free to go.”
Still, Daniel didn’t move.
Pike frowned.
“What?”
Daniel looked at Collins.
She said nothing.
Pike noticed the phone in her hand.
His eyes dropped to the frozen image.
His own face.
Everything changed.
Pike shut the door.
“Where did you get that?”
Daniel stood.
“You tell me.”
“Daniel—”
“Were you working with Wallace?”
“No.”
“Were you working with Baker?”
“No.”
“Then why are you in that video?”
Pike looked toward the hallway.
Collins shifted closer to the door.
“Answer him.”
Pike exhaled.
“I was undercover.”
Daniel laughed.
“Of course.”
“It’s true.”
“You expect me to believe that?”
“No. I expect you to be angry.”
“You put me in jail.”
“Yes.”
“While you were investigating the people who framed me?”
“Yes.”
Daniel crossed the room.
Pike didn’t back away.
“You knew?”
“Not at first.”
“When?”
Pike hesitated.
Daniel’s eyes narrowed.
“When?”
“Three weeks after your arrest.”
Daniel hit him.
One punch.
Clean across the mouth.
Collins grabbed Daniel immediately.
Pike stumbled against the wall.
Nobody drew a weapon.
Nobody shouted.
Daniel pulled free.
“You knew for two months?”
Pike wiped blood from his lip.
“I suspected.”
“You left me here.”
“If I moved too early, Wallace would disappear.”
“I don’t care!”
“I know.”
“My family paid the price for your investigation.”
“I know.”
“Stop saying you know!”
Pike slammed his hand against the table.
“You think I slept?”
Daniel stared at him.
Pike’s voice shook.
“You think I enjoyed watching a case get built around an innocent man?”
“Then stop it!”
“I couldn’t prove it!”
“You could have told my lawyer.”
“And if Wallace learned we were looking at him, the evidence disappears.”
“It disappeared anyway!”
Pike looked away.
That landed.
Daniel breathed hard.
“So what was worth it?”
Pike slowly faced him.
“Wallace isn’t just bribing inspectors.”
“What else?”
“He launders money through construction projects.”
“For who?”
“Organized theft crews. Drug traffickers. Two city officials.”
Daniel stared.
Pike continued.
“Thomas Bell threatened to expose the entire network. Baker killed him.”
“And Richard?”
“Ordered it.”
Daniel looked at his release papers.
“So I was bait.”
Pike said nothing.
That answer was enough.
Daniel picked up the papers.
Then tore them in half.
Pike blinked.
“What are you doing?”
“You think paper fixes this?”
“No.”
“You think walking through that door makes me free?”
“No.”
Daniel stepped closer.
“My kids were just held in a hallway by an armed officer.”
Pike nodded.
“I’m sorry.”
“I don’t want sorry.”
“What do you want?”
Daniel looked toward the room where Elena and the kids waited.
“I want them safe.”
Pike’s expression hardened.
“Then you need to leave the city tonight.”
Daniel stared at him.
“What?”
“Wallace knows Evan talked.”
“So arrest Wallace.”
Pike’s silence answered first.
Daniel felt dread rise.
“Where is he?”
“We went to his house.”
“And?”
“Gone.”
“When?”
“Security camera shows he left at 6:40 this morning.”
Daniel looked at Collins.
The storage unit had been entered at 7:03.
Twenty-three minutes later.
Pike nodded.
“We think Wallace took the explosive.”
Elena opened the door.
“What explosive?”
Nobody spoke.
She looked at Daniel.
“Tell me.”
Before Daniel could answer, his phone rang.
It was the first time he had held his own phone in eighty-nine days.
Unknown number.
Pike said, “Don’t answer.”
Daniel answered.
“Hello?”
Richard Wallace’s voice came through.
“Happy birthday, Danny.”
Daniel went completely still.
Richard laughed softly.
“Enjoy being free.”
May you like
A pause.
“Because your house won’t be there when you get home.”
