Chapter 13 - THE ORDER
Ruiz did not take Declan to the terminal. She took his statement again, this time about the morning Camille drove the car. He told her Sean had borrowed it, mentioned the engine light, and arranged the garage visit. Declan also gave her the names of the men who had helped him attack the Moretti crew afterward.
Ruiz wrote them down.
“You understand we’ll investigate those deaths too,” she said.
“Yes.”
He had spent two years calling it justice. He could see now that Sean had fed him names whenever someone became inconvenient.
As daylight reached the windows, Ruiz received a call from the terminal. Her team had found Sean’s container. Inside were the ledgers, the original port records, and a folder marked with Declan’s initials.
They found Luca Moretti nearby, wounded but alive. Sean had escaped again.
The folder contained a work order from the garage, security images, and an audio recording. Ruiz played it in the interview room with Declan and Camille present.
Sean’s voice came first: “He takes that car most mornings.”
Luca asked, “What if she borrows it?”
Sean answered, “She won’t.”
Camille shut her eyes. Declan gripped the edge of the table.
Luca spoke again. “I want my routes back. That’s all.”
“You’ll get them,” Sean said. “Once Declan’s gone, I’ll sign.”
Ruiz stopped the recording. Declan asked her to play it once more. This time he heard how calm Sean sounded. The bomb had been a business arrangement. Camille had been standing too close to it.
Camille touched Declan’s wrist. He let her hand rest there.
Ruiz’s phone rang before she could say anything. Sean had called the station and asked to speak to his brother.
Declan took the phone on speaker.
“I heard you found the file,” Sean said.
“I did.”
“Then you know I didn’t mean to hurt Camille.”
“You heard she might take the car and left the bomb in it.”
May you like
Sean was quiet for a beat. “Come to Dad’s old house. I’ll give you the rest.”
The call ended. Declan looked at Ruiz. Sean had chosen a house with two roads in and acres of woods behind it. He had grown up playing there. So had Declan.
