Captain Kincaid, the man whod recruited Coop and Seth from the Fourth precinct to work on his organized-crime task force, raised his hands and quieted the room with little more than a stern fatherly look. Coop sat up straight, remembering that same look from his own father. A gung-ho Marine until the day his job took his life, Clint Bellamy had high expectations from all five of his children, especially his oldest son, Coop. And though hed managed to inject plenty of laughter into their lives when hed been home, Clints rules for living had been drilled in hard and often.
Respect for authority went without saying. And Captain Kincaid had earned it.
Being there for the teamwhether that meant backing up his partner or taking care of his mother and younger brothers and sisterswas another tenet in the Bellamy code.
But the rule that had him sitting up and waiting for the captain to explain their next plan of action was that no matter what it required of a man, failure on a mission was not an option.
Coop thumped his partners shoulder, urging him to ease up on the second-guessing. Lets hear what the big dog has to say.
The room quieted, and the captain recapped the task forces accomplishments and remaining goals.
Theodore Wolfes son, Teddy, Jr., had been killed in a shootout with Seth when Teddy had tried to murder the woman who had since become Seths fiancée. Although one of Teddys partners appeared to be a legitimate K.C. businessman, their casino had been temporarily closed until the Treasury Department could straighten out the books. And Teddys right-hand man and Wolfe International enforcer, Shaw McDonoughthe man Sarah Cartwright had identified as a cold-blooded killerhad gone AWOL.
McDonough had skipped the country. His plane ticket out of KCI said Bermuda, but authorities had had no luck tracking him down there. They couldnt even confirm that hed actually gotten off the plane. The bastard could be anywhere on the planet. Spending his money in the Caribbean. Living under an assumed name back in London, still doing his bosss dirty work. Murdering someone else if the price was right.
Coop set down his coffee as the taste went bitter. That fateful night when Sarah had witnessed the murder of Teddys mistress had changed his life, too. And not for the better. Hed screwed up when hed gone to check on her. He hadnt been thinking with his brain. Hed misread signals and moved way too fast. At the very least, his timing had sucked. Hed risked his heart and gotten it thrown back in his face for his troublesand jeopardized his friendship with Seth should the whole truth of those twenty-four hours together with Sarah ever come out.
So what are we supposed to do, Captain? Sit back on our heels and let Wolfe International peddle its influence somewhere else? Seths question was a welcome interruption to Coops self-damning thoughts.
His gaze strayed to the photograph posted on the screen at the front of the room. Theodore Wolfe, Sr. Black hair, silver temples. He could have been a member of Parliament with that high-class suit and demeanor. But there was a much darker side to the multimillionaire mob boss who ruled a gambling empire that touched four continents.
Wolfe was controller of everything he touched. Rich as Midas and as feared as Hades himself. Not a nice guy.
KCPD may have put a stop to his sons criminal career, but Daddy and his number-one henchman remained untouched.
No, Cartwright. There was no doubt that the captain had command of the room. I intend to nail Wolfe on our turf. Weve got unfinished business with him here. Hes responsible for ordering the death of crime reporter Reuben Page the father of Seths fiancée, Rebecca and Danielle Ballard, the intern who was feeding Page information on the bribes Wolfe offered key economic development and zoning committee members.
So that disk Rebecca and I found at the Riverboat casino proves
Wolfes influence? Seth asked.
Captain Kincaid nodded. Absolutely. Plus, Mac Taylor from the forensic lab says hes got a clean bullet from Dawn Kingsleys body that matches the one he took from Reuben Page three years earlier. If we can get him McDonoughs gun, we can link him to both murders and send McDonough to death row.
Along with Sarahs eyewitness testimony.
Captain? Coop had to pipe up with a smart remark sooner or later, or Seth would suspect that something heavy was weighing on his thoughts, and start asking him questions he didnt want to answer. You really think Wolfe and McDonough are stupid enough to return to the scene of the crime?
Not stupidity. Arrogance. And family honor. Coop had to admire the captains thorough profiling of their targets. If one or both of those men dont show up to avenge Teddys death at the hands of KCPD, Ill be surprised. Even if they think Teddy was an embarrassment to the family and Cartwright did them a favor, theyll be back. Sooner or later. Since Wolfe assumed power of his company, he hasnt had a failure.
Cooper grinned. Until he ran into us badasses here in K.C.