“Then explain.”
Vane finally broke.
“Harlan wasn't working alone.”
Marcus went still.
“Who?”
Vane shook his head.
“If I tell you, I'm dead.”
“You're already in trouble.”
“You don't know who you're dealing with.”
Marcus leaned forward.
“Who?”
Vane whispered a name.
Chief Deputy Raymond Cole.
Marcus felt the room change.
Cole was one of the most respected law-enforcement officials in the region.
Twenty-nine years in service.
Awards.
Community appearances.
Charity events.
Television interviews.
A reputation for honesty.
Marcus had met him several times.
He had never suspected him.
Vane continued.
“Cole knew about the cash.”
“How?”
“He got a percentage.”
Marcus stared.
“How much?”
“Ten percent.”
“And Harlan?”
“Fifty.”
“Where did the rest go?”
Vane looked toward the door.
“Up.”
Marcus frowned.
“Up where?”
Vane's voice dropped.
“People higher than Cole.”
The Second Investigation
The investigation suddenly became dangerous.
Not physically.
At first.
It became dangerous because people began receiving calls.
A witness withdrew her statement.
Another stopped answering.
A records clerk suddenly requested leave.
A prosecutor received an anonymous message telling him to “watch his family.”
Marcus realized someone inside the system knew about the investigation.
They had been compromised.
He told Simone to stay away.
She refused.
“You brought me into this.”
“I brought you into the first operation.”
“Then don't pretend I'm not involved now.”
Marcus stared at his sister.
“You don't understand what these people can do.”
Simone looked at the evidence spread across his desk.
“No.”
She shook her head.
“I understand exactly what they can do.”
Then she pointed at the financial records.
“But they have a weakness.”
“What?”
“They think money is invisible.”
Marcus frowned.
Simone began connecting the transactions.
Dates.
Times.
Locations.
Amounts.
She noticed something Marcus had missed.
Every suspicious deposit was made shortly after a cash seizure.
But the deposits were always rounded down.
Not exactly the amount stolen.
The difference was consistent.
Ten percent.
She looked at Marcus.
“Cole.”
Marcus understood.
Cole was receiving his share immediately.
They tracked his financial records.
Then his phone.
Then his meetings.
The evidence led them to a private meeting between Cole and Harlan scheduled for Friday night.
Investigators prepared an operation.
But Harlan had already realized something was wrong.
The Betrayal
Harlan was released pending further investigation.
That was the moment Marcus feared most.
A corrupt officer who believed the investigation was closing in could become unpredictable.
Harlan went home.
He packed a bag.
He withdrew cash.
Then he drove to Cole's house.
They met in the garage.
“You told me everything was handled,” Harlan said.
Cole looked furious.
“It was.”
“Then why am I under investigation?”
“You made a mistake.”
Harlan stepped closer.
“What mistake?”
“You took the bait.”
Harlan stared.
“What bait?”
“The woman.”
Silence.
“You knew?”
Cole didn't answer.
Harlan suddenly understood.
“You knew she was wired.”
Cole's expression hardened.
“I suspected.”
“You sent me into that stop?”
“I didn't send you anywhere.”
“You knew!”
Harlan's voice echoed through the garage.
Cole stepped closer.
“You were becoming a liability.”
Harlan stared at him.
“You're throwing me away.”
“I'm protecting myself.”
That sentence was recorded.
Not by accident.
An investigator had placed a listening device inside the garage earlier that afternoon.
The conversation continued for eleven minutes.
By the end of it, investigators had something stronger than suspicion.
They had a confession.
But one question remained.
Who were the people “above” Cole?
The Fall
The arrests happened simultaneously.