Page 78 of The Hero
His belief in her instantly made some of the butterflies dissipate.
They arrived at the police station, and Marlowe met the police chief, Alfred Rutkey. He welcomed her and led her to a small interrogation room. The room was packed with too many chairs around a small table, and a phone was sitting smack dab in the middle.
Suddenly everything was very real, and Marlowe wasn’t sure she could do this after all. The last time she’d talked to Ian, he was promising to do the right thing and reassuring her that he’d return the coins. Then the second he had the chance, he’d turned on her.
What did Marlowe know about blackmail? Or getting people to admit to their wrongdoing? Obviously not very much, considering she’d been the one who’d ended up behind bars and not Ian. But it was okay. As promised, she, Kendric, and his friends had devised a loose script with talking points designed to coerce a confession. She could do this.
“You’ve got this, Punky,” Kendric said into her ear, reading her thoughts. He was behind her, with a hand on the small of her back.
She took a deep breath and felt more centered, walking into the room and taking a seat at the table. Chappy, Cal, and JJ followed them in and sat as well. The police chief took the seat across from her, and Kendric pulled a chair up so close, his thigh was plastered to hers when he sat down. His hand rested on her leg, grounding her.
“Right, so this call is to let West know you’re back in the States,” the chief coached. “Follow his lead, but also try to chat with him about nothing for a while, see if you can get him to lower his guard. If he asks how you got out of jail, be vague, say that you had a really good lawyer who convinced the judge to release you on a technicality or something. Don’t accuse him right off the bat. Feel him out.
“When you think he’s relaxed a little, use your talking points. Turn the conversation to the dig. The coins. Remind him that you know he took them—then reveal that youalsoknow he’s got a buyer. Threaten him with the authorities if he won’t cut you in on the deal. He mightnot care. He’ll know he can turn you in just as easily. But hopefully the threat alone will be enough to make him agree to your terms.”
The chief gave her a look. “If he won’t agree, then remember—at the very least, we need him to admit that he planted the drugs. Above all else, we need to get those charges against you dropped. Do you have any questions?”
Marlowe took a deep breath and let it out slowly. She’d been over all the details with Kendric several times already. She’d been told what the computer guy, Tex, had found out about the seller, and how Ian was auctioning the coins on the dark web. She had all the info she needed to scare the crap out of him and hopefully get him to slip and admit he had the coins. She just had to be strong and get through this call.
There was a lot riding on the next few minutes, and Marlowe hoped she didn’t screw it up.
“No questions. I’m ready,” she said more confidently than she felt.
Kendric squeezed her leg, letting her know without words that he was there. That he believed in her.
Chief Rutkey nodded and pulled the phone over to him and hit the speaker button. The dial tone sounded especially loud in the small room. He dialed a number, then turned the phone around so the speaker was in front of her. This was it. There was no going back.
Bob didn’t like this. Not at all. But Marlowe needed the closure this call with West could provide. She was as stiff as a board next to him, and it was killing him that the only thing he could do to try to make this easier was remain close.
The phone sitting on the table rang three times, then West finally picked up.
“Hello?”
“Hello, Ian. It’s Marlowe Kennedy.”
Bob flinched. No. She was MarloweEvans. His wife. But he obviously couldn’t correct her.
There was silence on the other end of the phone for a moment before West replied.
“Holy crap, Marlowe? Are you okay? Are you home?”
“Yes, and yes ... no thanks to you.”
So much for the chief’s suggestion about being polite and working her way into the conversation. Bob tightened his hold on her leg. She was angry, it was easy to see.
“What do you mean?” Ian asked, trying to sound innocent.
“Cut the crap, Ian, you knowexactlywhat I mean,” Marlowe said, leaning forward. “You planted those pills in my stuff and called the cops on me.”
“What? No, I didn’t!”
“Yes, you did. There was no one else who had any reason to get me out of the way except for you. We had that conversation about you stealing those coins, and you promised to return them. And the next thing I know, I’m being interrogated and thrown in jail, scared out of my head. That was your plan, wasn’t it? Get me out of the way so I couldn’t tell anyone what you did. And now you’re back here in the States, looking for a buyer for those coins.”
“Look, I know I screwed up on the dig, but I did just as you asked,” he blurted, talking fast. “I returned the coins. They’re back in Thailand where they belong.”
“You’re such a liar. Do you think I’m an idiot?” Marlowe asked, bitterness lacing her question. “Don’t answer that, I know you do. I’ve been a good person, Ian. Nice. Easygoing. But I’mdonetaking shit from people. And lucky you, you get to experience my newfound backbone firsthand.”
“I don’t think you’re an idiot. And youarenice, Marlowe,” Ian said.
