Page 81 of The B-Team

They’d attacked his people, tried to destroy his business, made his family worry—and for what?

Yes, Lake was very angry.

As the door opened, Ms. Patel leaned into him. “This sweater is new, so I’d appreciate it if you could refrain from getting blood on it. It costs a fortune to clean cashmere properly.”

Lake didn’t smile. He wasn’t amused. His attention was firmly focused on the man in front of him.

Garry made a point of ignoring Lake while he sat at the table, DI Singh beside him. Once he’d settled himself, whispered to his DI, and checked his paperwork, Garry looked up at Lake. He pressed the button to start the recording.

“Interview commenced at nine twenty-two a.m. Present are Commander Garrison Fitzwater.” He gestured to the rest of them to say their names, which they did.

Then Garry sat back in his chair and considered Lake, a gleam of triumph in his eyes. “I hear you want to confess, is that right?”

“Yes,” Lake said, not taking his eyes from Garry.

The commander made no attempt to suppress his smug little smile. “I’m listening.”

Lake didn’t so much as twitch. He remained seated, hands clasped in his lap, as he focused on the enemy.

“I confess,” Lake said, “to having discovered that you’re using your police authority to falsely arrest and bully my team in an attempt to ruin my business.”

Garry started, then sneered at Lake. “I was led to believe this was a serious admission of guilt, not some ploy to air your grievances. Was I mistaken, Ms. Patel?”

She didn’t get a chance to reply because Lake was talking again. “I confess that my team has discovered you’re using your access to a server farm as a cover to hack into Benson Security’s server.”

“Now, see here?—”

Lake continued, “I confess that my staff found the information you were searching for an hour ago.”

Garry’s mouth shut with a snap, but beads of sweat appeared on his forehead. “It’s clear that Mr. Benson doesn’t intend to take this process seriously. This interview is term?—”

“I confess that, in a folder belonging to one of our clients, there’s damning evidence that your uncle, Giles Fitzwater, Minister of State for Policing, Fire and Crime Prevention?—”

Garry shot to his feet. “Stop this!” he shouted. “Stop this recording at once. Do you hear me? The interview is over.”

“My client has the right to be interviewed on record,” Ms. Patel said evenly.

“I confess,” Lake continued, “to having evidence that Giles Fitzwater took mo?—”

Garry launched himself at the table and pressed the button to end the recording. “This interview is over.” Red-faced, his eyes bulging, he turned to the DI at his side. “Take Mr. Benson back to his cell.” He turned and threw open the door.

“You can stop the recording,” Lake said. “But you can’t stop my public confession.”

The commander froze mid-step.

Lake leaned forward, resting his hands on the table. “Through my lawyer, I released a statement to the press just before this interview started. I’m guessing you know exactly what I told them.”

“Get him out of here,” Fitzwater shouted.

It was clear the DI didn’t know what to do.

“I’m happy to go.” Lake stood slowly. “But I won’t be going back to a cell. I’m walking out of this building and taking my team with me.”

Fitzwater exploded and flew toward Lake while behind him, other officers gathered in the doorway, looking shocked and concerned.

“You don’t get to decide what happens here,” Fitzwater spat out, pointing a finger in Lake’s face. “I’m in charge. Do you hear me? I’m in charge!”

“Yes, you are,” Lake said calmly, his gaze fixed firmly on his enemy. “You’re in charge of using your position to keepincriminating evidence of your uncle selling state secrets to China from reaching prime minister, or worse yet, the press. But you’re too late. We found Carla’s files. We found videos she took of Giles with the prostitutes who worked for her. We know in detail what he did with them.” Lake leaned in toward the commander. “What he didtothem. We also have a video of her banning him from her establishment. But, most of all, we have his voice on tape, telling those women all about his deal with China.”