Page 89 of What Doesn't Kill You…

Rochelle wandered out into the hallway to get some privacy. "Something has changed," she said, hating that she had to be the one to deliver the news. "You had an undercover agent working security for Damien."

There was a tense silence on the other end of the phone. "How do you know that?"

"It's not important." She took a breath, but Rick spoke first.

"You said had," he said, a sense of knowing already in his voice.

"I'm sorry, Rick. He was killed yesterday."

There was low cursing on the other end of the phone. "He was a good man," Rick sounded strained. "Was it Poole?"

"No, but he was killed because he worked for Poole." She'd explain properly when there was more time. "I have a recorded conversation between Poole and his partner, talking about your agent's death. And there's mention of a shipment and keeping everything secure in the florist's warehouse. That's the last location your guy worked, guarding a private room at the back of the warehouse. I know it isn't a smoking gun, but it might give you some probable cause to go in and find out what happened to your agent."

There was silence.

"Also," she continued. "By the end of the night, we should have more evidence we can pass your way."

"Do I want to know how you'll manage that miracle?"

"Probably not," she said.

"And what do you want for this information?" Rick sounded resigned.

"I want you to herd Damien's partner to Wedding Island. I want you to place a DEA presence in the water around St. Patrice that will make it impossible for Damien and his partner to meet away from the island. I want Wedding Island to look like a sanctuary to these guys, the only safe place they can hole up out of the storm."

"Why are you so desperate for the meeting to take place on Wedding Island?"

"I have a client," Rochelle said. "He needs to know who the partner is, and this is the only way to make it happen for him. If we miss this chance, who knows when and where the next meeting will be. It's tonight or never. Will you help me?" She held her breath.

"I don't know, Chelle." Rick sounded conflicted. At least it wasn't a straight out no this time. "I'm gonna need more than a vague recorded conversation, and a report we lost a man. Merz wasn't due to check in for another week. From an official perspective, we don't even know he's gone missing yet, let alone he's dead. We need proof."

"I have his phone, is that proof enough?"

"How the hell did you get his phone?"

"Let's just say it was removed from him shortly before he was killed. Surely, him losing his phone is evidence enough something has gone wrong."

Rick sighed. "You haven't looked at it yet?"

"We haven't had time to hack it. We've been kinda busy trying to force the meeting back to Wedding Island." She pinched the bridge of her nose, feeling a headache start behind her sinuses. Tension, probably. Lord knows she had more than her fair share. "Rick, we can help each other. I promise you that by the end of the night, you'll have more than enough evidence to blow Wedding Island sky high. But I can't get it alone. I need you to herd Damien's partner to the island. Will you help me?"

"Fine," Rick said. "But I want that phone and anything else you have. And you better not let me down on your promise of more evidence after tonight."

"When have I ever broken a promise?" she said, relief in her voice.

"Never." There was a smile in his.

Rochelle took another weary breath. "There's one more thing."

"What?" He didn't even sound surprised.

"There are at least two other crime bosses on the island this weekend. It looks like they're there for weddings, but we think they're there to negotiate with Damien and his partner."

There was a heavy pause. "I haven't heard anything about this," he said, sounding worried.

Rochelle had to wonder if his undercover agent had been passing along all the information he should have. "I'm only telling you what we've seen. There's a guy from Romania and another from Paraguay. Midrange crime operations. One deals in drugs, the other guns."

"What the hell is going on over there?" Rick said with exasperation. "And why am I only hearing about this now?"