Page 122 of Smoke Screen
He definitely didn’t, when there was a homicide investigation going on. It was all hearsay anyway, but he’d give Maggie a heads-up. Let her know to put heat on the Veras.
“Who’s this coming forward now, then?” Phin asked. “Why, after almost getting my ass shot yesterday, would I take a chance again?”
“He’s scared.”
“With good reason.”
“My guy says Vera panicked. Called him after the Eckert shooting and told him to move the jewels. He wasn’t sure how much Eckert had told you.”
Zeke may have been right about the danger. And here Phin was standing in the open after he’d promised to stay inside.
Then again, if someone had bypassed the security and was hiding in the trees, Phin would be dead by now.
Definitely not among the unliving. He took a few steps to his right, peeked back toward the trees, just in case. “Vera knows who I am?”
“Not sure. He knows Eckert was meeting with someone. My guy is shitting the bed. He and Vera are the only ones who know where the jewels are. The feds are gonna figure out Eckert worked for Vera. It’s only a matter of time before Vera gets arrested. My guy, too.”
“He’s bolting and needs cash.”
“Precisely. He wants the eleven mil Louis Pierre promised Eckert. If you’re interested, you’ll have to move fast. He’ll be gone by tomorrow.”
Which meant they’d have to recover the jewels today. And with no time to prepare.
Phin tipped his head back, stared up at an impossibly blue sky. They had nothing. No schematics of the target building, no intel on security, nothing.
They’d be flying blind.
“Tomorrow? Jesus, Rory.”
“That’s the deal, Phin. I’ll get you a meeting location and call you back.”
Like hell. “After yesterday,I’llget the location. It’ll be somewhere safe, but I’ll control the environment. Call you back.”
Phin disconnected and, further risking getting shot by the imaginary boogeyman in the trees, took a second to get organized.
Updating his brothers came first. But, knowing them, they’d insist on coming back for planning. A total waste of time considering they’d nailed Louis Three on stealing Maddy’s keys.
If the kid was somehow involved, they needed answers from him.
Divide and conquer. That’s what had to happen. Inside, Maddy no doubt watched him through the window. The minute he stepped inside, she’d be on him.
“Get a plan together, Phinny boy,” he muttered.
Plan first. Then, he’d call Zeke, inform him of said plan and not offer any options. Or, better yet, maybe he wouldn’t call Zeke and just do the meeting.
Easier to beg forgiveness than seek permission.
Dividing and conquering was one thing, going to a meeting alone? Was he that stupid?
No.
Which meant he needed help. And a plan. He tapped his phone against his free hand.
Meeting place.
Somewhere safe and guaranteed not to have a replay of yesterday. Hell, the only place that gave him that kind of confidence was their own house, and there was no way he’d do that. No way.
A niggling thought streamed, his brain zeroing-in on his conversation with Reid the day before.
