Page 157 of Protecting You
“January, I think.” He must’ve seen something in Callan’s expression because he hurried to say, “Definitely January.”
“How do you remember?”
“It was after that big blizzard. We had to hire extra people to clear the road.”
Specific enough memory that Callan believed him.
Robert went on to explain that in February,Abrahamhad paid Robert to pass along information about Gavin.
“What kind of information?”
“He didn’t say. Just asked for anything I heard, anything I knew. When he was at the club, when he was going to be gone, who he met with. I didn’t think it mattered.” His voice was pleading. “Anyone watching the entrance could see when he was here. I thought…I thought…”
Ghazi was a master manipulator. He’d started small, drawing Robert in. A hundred thousand here, another hundred thousand there. Easy money, especially considering, as far as Robert could tell, nothing was being done with the information.
“I didn’t plan to pass along anything important,” Robert said. “And nothing bad happened to Mr. Wright. I thought, what did it matter? If this fool wanted to pay me, then why not? And I could pay off debts and?—”
“Why not?” Callan got in his face. “How about the fact that Gavin Wright is a former intelligence officer with the CIA? How about the fact that yourAbrahamis a terrorist?”
That had color draining from Robert’s face. “I didn’t know.”
“Irrelevant,” Callan snapped.
Alyssa hadn’t known, either, when she’d started working for the man known as Charles.
Grant clamped a hand on Robert’s shoulder, and he jumped like a skittish cat.
“For future reference,” Grant said, “most terrorists won’t tell you up front what they’re up to.”
“Yes, yes. I…” He seemed unsure what to say. “I was stupid.”
“What happened next?”
“This morning, Abraham asked me to add a name to the guest list for the party.”
Robert must’ve told Ghazi all about the party, long before Alyssa had mentioned it.
“One name.” His tone was pleading. “Someone called Benson.”
The big blond guard had Peri.
Callan’s Peri.
“I thought it wouldn’t matter,” Robert said. “Mr. Wright always has security. I thought?—”
“You thought you’d get paid. A man is dead.” He’d barely let himself think about the silent guard who’d given his life. “And my daughter is gone. But the devil with whoever got hurt.”
Robert’s face crumpled, and he dropped his head. “I didn’t know. I just…I didn’t know.”
Yeah.
When Callan’s phone rang, he let Grant take over questioning and answered. “Is he in custody?”
“He wasn’t there.” Malcolm’s words were dark as a grave. “The place was empty.”
Ghazi had escaped.
Of course he’d escaped. Callan had expected it. Even so, he couldn’t help his fury. “Youlosthim?” Callan’s raised voice had both Grant and Robert looking at him. He turned his back. “How could you let that happen?”
