Stolen. Part 4

They rose from the bench and started along one of the paths leading into Central Park. It was more crowded than Deanna liked, but what could she expect on a clear autumn day?

"I almost didn't come," Juan said, "except I promised Meredith. And, ultimately, it's the right thing to do."

Deanna had plenty of questions, but she started at the beginning.

"Meredith told me that you sat with her last year on the D.C. hiring panel."

"Correct. From September until March. It was supposed to be a one-year a.s.signment, but they disbanded our panel in March."

"Because of Lucy Kincaid."

"That wasn't explicitly stated, but both Meredith and I felt that because we voiced our concerns over the process we were rea.s.signed."

"And this was Kincaid's second panel, correct?"

Juan nodded. "The first rejected her application on a two-to-one vote; so did we. The third panel member, Nolan Ca.s.sidy, was originally from the Sacramento office, where Kincaid's sister-in-law works as the SSA of Violent Crimes. I don't believe he was impartial, and I felt he should have recused himself even though he said he'd never met Ms. Kincaid, nor had he worked directly with her sister-in-law."

"Still reeks of nepotism." Deanna stepped aside when two teenage bikers came up the path.

"I almost quit when Hans Vigo stepped in and over-ruled our decision."

"a.s.sistant Director Hans Vigo?" Dr. Vigo was way up the ladder and currently served as liaison between national headquarters and Quantico. He was well known among field agents because of his longtime stint in the Behavorial Science Unit and the three years he taught at Quantico.

"Dr. Vigo told us our decision was overruled and that we weren't allowed to discuss the proceedings with each other, or anyone else. It was quite heavy-handed, and left a bad taste in my mouth."

"I'd feel the same."

"Then, nearly two months ago, an agent from the D.C. office came to both me and Meredith and asked if we'd told anyone about what happened, and then reiterated that we were forbidden from discussing it."

"And had you?"

"I didn't, but Meredith had. She didn't admit it, but since I knew I hadn't talked about it with anyone, and there was no reason for Ca.s.sidy to do so, it had to be Meredith. She's worried about her career. She's only a couple years from retirement; she shouldn't have to stress over an upstart newbie agent who gets a pa.s.s on the process because of who she knows."

"You're loyal to Meredith."

"I'm angry that the process has been perverted. As far as I'm concerned, Lucy Kincaid shouldn't be a federal agent. I hope the instructors at Quantico see the same problems with her that we saw." He glanced at Deanna, then motioned toward a bench across from the stone bridge that crossed the north part of the lake near 77th Street. It was quiet here under the shade of an oak tree. The few people who pa.s.sed them didn't pay any undue attention.

"You told Meredith that you were investigating Kincaid's boyfriend, Sean Rogan."

"Yes. I have been tracking him for years, but only recently have I uncovered a solid lead."

"Tell me about the investigation," Juan said.

Deanna didn't want to share, because this was where her involvement could get dicey. Deanna's boss knew she was looking at Colton Thayer for mortgage fraud, but she'd created that cover story so he'd give her some room to work. Technically, Thayer's crimes would be covered under the cybercrime unit, but every time she'd tried to get back on the squad she'd been stymied-because of what happened at Stanford. So she made up a scam and her boss gave her some room to build a case.

But there was nothing on Thayer, at least related to white-collar crime. She falsified enough reports to give a hint of something fishy without having enough evidence to turn over the case to the U.S. Attorney's Office. Her boss had bigger cases to manage, so her Thayer investigation slipped under the radar.

She told Martinez, "There have been a series of thefts in Manhattan that we believe are tied to Colton Thayer, a known computer hacker. He's hard to track-Cybercrime has been working on him for years. His M.O. is to stay clean for long stretches of time. Because I have a background in accounting, I've been kept in the loop." Mostly true. "Thayer and Rogan were at MIT together and suspected of a whole host of cybercrimes, but nothing was ever proved and the statute of limitations has long since pa.s.sed. However, Rogan has been in New York for the last three weeks and has been seen at Thayer's residence."

"You suspect they're working on something together? Like what?"

"Right before Rogan moved to New York he split from his brother's security company. The only reason I learned this is because Rogan had high-level government security, which was suspended by RCK. However, Rogan had access to top-secret projects RCK was contracted for with both our government and defense contractors."

Juan frowned. "I know a bit about Rogan, from our interviews with Kincaid. He doesn't seem to be one for treason."

Deanna couldn't lose Juan now, not when she was so close. "But he is one for power and money. Probably not treason, but he can use his skills and knowledge to hack into any system he wants. Without his brother to rein him in, he's gone rogue. His involvement with Thayer proves it." That was Deanna's theory. "And Thayer had a recent influx of cash. It appears to be legit, but my team is going through it with a fine-toothed comb." Meaning her. She had no team-she was in this all on her own, with Steve Gannon's help on occasion.

But she felt in her gut that this was it, this was her last shot. Taking down Rogan would fix her career and rebuild her reputation, which was still damaged even after all these years. She had nightmares about the continuing snickers and comments. How she'd stood on the stage at Stanford, in front of two hundred law enforcement professionals, and right after she had proclaimed that her system was foolproof, Rogan had hacked it and exposed one of his professors as a pedophile.

There were even some who said Rogan should have been hired to fix the security. Like he was some sort of white-hat vigilante.

But she'd prove he was a criminal. She might even get a promotion to SSA. Her own squad to run. Vindication.

Juan asked, "Do you think Lucy Kincaid is part of his scheme?"

"Not that I know of," Deanna admitted. "She's been at Quantico for the last ten weeks, but she and Rogan are still involved, and I know he's guilty."

"If you have proof, why hasn't he been brought in for an interview? Or indicted? Do you have a grand jury working on this?"

Juan's questions were all good, too good, and Deanna hedged. "I don't have any authority to go after Rogan right now, not unless I can connect him to Thayer. That's where Kincaid comes in-I want her to tell me what's going on. Either she's a total idiot and doesn't know what her boyfriend is up to, or she's part of it-and either way, she shouldn't be an FBI agent."

Juan scowled. "You're right about that."

Deanna gained confidence. Laying out her suspicions about Rogan hadn't helped her case with Martinez, but tying it back to Lucy Kincaid gave Deanna the bait she needed to hook him.

"I need leverage. If I'm going to get her to turn on her boyfriend, I need to understand her. Unfortunately, her file is full of holes, redacted, or sealed."

This was where Deanna hoped she had played her cards right-that Juan would tell her everything he knew about Lucy Kincaid and why he had voted against her hire.

"I'm not surprised you haven't been able to learn anything about Kincaid," Juan said. "My read on her is that she wouldn't care one way or the other about financial schemes or computer hacking. Her sole purpose for being an FBI agent is to work s.e.x crimes. She has a vendetta. She's psychologically unstable, though she hides it very well."

That information was more than Deanna had expected. She pushed. "A vendetta? Why?"

"When she was eighteen, she killed her rapist. He was unarmed. Essentially, it was vigilante violence on her part-which is almost funny, considering that she put another FBI agent in prison for allegedly orchestrating a vigilante group."

"Fran Buckley." Deanna remembered the case. "I read in Kincaid's thin file that she'd worked with Buckley for a predator watchdog group."

Juan nodded. "I believe that Kincaid is volatile and potentially dangerous to herself and her partner. She received little psychological counseling after her rape, and none of it on record with the FBI. Her rape was a traumatic event to be sure-it was digitally recorded and shown live on the Internet. I don't blame her for killing her attacker-I think anyone in the same situation would have been justified. Except that when she emptied her gun into his chest, he was not a threat to her or anyone else. It was overkill."

"She killed him in cold blood?"

Juan nodded, his lips pursed. "Kincaid has a master's in criminal psychology. Her brother is a forensic shrink who is close personal friends with Dr. Vigo, who's the one who cleared her psychologically. There are ethical and moral problems with Dr. Vigo doing the a.s.sessment. I think they conspired to rubber-stamp her acceptance because she's this wonderchild to them. But there's no way they can know what she will do when put in the line of fire. There's no way to know how she'll react. She has a history of panic attacks, but you won't see that in her professional record. She discussed them with the panel.

"I'll admit," Juan continued, "she has an impressive background with a lot to offer-just not to the FBI. We don't need any more wild or rogue agents. Kincaid's brother is married to Kate Donovan, who was a fugitive for five years, but suddenly, because of her connections high up in the Bureau, she's teaching cybercrime at Quantico after a six-month suspension? Hans Vigo was her training agent, and he's the one who overruled our panel to get her sister-in-law into the program. There's something not right about this whole thing."

Deanna's head was spinning with the many connections, but this was all good stuff. Kincaid was definitely the weak link. If she wanted to become an FBI agent so badly she'd break all the rules to get there, then she'd turn on her boyfriend in a heartbeat to protect it all.

"What would encourage her to talk to me about her boyfriend? What scares her?"

"Losing her slot. She was so determined, so certain she was going to be at the Academy, I'm pretty sure it was already established that if our panel rejected her she would still be admitted."

"Arrogant," Deanna mumbled. Just like her boyfriend.

Juan nodded. "She's already been reprimanded by her cla.s.s supervisor at Quantico. She's been before the disciplinary panel twice. Both times, a slap on the wrist. No expulsion."

"How do you know?"

"I have friends." He didn't elaborate. He handed her a thick envelope. "These are my notes. We weren't allowed to keep or copy any of the files, and though Kincaid's file is sealed, we were allowed to review it during the hiring process. This is what I remember as important."

She took the envelope, resisting the urge to hug Juan. She would dig into this file tonight and find the nugget that would force Lucy to help her.

Or she'd be going in front of the disciplinary panel again. And maybe this time get her a.s.s booted.

"Thank you," she said.

"I will deny speaking to you, Deanna."

"I'm not going to tell anyone. I didn't even tell my partner that we were meeting. You're doing the right thing." Deanna squeezed the envelope again, almost disbelieving that she finally had something tangible to work with.

Juan stood up. "Kincaid is a wild card who plays by her own rules. On one hand, she appears to do everything by the book, but it's clear she's had people helping her every step of the way. On the other hand, she's both smart and deadly, and has proved she'll do anything to further her goals. I don't know how she got everyone wrapped around her finger, why they look the other way when she goes off on her Nancy Drew investigations, but that is what makes her dangerous. I hope you're right about Sean Rogan, and that she is helping him. Because an overt crime that can't be buried by the powers that be is probably the only thing that will get Lucy Kincaid kicked out of the Bureau."

CHAPTER SIX.

Sean had found the Irish pub on Lafayette shortly after he rented the apartment in New York, and it had become his favorite place to think. Or not think. His apartment often felt like a prison with Noah downstairs watching and pushing him. Intellectually he understood why he was on Noah's bad side, but sometimes, like last night, it hit him hard.

Sunday afternoon, like now, when it was too late for lunch but too early for dinner, was Sean's favorite time of day. Most of the patrons were fixated on football and didn't give him a second glance. Which was good, because he wasn't in the mood for small talk.

He ordered a Harp on tap and stared at his phone until Colton finally responded to his text message.

I'll be there in twenty minutes.

Sean breathed deeply, slowly let it out. After last night's near-miss with the RCK security system, Sean needed to know the truth. He was tired of Colton playing the trust me card: Sean didn't trust him. Not anymore.

Unfortunately, Sean wasn't sure his old friend was going to give him the answers he needed. He'd been pondering the endgame all day while helping Noah dig deeper on Evan Weller and Carol Hattori, until Noah's bad mood chased him from the building.

Sean knew as soon as Colton walked into the pub, but didn't make a motion to wave him over. Instead, Sean watched Colton in the mirror as he casually crossed the room, more observant than he appeared. Colton had been raised by a single mother after his father left when he was seven and his brother Travis was three. His mom worked two jobs to afford to live in a better school district, and Colton had gone to MIT on a full scholarship. It had been hard on the Thayers. Travis had died when they were kids, and his death had deeply affected Colton to the point that now, two decades later, his choices still related to Travis. Sean knew Colton had subconsciously replaced Travis with him-Travis would have been thirty this year, just like Sean.

Colton sat on the barstool next to Sean. "You've grown soft." He gestured to the lighter brew. The bartender walked over and Colton asked for a black and tan, Guinness over Ba.s.s ale. He and Sean had drunk the concoction at their favorite bar in college.

Sean said, "I'll have one as well."

He drained the rest of his Harp and pushed the empty pint forward.

Colton grinned. "It's really great to have you back."

"I told you before, it's temporary while I get my life straightened out."

"I know what you said."

"Evan nearly screwed the entire operation yesterday."

"Evan told me what happened."

That surprised Sean. "Everything?"

"That he didn't know it was an RCK security system until yesterday and he was afraid you'd pull out if you knew."

"That's bulls.h.i.t."

"I don't think he's lying."

"That makes one of us."

"Why would he jeopardize the operation? I've done my research, Sean."

"I don't know why. Maybe he's as sick and tired of Skye flirting with me as I am and wants to take me out."

Colton snorted. "We need you on this, Sean. You're the best."

"You keep saying that, but I don't even know what you have planned. I really don't like being kept in the dark. Based on what we learned from PBM and what you're telling me, I can't see the big picture. That's why I need to take a step back."

Colton didn't say anything until after the bartender delivered the two pints. Then Colton sipped, carefully placed his drink on the coaster. "You used to trust me."

"I did."

"Did?"

Now Sean had to spill what he suspected. Noah thought the move was risky, but if what Sean knew was the truth, Colton would expect him to ask. And if he was wrong? That meant there was someone else with information that could land Sean in prison.

"You ratted me out to Senator Jonathan Paxton."

Sean was watching Colton's reaction in the bar mirror. He wasn't surprised at the mention of Paxton, but he looked confused.

"Ratted you out for what?"

"You set me up so I'd have no choice but to work for you," Sean said. "You used him to get to me."

Colton became agitated. "I don't know what the h.e.l.l you're talking about, Sean."

"Are you denying you know the senator?"

Colton looked into his beer. "I still don't know what you're saying, Sean. I would never turn on you."