Allison Brennan - Playing Dead

Hans said from across the room, “Warren is the only victim with a visible injury.”

“Then how-” Mitch paused. “Poison?”

Grant came in from the kitchen. “There’s a lot of food spread out on the table. We’re bagging it for testing.”

“Poison?” Dave squeezed his eyes shut, then opened them wide and looked around. They were still at Claire’s house. “We all ate the same food. From Claire’s favorite Italian place, just up the street.”

“Who? Did you pick up the food?”

“Phil and Eric got it.”

“Phil?” Mitch questioned. “There’re only four of you here-you, your father, Agent Warren, and someone with an ID and badge named Eric Jordan.”

“Phil-what happened to Phil?”

“That’s a damn good question,” Mitch said, jumping up. He remembered Claire talking about Phil Palmer being Dave’s partner and closest friend. He dialed Meg. “I need everything on Philip Palmer. He’s a cop with Sac PD. Start with his address.”

“I can tell you that,” Dave said, mouth tight. “He lives in South Land Park on Robertson. I’m going with you.”

He tried to stand, then sat down heavily.

“I’ll keep you informed,” Mitch promised Dave and left.

Meg had told him to stand down until backup arrived, but if Phil Palmer had Claire inside, there was no way in hell that Mitch was going to give him one more minute alone with her.

He had Grant and Hans with him outside Phil Palmer’s small post-WWII bungalow in an older, well-maintained Sacramento neighborhood. Grant motioned he would go around back, and held up two fingers.

Mitch painstakingly counted to one hundred and twenty to give Grant enough time to get into place.

Hans had his back, and Mitch knocked on the door.

No answer. Total silence inside.

He knocked again. “Officer Palmer?” he said, forcing his voice to be calm. “There’s been an attack on your partner and we’re concerned about your safety.”

No answer, total silence.

No one was there.

Mitch pounded on the door. “Palmer! This is the FBI! Open up!”

Moments later, gun drawn, Mitch kicked the door twice and it swung in.

Grant came in from the rear entrance. They quickly searched the residence.

No one.

They went through the house again, methodically. It was obvious that Phil Palmer didn’t actually live here. There was some food in the freezer and pantry, but only enough to provide a meal if he had to be here. The house was devoid of clutter, a file cabinet was empty, a computer on the desk had nothing saved to the hard drive.

The house was a front. Phil Palmer had created a public image and Sac PD bought it. So had his friends, partner, and Claire.

Mitch couldn’t lose Claire now. She hated him, and he didn’t blame her, but he would fight for her. He loved her, dammit, he wasn’t going to lose her, to her own hurt feelings or to a psychopath.

Why had Palmer kidnapped Claire? What did he want from her? Was this related to O’Brien’s conviction, or some sick obsession that had developed over the years? If it was related to O’Brien, that meant it was related to Taverton and the past.

“Collier,” Mitch said.

Hans nodded as Grant stared. “Excuse me?”

“Collier knows what’s going on. He has to. Because if he doesn’t know where Phil Palmer took Claire, she’s going to die.” And if Claire died, Mitch wouldn’t-

Don’t. He couldn’t think the worst. He wouldn’t be able to do his job.

I’ll find you, Claire.

On the drive back to headquarters, Mitch spoke to Meg and learned there was no other property owned or leased by Philip Palmer in Sacramento County or any surrounding county. Mitch talked again to Dave Kamanski, who said he didn’t know where Phil would be, or why he would have kidnapped Claire.

“Why didn’t I see something? Phil’s a good friend. My partner. He wouldn’t hurt Claire. Why would he?”

“Hell if I know, but he’s unaccounted for and that’s the only explanation.”

“Phil adores Claire.”

“How much?” Mitch demanded.

“That’s not-”

“Dave, how well do you really know Philip Palmer?”

“He’s been a cop for over fourteen years.”

“Fourteen? He wasn’t on the job when O’Brien was framed for murder?”

“What? What does that have to do with anything? Why aren’t you looking for Claire?”

“When did he start with Sacramento PD?”

“I don’t know-yeah, okay, it was during Tom’s trial. I was on leave, and when I returned he was on my squad. He wasn’t even here during the murders. He lived in Los Angeles.”

Mitch frowned. Maybe he was wrong and Palmer had nothing to do with the Taverton-O’Brien double murder. But why would he kidnap Claire now ? Something had to have happened to make Palmer act now, and the only thing that even remotely fit in was that he knew about or was involved in O’Brien’s frame job. He whispered to Grant, “Call Meg and have her follow up on Palmer being from Los Angeles.”

To Dave, he said, “I need everything you know about Palmer. Family, history, where he went to school, where he grew up, police academy, college, anything. Fax it over.” He gave Dave the fax number in Meg’s office.

Grant pulled into FBI headquarters. Mitch walked directly to Meg’s office. “Anything?”

“Palmer graduated from Los Angeles Police Academy, but never served in LAPD. Sac was his first assignment.”

Odd, but not unheard of. “Fourteen years ago?”

“Yes.”

Mitch frowned. He looked at his notes from his first conversation with Dave. “Palmer is nearly fifty. Isn’t thirty-six a little old to join the academy?”

“I’d think.”

“Dig deeper. There’s something there.”

“I have everyone on it, but we have a crisis with Collier right now. His attorney is here and I don’t see how we can hold him. Matt went around with the U.S. Attorney on charges, and I think they’re on the same page. Matt went in with Collier when his attorney arrived.”

“Who’s with Collier now besides Matt?”

“Richardson.”

Bob Richardson was the special agent in charge. Mitch and Richardson had butted heads on more than one occasion, but Richardson had also gone to bat for him during Mitch’s last round with the Office of Professional Responsibility. Besides, Mitch knew more about this case than anyone.

Meg handed him an envelope. “J. T. Caruso came through. This might come in handy.”

Mitch glanced at the document and nodded. “Perfect.”

He stalked into the interview room, Hans Vigo at his side. Richardson showed no reaction at their entrance.

Collier’s attorney was saying, “Release my client or I’ll file charges for false imprisonment, false arrest, failure to-”

“Shut up.” Evidently, Richardson had had enough of Collier’s attorney. They were playing hardball, and so was the FBI.

Claire’s life was at stake. Collier knew something important, and Mitch was determined to get it out of him.

Hans Vigo said, “We have one offer for your client. He’d better take it, or we’ll hold him.”

“You can’t hold him.”

“Domestic terrorism,” Richardson said.

“That’s bullshit!” Collier screamed. “You fucking fascists. You think just because you have a badge you can wave around false charges and accuse me of terrorism? Where’s the Department of Homeland Security? Bring it on, I’ll have all your pensions in my bank account. .”

“A sitting judge is dead. A developer. A congressman is missing. And the person who killed them is still out there. Do you think he’s going to let you walk?” Mitch said. “Do you think you can disappear?”

Collier’s Adam’s apple was moving up and down, though he kept quiet. Oh, yeah, he was scared.