Above the Law by Carsen Taite Page B

expression became serious. “We need to develop a system for communicating with each other and cataloging the results of our investigation.”
    “Without getting caught,” Bianca added. “How about everything goes through me? Since I’ll have a general docket, it’ll be easier for me to move around and communicate with all of you. I’ve got cases with DEA, ATF, and FBI on my docket right now.”
    “Who were those FBI agents who served the search warrant on Cyrus?”
    “Jeffries and Cohen. Jeffries is a jerk, but Tanner Cohen is a good cop.”
    “Can you trust her?”
    “Not sure, but she’ll talk to me about what’s going on, off the record. I can tell you she’s not going to be happy that Gellar is taking over the prosecution on this. Means a lot more work for her.”
    Dale knew what she meant. It was hard enough putting together a case with a seasoned trial attorney at the US Attorney’s office. Working with someone who had little to no litigation experience meant the case agents would be carrying most of the slack. If Gellar was a big enough pain in the ass through the process, Cohen might give them some inside info under the guise of commiserating. She filed away the idea for now. “Okay, so we coordinate through Bianca and we have our meetings here.” She turned to Peyton. “What about your brother? Is he going to blab about a bunch of agents meeting here or do you have some cover in mind?”
    “Matter of fact, I do.” Peyton reached behind her and fished a deck of cards and a box of poker chips from a baker’s rack. She fanned out the cards and started shuffling the desk like a Vegas crony. “Five card stud, anyone?”
    While Peyton dealt the cards, Dale’s mind started ticking off avenues of investigation she wanted to explore. She had no problem running her plans through Bianca. The question was how was she going to get everything done with Lindsey Ryan watching her every move?
    *
    Lindsey walked into the restaurant and spotted Alice and Jed seated in a booth across the room. “Where’s Elaina?”
    “On the phone with Larry,” Alice said. “It got kind of loud so she took it outside.”
    She was well acquainted with Elaina’s temper and Larry’s ability to push anyone’s buttons. Secretly, she was happy to have a few minutes out of Elaina’s watchful eye. She’d spent the balance of the day, after Dale dropped her back at the hotel, thinking about this project, and she wanted to run her ideas by Alice and Jed. She glanced over her shoulder, just to make sure Elaina wasn’t in sight, but before she could get a word in, Alice beat her to it.
    “Did you enjoy spending the day with tall, dark, and handsome?”
    “Accurate assessment of her appearance—were you spying?”
    “I might have been lurking around the lobby when you two were leaving this morning.”
    “Well, she might be a looker, but she could not be more annoyed at having to show us around. I have no idea why she got stuck with this assignment, but I can tell you she views it as a punishment.”
    “So, you’re abandoning your plan to make her the centerpiece of this project?” Jed asked.
    “Not a chance. She’s got layers. Lots of layers. I’ve just got to peel them back, but carefully.” She told them what she’d learned about Dale’s wife.
    “Wow,” Alice said. “There’s your angle. DEA agent makes ultimate sacrifice in the war on drugs.”
    Lindsey flinched at Alice’s words and the way they echoed the headline she’d read that morning. Alice was right. Dale’s wife’s death was the perfect hook for the story; however, using it made her uncomfortable, but she couldn’t put her finger on why. The facts were what they were. Maria Escobar’s death had been a clear message to law enforcement: back off or die. That Maria’s wife, Dale, remained steadfastly resolved to investigate drug crimes was a testament to her character and Maria’s legacy. If the DEA wanted to beef up their image, they should be