“You admitted to stealing fifteen million in diamonds,” Peralta said. “You can’t have it both ways.”
Mann’s eyes widened and he knew he was caught.
“Yes,” Peralta said. “Everything you said has been recorded. Thank God for stupid criminals.”
I could have taken him down right then but I waited.
&n
bsp; “We could reach an understanding.” Mann tried to soften his tone. “Half and half. I let you go. Clear your name. Blame the cartel.”
“Tall order.”
“I can make it happen.” Mann’s voice was no longer steady. “My fence is the best. He can set you up with a nice nest egg.”
“He’s dead.”
Mann’s gray pallor intensified.
“You killed him, too?”
“The girl did.”
He opened his mouth and closed it without making a sound.
“So,” Peralta said, “we have this multi-ethnic standoff and the only way to end it is for you to slowly put your weapon on the floor, back away, and put your hands behind your head.”
There was another way and I saw Mann’s gun arm start to tense.
I lit him with the laser. A red dot appeared on his forehead.
I said, “You’ll be dead before you can squeeze that trigger.”
When he had set the gun on the floor, he said, “What are you going to do now? I don’t see any help on the way. You’re both civilians. You can’t hold me or arrest me. And I don’t think you have the balls to shoot an unarmed FBI agent. So I’m walking out that door.”
“That would be a big mistake.” Peralta was up and roughly pushing him to the floor, handcuffing him. His face was pointed in the direction of the socks, which he continued to eye with lust.
“You’re both nothing but civilians! This is kidnapping!”
I walked down the stairs, cradling the M-4.
“That’s actually not true,” I said. “Thanks to your friend Chris Melton, I’m a Maricopa County deputy sheriff with statewide powers of arrest.”
Peralta glanced at me curiously.
I smiled and read Mann his rights.
Chapter Forty-three
We placed Mann in the seat of one of the straight-back chairs. He had stopped talking. That “anything you say can be used against you” part can have that effect. Peralta called Eric Pham.
Maybe twenty minutes passed before the knock at the door.
I looked at Peralta. “What about your motion detectors?”
He didn’t answer. He already had his Glock out.
The house was still dark. I moved to the window to the right of the door and carefully pulled back the drape.