The Sixth Man (Sean King & Michelle Maxwell 5)

“Let’s hope everybody else agrees with him. I still can’t believe she’s dead. I was just talking to her yesterday.”

“I’m meeting with the prosecutor next. I think I can get this all explained. And then get you out of here.”

“What if they think I’m a flight risk?”

“I’ll take care of it. I used to practice law around here. I know the folks.”

“Sounds like a plan,” she said doubtfully.

“I had some fun last night, too.” He explained to her about Carla Dukes and his run-in with the man following her.

“What is going on up there?” she said in an exasperated tone.

“More than we initially thought, that’s for damn sure.”

An hour later Michelle was free to leave. She picked up her truck and followed Sean to the Boar’s Head, where they ate some dinner.

“So how’d you bust me out?” she asked.

“I basically vouched for you. So if you run my ass is fried.”

“I’ll try to hang around this hemisphere.”

“I explained everything about Bergin’s death in Maine and our investigation to the prosecutor. He’s a reasonable guy who knew Bergin well. He agreed that it’s highly unlikely you had anything to do with plotting Hilary’s death. I told him we were doing our best to find out who killed him and part of that investigation led us here. He’s definitely on our side on that.”

“Okay.”

“But the strange thing is that he didn’t know Bergin had been murdered. Someone is keeping a tight rein on the media, that’s for sure.”

“FBI has the muscle to do that,” she said.

Sean nodded. “That’s what I’m thinking, too. And I presume Hilary didn’t go blaring it around. And Megan left to come to Maine right after she found out.”

“Guess it’ll come as a shock to a lot of people then. And now with Hilary dead, too.”

“And the letter you found in Bergin’s files? Agent Murdock asking for information about his client? That’s pretty unusual.”

“Oh my God, I didn’t tell you the best part.” Michelle plunged her hand in her pocket and pulled out the page from the car warranty booklet. She explained to Sean where she’d found it. “Guess if he ever went out to visit her, he’d drive. So the car was a logical place to keep the address.”

“Kelly Paul. Okay.” He checked his watch, pulled out his phone, and pecked in the number while Michelle dug into her fish and chips.

“Kelly Paul, please?” said Sean. He paused. “Right, this is Sean King. I’m working with Ted Bergin on the Edgar Roy case. Hello?”

He put the phone down.

Michelle swallowed a bite of breaded halibut. “Hung up on you?”

He nodded. “Guess she is the client.”

“So it is a woman?”

“Sure sounded like one. She asked who it was. I told her, and click.”

“Do you think she knows Bergin is dead?”

“No way to tell.” He studied the paper. “If I’m remembering correctly this address is about four hours from here in Southwest Virginia.”

Michelle drank down her iced tea. “Let me get a big coffee and we’ll hit the road.”