“Do you think the Black Talons killed them?”
“I don’t know. It could have been them, or it could have been someone higher up if they screwed up the laundering operation. We know they were carrying two sets of books, one for IRS purposes and another to keep up with the money they were laundering, but what if they had a third set? What if they were somehow skimming from the people they were supposed to be cleaning money for?”
“So, you think those people caught on to them and offed them?”
“I don’t know. I’m just considering the possibilities. Why would they bury them on their own property, though?”
“Why not? Little chance of being seen, and they’ve remained hidden there for quite some time now.”
“You know, you’re right. They have. The FBI went in there to tear out some walls after I told them about the money hidden in it, but what do you think made them look under that pile of gravel? There was no reason for them to check it. Don’t you find it strange that within a matter of minutes after their arrival there, they would manage to unearth two bodies buried under a pile of rocks?”
“Maybe they had another tip.”
“They must have,” he replied.
They turned back to the news but learned nothing beyond what they already knew for the rest of the evening.CHAPTER TWENTY-TWODane
“So, we recovered nearly five million dollars from the walls of the chemical room and two bodies from a shallow grave beneath the white gravel pile at the back corner of the property,” Crosby told him.
“Is it them?”
“Don’t know yet. They weren’t easily identifiable. We’re going to have to do some forensics.”
“What was wrong with them?”
“Completely charred.”
“Dragons.”
“Likely. We’ll know more in a day or so. It’s being fast-tracked. We need to tear down your building,” he said.
“What?”
“Once we find something in a wall, they all need to be searched. We need to take down the whole thing. We’re going to bring in a wrecking ball and dig up the ground.”
“Fuck.”
“Yeah. It’s going to be a total loss by the time we’re done, I’m afraid.”
“Alright. Insurance will cover it as soon as you completely clear me of any wrongdoing. I am still in the clear, right? I mean, I know I did nothing wrong, but I don’t want any overzealous agents trying to run me up the flagpole just for brownie points.”
“Nah. I’ve got you covered. There is one thing, though. I’m going to need you to lay low for a while. Get out of the city, away from reporters and the like.”
“Why?”
“Superiors don’t want to take any chances on anything getting out about what we’re doing. They are going after the Black Talons next.”
“Oh, man. Going in blind? You know what they’ll do to FBI agents who don’t realize what they’re dealing with.”
“I’ve got enough shifters on the team to deal with them if they become a problem. It’ll just become something else a few agents will need to keep secrets about if it comes to that.”
“If you say so. My guys and I went up against them, and they’re brutal. They don’t follow any rules of engagement and go right for the throat, every time.”
“Noted. Don’t forget who I am, brother.”
Dane nodded. Crosby was a descendent of a dragon called Steel Raven. He had gotten his name because of his dark, metallic scales and tough exterior. If even half the stories about him were true, he was a fierce fighter whose prowess had been handed down for hundreds of years and used as an example of what all his ancestors should be.
“I haven’t,” he replied. “What do you want me to do?”
“You still have your parents’ house? Just go there. I seem to remember there being some enhancements there in case you get in trouble.”
“Yes, there still are.”
“That’s the best place for you then.”
“Hey, Crosby. One thing. How did you know to look beneath the gravel for the bodies?”
“We didn’t. There were dogs with us. They picked up the cadaver scent.”
“Why would you take cadaver dogs to sniff out cash?”
“Turner and Hood have been missing for far too long to have packed up and fucked off. We’ve always suspected they never left their beloved construction company, but we didn’t have grounds to search the place before you gave it to us.”
“All you ever had to do was ask.”
“Maybe, but I’m going to be honest with you. Until you turned up with those ledgers and that cash, the department considered you a suspect. Even after you did, some of them didn’t want to let that theory go.”
“What? That doesn’t make sense. I didn’t even buy that place until well after it had been snatched up by the bank and those guys were in the wind, at least so everyone thought.”
“It’s not unusual for someone higher up the food chain to buy something valuable to them and try to play it off as a pet project. Imagine the eyebrows it raised when a billionaire like you bought out a bankrupt construction company. I’m sorry. I know I should have told you, but they’ve had you on their radar from the day you took ownership.”