“And you’re homosexual and don’t have any children. Correct?”
“Correct.” Shane knew he should bite his tongue, but couldn’t seem to. “That’s never been an issue before. Is it now?”
Blonsky glanced up, speaking calmly. “Not at all. We’re simply gathering facts to aid our investigation.”
Nguyen jumped in. “Here’s the thing, Kendrick. This had to be an inside job. Nothing else makes sense.”
“I agree. I told you that yesterday morning at the scene.”
“Yes, you did. And we just need to go over a few things involving your actions, and the actions of Agent Pearce.”
A hot rush of anger slammed through him. “Alan didn’t have anything to do with this.”
“Why do you say that?” she asked evenly.
“What do you mean? Because I know him. Because he would never do this. Jesus, they nearly killed him.”
“Yes, they did,” Nguyen said. “Pearce would have surely died if he hadn’t been discovered when he was. You, however, weren’t seriously injured.”
Shane ran his fingers over the wound on his skull. “Because I got stupidly lucky. I almost got dead.”
“Very lucky,” she agreed.
Harris and the rest of the agents watched with grim expressions, and Shane wished he had water. I’m innocent. Why the fuck am I so nervous? “It would be a hell of a shot to pull off if it was on purpose.”
“It would.” She glanced at Harris and back at Shane. “Here’s the thing. We don’t want to think you had anything to do with this. But there was a major breach of protocol. And that breach led to Valor being in an unsecure location where he could be grabbed.”
“What breach?” Shane ran back the hours after leaving Castle in his mind. “We followed pop-up protocols to the letter.” He looked to Harris. “Alan relayed our locations to you every thirty.”
“Every location but the last,” Harris said.
“What? No. That isn’t right.” Shane’s mind spun. What the fuck was Harris talking about?
Harris continued. “Once we determined that contact had been lost and Valor’s location was unknown, we were scrambling. You followed protocol except at the crucial moment.”
“No. You’re wrong. Pearce called in the last location. I heard him as I left the vehicle to follow Valor inside the rest stop.”
“Why were you the one to go inside?” Nguyen asked.
“No reason in particular.” Stay calm. Breathe. “Valor was more accustomed to me. We knew he was agitated and upset. It made sense for me to try and talk him down. Talk him into returning to Castle.” No one took notes, but Shane knew he was undoubtedly being recorded.
Harris and Nguyen shared a look. “We received no communication from Pearce at the rest stop,” Harris said.
“He called it in. I know he did.” Shane watched Harris across the table. “I heard him say your name.”
Harris shook his head. “Kendrick, I did not receive the call.” His voice was calm, but there was steel beneath it. Something else Harris had said echoed in Shane’s mind.
“I’m just about done with this whole damn place. All of it.”
No.
Shane’s heart thumped. Not possible. As disillusioned as Harris had seemed to become, he wouldn’t do this. Wouldn’t sacrifice Rafa and set up two agents to be killed. He was a good man. It had to be someone else. Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck. Shane shifted in his seat. Nguyen, Harris, Blonsky, and the others watched him intently.
Suddenly this interview felt a lot like an interrogation.
“Then I don’t know what to tell you.” It was on the tip of Shane’s tongue to hurl an accusation across the table, but he bit it down. Harris was bitter, but was he that bitter? He looked at Harris across the table. Was the man lying now? How well did he really know him? Shane cleared his throat. “Have you checked the recordings of incoming communication?”
Harris’s jaw tightened. “I would remember receiving the call.”
“Perhaps it was misdirected, or—”
“You and Pearce have a direct line to me. I’d remember if the call had come through. It did not.” Harris didn’t raise his voice, but he folded his hands tightly on the table.
“We’ll check the data to eliminate the possibility that the call was somehow rerouted,” Nguyen said. “Good suggestion, Kendrick. As soon as the doctors allow it, Pearce will be interviewed. We’re hoping that’s later today, but it will likely be tomorrow. I’m sure you understand that the brass is extremely alarmed by this incident, and the potential security breaches that might have taken place if an agent has been compromised. Since you and Pearce were the agents at the scene, the investigation must start with you.”
Nodding, Shane took a deep breath. “Of course.”
“Let’s table this for now,” Nguyen said. We’re going to go back to the site and have you take us through the events in real time, starting at the rest stop.”
Take them through the events. Like when Rafa jerked off and I listened. Maybe I should come clean now.