Ringo said, “Stay with them. I will bring the witch later tonight.”

“And the money you promised?”

“And the money.” Ringo hung up and smiled. If someone saw him smile, they would think he was a kind man thinking pleasant thoughts. That was not why Ringo Bazin was smiling. His thoughts were the color of blood.

Chapter 8

Hunter and Andre were walking to their vehicle when Andre’s phone rang. He answered it, “Benton.” He listened for a minute, then said, “Okay. On our way.”

Hunter asked, “Where to?”

“The U.S. Attorney’s office. There’ve been some developments in Jean Claude’s case.”

Hunter said, “I wonder what those could be.”

Andre opened the car door as he said, “Maybe he decided to plead guilty.”

Hunter grinned and said in a terrible imitation of Clint Eastwood doing Dirty Harry, “Go ahead, make my day.”

Andre laughed and said, “Don’t quit your day job.”

They parked a block away and walked to the office on North Miami Avenue. Security had their names on the list and ushered them through, with one actually going up in the elevator with them.

When Hunter stepped out of the elevator, she said, “Have they ever done that for you before?”

“Sure haven’t. This is either very good or very bad.”

One of the Justice Department Attorneys they recognized opened a door to the meeting room and ushered them inside. John and Randall were already seated. The guard closed the door behind him and pointed at two chairs at the upper end of the long, oval table, next to the two Pembroke Pines Detectives. The U.S. Attorney sat at the head of the table beside their chairs. He motioned for them to sit.

Hunter looked around the rest of the room. Every chair had someone in it, and she could see through the frosted glass of an adjacent door that a number of other people were in that room, too.

Jean Claude Villard and his attorney, Jack Woodson, sat on the opposite side of the table across from Hunter and Andre. Woodson nodded at them. Villard smiled.

When Hunter and Andre took their seats, the U.S. Attorney said, “A number of things have come to light in this case, and we are going to address them here, rather than at court. Such a process is rare, but not unprecedented.”

Hunter checked the Justice attorneys. None of them looked happy. She pointed at Jean Claude and said, “Whatever he’s claiming now is a lie. He’s guilty.”

The U. S. Attorney said, “There will be time enough to hear you out, Agent Kincaid. As for now, I’m turning this meeting over to the Justice Attorney, Kenneth Grant. Mr. Grant, you may proceed.”

The U.S. Attorney left the room, and Grant took his vacated seat. He said, “A number of witnesses have come forth voluntarily to say that Mr. Villard is innocent, and to tell what they witnessed.”

Hunter couldn’t keep her mouth shut, “What witnesses? Did he materialize them out of thin air? Come on, guys.”

Grant said, “They were passengers on the ship Mr. Villard captained.”

“Then they will say he’s guilty as sin.”

Villard’s attorney, Woodson, said, “Agent Kincaid, if you will be patient enough to let this run its course, I believe you might think differently. Things are often different from the way they first appear. This is no court, but we can use court-like procedures as needed to get to the truth here. Your Justice Attorneys are in agreement on this matter.”

Hunter looked at the Justice employees, shook her head slowly like she couldn’t believe it, and then leaned back in her chair. “Go ahead. This should be good.” John fist-bumped her.

Woodson addressed one of the attorneys nearest the door to the other room, “Would you ask them to come in together? We can swear them in all at once, saving us time.”

Hunter started to say something and Andre nudged her. He said, “Let it go.?

?

Her lips pressed tight together, but she gave him a little nod, and sat in silence.

Tags: Billy Kring Thriller
Source: readsnovelonline.net