Page 8 of Reckoning (FBI Thriller 26)

Savich rose, shrugged on his jacket. “Looks to me like we’ve got ourselves a vigilante with a lot of skills. Calls himself Eliot Ness.”

Since it was lunchtime, the elevator was packed, so everyone was listening as Savich told her what he knew so far on the ride to the seventh-floor cafeteria. All cops, didn’t matter if they were federal or local, were a curious lot. “He used a variety of ways to collect the evidence, from old-fashioned recorded conversations and long-range photos, to hacking into Grissom’s email and computer files, company and bank records.”

“Which means he’s computer savvy.”

Savich nodded. “I’ll check out the Porte Franklyn commonwealth attorney, Simon Hailstock, and the state legislators he mentions by name, see if there’s any evidence they’re in Grissom’s control.”

Sherlock cocked her head in a way he loved, making her curly hair bounce and dance. “Ruth told me Commonwealth Attorney Simon Hailstock is known as Mr. Lowball, the big plea bargainer himself, basically it’s criminals in and then out again. She said Dix has heard stories about how the PFPD morale has taken a nosedive since Hailstock became commonwealth attorney last year. Since you have your doubts and you’ll undoubtedly be talking with Grissom and Hailstock, are you going to go take a federal prosecutor with you to Porte Franklyn?”

He nodded. “I think Pepper would jump into this extraordinary situation, don’t you?”

Pepper Jersik, tough as her country grandmammy’s old hound Brutus, she’d say, had a rep for diving in the deep end and coming out dragging a shark. FBI agents loved her because she always had their backs.

“Oh yes, nothing revs her more than mixing it up with big-time crooks.”

“I’m also taking Griffin. He doesn’t miss much. I can have him interview Hildy Atwood’s neighbor for a start, see what she remembers what Josh’s mom told her about his email to me.”

Sherlock said, “I wonder if the vigilante Eliot Ness is a prosecuting attorney in Porte Franklyn. Or maybe a cop in the PFPD.”

Savich said, “Maybe. Certainly someone with computer skills who understands legal procedures and knows the local players.”

She grinned up at him. “You do realize, of course, since Griffin is so gorgeous, all the women you meet will fall over themselves to tell him everything they know, maybe even what they really don’t know.”

“Truer words were never spoken,” said a female agent, and she sighed. One of the male agents said, “Get a grip, Agent Pam, or I’ll tell your husband.”

Sherlock grinned at them. “As for you and Pepper, the two of you have a mean vibe going that’ll scare the crap out of anyone hiding anything.”

They heard some laughter as they got out with the rest of the group and walked into the noisy cafeteria with all its amazing smells. They got in line at the always-popular Italian kiosk. Sherlock said, “I can’t wait to hear how Eliot managed to be on-site at the police station when Grissom was delivered. I hope the garlic toast is nice and crispy.”

When he was winding spaghetti around his fork, Savich said, “It will be interesting to see when and if our vigilante strikes again.”

Sherlock crunched down on some thankfully crispy garlic toast, chewed thoughtfully. “I guess it’ll depend on whether his interest in Grissom is specific or if he’s only the first in line.”

“Who knows?” Savich felt his blood stir, felt his hunting instincts fire. He couldn’t wait to read all the evidence, give Pepper Jersik a call, and tell Special Agent Griffin Hammersmith he now had a new assignment. He added, “If Eliot Ness succeeds with Grissom, I doubt he’ll stop with him.” And he thought, Well, Eliot Ness, you’ve stirred up a hornet’s nest all because of the murder of a thirteen-year-old boy. But he wondered if the boy’s death was all his motivation.