Page 17

It was Connors’ turn to scoff. “Seriously? That’s what you’re going with? He’s being framed? I thought you would come up with something more original, Counselor. I’ve known you a while, but you are starting to disappoint.”

“If you’re so sure of your case, show us the video,” Logan countered.

“Let us see what you’re talking about. I can guarantee that if this gets all the way to court, I am going to roast you, your partner, and the NYPD when I prove the video is fake.

I will make sure the press gets the message in vivid detail.

NYPD is falling for deep fakes. No one is safe. ”

Connors’ face went hard. He stood and gestured to Montrose. They both left the room.

Gage looked at Logan. “Maybe we pushed too hard?” he asked.

Logan shook his head. “They need to know what they’re up against. There’s no way the video is real. No way. You didn’t touch that statue. We need to nip this in the bud now if we can, but if we can’t, they need to know I will crush them with this video, and make sure it’s very, very public.”

Logan kept his inner fear that Gage was right to himself. He knew logically this was the best strategy, but it was hard to do when his brother’s freedom was on the line.

The door opened, and Connors strode back in carrying a laptop, with Montrose following behind like a pesky dog.

Connors sat back down at the table and Montrose took up his place on the wall.

His face was red, and anger was evident in the tense set of his shoulders.

It wasn’t hard to tell that Montrose wanted to just arrest Gage and be done with it. Connors had overruled him.

Connors’ face was ruddy as well, probably from the argument with his partner, but there was also just a whiff of fear there.

The man had issues with how the case was coming together, the same issues that Logan had pointed out.

Montrose was what Mitch and Gage referred to as a knuckle-dragger.

Point him in the direction you want and let him go.

Connors was a thinking man. He was always going to question things.

Logan was profoundly grateful that Connors had been assigned the case.

He would have gotten nowhere with Montrose.

The upside of that scenario was that Logan would have buried the guy in court.

Connors turned the laptop to face Logan and Gage. The video had been queued up. He hit the Enter button, and the video started.

A man dressed in black with a black balaclava over his face, holding a sack, ran by the camera that must have been in a tree in the park and then disappeared.

A second camera, that must have been on the corner where the path met 5th Avenue, picked him up.

The man stopped running and straightened his clothes as he got closer to the camera.

He reached up and pulled off the balaclava when he was just in front of the camera.

Logan’s gut knotted and the air left his lungs. It was Gage’s face. He’d been prepared for it, but still, the shock of seeing it was more than he’d bargained for. He glanced at his brother. Gage’s mouth was hanging open slightly, shock etched on his features as well.

Gage swallowed. “I know what this looks like, but I swear to you, that’s not me.” He looked up from the screen to meet Connors’ gaze.

Connors looked back and forth between the brothers. Logan knew he was noting how shocked they both were. The slight uncertainty that had been there before had just grown.

Logan took a deep breath, trying to calm his system. “Do you mind if we watch it again?”

Connors gave his assent, and they watched the video a second time. And then a third. There was something pinging at Logan’s brain. Something that was important, but he just couldn’t put his finger on it.

“Do you mind if I have my assistant join us?” Logan asked.

“You mean his girlfriend?” Montrose snorted.

“She is an expert in computers. I believe she can help with this.”

Montrose glared at the back of Connors’s head, but Connors nodded. “Go get her.”

The other man left the room with his lip curled, mumbling curses under his breath.

He was back shortly with Dani in tow. Logan immediately rose, and she sat in his vacated chair.

He leaned over and hit play on the video without saying a word.

A moment later when Gage’s face was revealed onscreen, he heard her suck in her breath.

Gage reached over and squeezed her hand.

“Can I see it again?” she asked.

Connors nodded.

Dani watched it through two more times. Then sat for a moment.

“Okay,” she said, gesturing to Connors. “Come over here and I want to show you something.” She ignored Montrose completely, but he came as well.

Logan stepped over so the three men could stand behind the two people sitting and all see the screen.

Dani started the video. “It’s hard to tell here since it’s dark and the man is wearing black, but I’m sure this is real.

The shadows are where they should be, and the movement is correct.

” The video switched to the second clip.

Dani froze the playback when Gage’s face was revealed after the mask was removed.

“Now here”—she pointed to the screen—“see how his face is lighter on this side? You can see light reflecting off his hair?” She turned to Connors. “Do you see that?”

Connors squinted but then nodded. “Okay, I see it.”

Dani smiled slightly. “That’s the wrong side.”

“What?” Montrose demanded.

“The streetlight is on the left side of the screen. You can see it clearly, but if you isolate the head”—Dani zoomed in closer—“you can see that the light is brighter on the right side of the face, reflecting off the right side of the hair.”

She pointed again. “See how the light is hitting the left shoulder? The body is real, but the face is not. It’s been spliced or stitched from a different picture or video and superimposed on top of this one. If you let me, I can peel back the layers and see what’s really there.”

“No,” Connors stopped Dani from touching the keyboard again. “I can’t let you touch it. Our guys will have to do that.”

“You can’t believe this shit!” Montrose said in an exasperated tone. “Light bouncing. It’s freakin’ after midnight, and the guy is wearing black. There is no light.”

Logan’s adrenaline kicked in. “That’s it!” He reached over and pulled out the pictures of Gage from before. The one where he was on the walkway was the clearest.

“What are you on about?” Montrose demanded.

“Gage is wearing jeans.”

“What?” Montrose leaned over to see the picture, as did Connors.

There it was, clear as day. Gage was wearing blue jeans.

They were clear in the picture, but in the video, the man was wearing all black.

They could have been black jeans, but whatever they were, they were not the same pants Gage had on in the picture. Not even close.

“Unless you are going to suggest my client brought a change of clothing with him, I think we’re done here. This video is obviously doctored. That man is not my client,” Logan proclaimed as he pointed to the screen.

Connors drew in a deep breath. “You can go, but tell your client not to leave town, Counselor. We may want to speak to him again.”

Logan nodded. No sweeter words. Connors knew it was over. Everyone in the room did.

Thank you , Logan thought as he led Gage and Dani out of the precinct. Now the only thing on the horizon was the wedding. He was going to be damn glad when this was all over. He was getting too old for this shit.