Page 43 of Shattered Truth (Off The Grid: FBI #15)

Chapter Twenty-Four

Haley arrived at the Library Café fifteen minutes early, picking up a coffee before choosing a table with a clear view of the front door.

She'd been to the café twice with Landon, as it was one of his favorite places to eat and study off campus.

It was cozy and comfortable, with mismatched furniture, floor-to-ceiling bookshelves with books you could actually take with you if you wanted.

The menu featured a full selection of coffees, teas, and spiced ciders with sandwiches, salads, soups, and a glass display case filled with delicious desserts.

Students from nearby Westbridge occupied many of the tables, bent over laptops and textbooks, while there were also locals chatting over coffee.

Agent Andi Hart sat nearby, sipping coffee, a newspaper in front of her.

Matt had told her that Agent Hart would be in the café.

He didn't want her to be alone for even a second, but he didn't want to scare Trent off with his presence, so he wouldn't enter the café until Trent had already taken a seat.

Jason was waiting with Matt and would have his eyes fixed on the entrance to the café to ensure there was no trouble.

She hoped it was overkill for this meeting, but she was grateful for the thorough preparation. They'd had too many close calls already.

She felt both nervous and excited about the upcoming meeting.

This was what she did every day in her job.

She got people to talk so she could get to the truth.

She just hoped Trent would be cooperative.

Despite what she'd told him about seeing real emotion in his eyes after Landon died, she wasn't at all sure that hadn't been an act.

She sat up straighter as Trent walked into the café, wearing a suit and tie.

His brown hair was messy, not styled as it had been the last time she'd seen him, and his tie was loose around his neck, as if he'd been pulling at it all day.

His gaze swept the room before landing on her.

He gave a nod, then walked toward her, tight lines around his eyes, stress evident in his hard jaw.

He pulled out the chair across from her and sat down.

"I've got five minutes," he said, his voice low but carrying an edge of panic barely held in check. "Whatever you want to show me, do it now."

"You're going to need more than five minutes for this, Trent. Because I'm not just trying to save you from being charged with Landon's murder, I'm trying to save your life. Whoever killed my brother is setting you up, and if that doesn't succeed, you're going to end up exactly like Landon."

Trent's face went pale. "That's ridiculous. Nobody wants to hurt me."

"I'm sure Brooke thought the same thing."

"That was a burglar. She came home at the wrong time," he said, clearly desperate to believe that.

"That wasn't what happened."

"Well, I don't know what happened to Brooke or your brother. I just know I haven't done anything wrong."

"Haven't you?" she challenged.

"No. And since you don't seem to believe that, what do you want from me?"

She looked up as Matt slid into the chair beside Trent, effectively blocking Trent's escape route.

Trent shot her a dark look. "This was a setup."

"Not exactly," she said. "We want to help you, Trent."

"I seriously doubt that, and I'm not talking to either of you."

"Sit down," Matt said as Trent started to rise, his firm voice giving Trent pause. "Haley is right. We're trying to help you stay alive."

After a moment, Trent took his seat. "What's going on?"

"Did your father tell you we have an eyewitness who says you killed Landon and has evidence to prove it?" Matt asked.

"Yes. And that's a ridiculous story. I wasn't even at the frat party that night. I was at a friend's house. Who is this alleged eyewitness, and if you have evidence against me, why haven't you arrested me?" Trent asked. "Why have Haley set up the meet?"

"Because I didn't believe you'd talk to me without a lawyer."

"And I won't. I'll call my uncle or my cousin right now. They'll be down here in a second."

"I don't think Henry is the one you want to call," she said, giving him a pointed look.

Trent flinched. "Are you saying Henry is the witness? That's impossible. He wouldn't…we're cousins. We're family. And I'm innocent. I liked Landon. I sure as hell didn't kill him."

"But you know that your cousin and your friends wanted Landon's research notes," she said.

"Henry orchestrated my brother's entire relationship with Brooke, who stole Landon's notebooks.

Now your friends are getting nervous because the FBI is looking into Landon's death, and they're not going to go away at anyone's request. Which means the real killer needs someone to take the fall.

That's you, Trent. But I don't think you are the killer.

I believe someone else killed Landon and that you might have some idea as to who that is. "

He stared back at her, his gaze conflicted. "I'm not part of any of this. I have deliberately put space between myself and all of them, including my own sister."

"That space isn't going to be enough," Matt told Trent. "Don't you get it? It doesn't matter what you do now. You know enough about them to be dangerous. That's why they're setting you up."

"I don't know anything."

"Sure you do," Matt said. "You can't be neutral, Trent. You have to pick a side."

"I can't do that," Trent said stubbornly. "You're asking me to turn against my family."

"It's you or them," Matt said. "If you don't help us, you'll be the one charged with the murder of Landon Kenton and Sabrina Lin and the attacks on Brooke Mercer and Professor Harrington."

"Professor Harrington? What the hell happened to him?"

"He was shot," Matt said. "Yesterday. This whole thing is blowing up. And you are in the worst possible position."

"You don't have anything."

"Come on, Trent. You know that evidence can be manufactured. People can be paid to talk. That's how things run in your world. Anything and anyone can be bought."

Trent's gaze filled with dark shadows as Matt's words sank in. She could see his guard slipping, his fear setting in.

"What are they doing, Trent?" she asked. "What are they doing with Landon's research?"

"I only know that they got hold of an algorithm that Landon created, that has something to do with investments. Jill told me that it's completely legal, just advanced analytics."

"But you know that's not the whole story," she said.

"I don't want to know the whole story," he said candidly. "I can't imagine whatever they're doing is good. I tried to talk to Jill, but since she started dating Drew, she doesn't listen to me at all. She's brainwashed. She keeps talking about the greater good, about needing good people in power."

"They want to mess with the election, don't they?" Matt said. "Who's in charge? Drew? Henry? Kyle? Or is it the fathers? Graham Adler, your dad, or Kent Sanderson? What about Viktor Danilovich? Who's calling the shots?"

As Matt rattled off names, Trent grew more and more distressed.

"I'm not sure," Trent said. "Like I told you before, I haven't asked questions, because I didn't want to know." Trent gave them a pleading look. "I did not kill Landon or do any of those other things. You can't let them frame me. I won't be the fall guy."

"What did your father suggest you do when he told you that you were a suspect?" Matt asked.

"My father? How do you know he knows?"

"Because I do, and I believe he's involved in the stock manipulation."

Trent gave Matt a long look, then said, "He told me his plane would be ready to go at eight o'clock tonight. He wants me to go to the Maldives."

"Where there's no extradition treaty," Matt said. "We're not going to let you run, Trent."

"I don't want to run. I have a legitimate business and someone I just started seeing, whom I'd like to get to know better. I have a life I want to live. What do I need to do?"

"I'd like to take you down to my office," he said.

"It's not at FBI headquarters; it's a separate building.

No one will know you're there. We'll sit down and go over everything you know in great detail, including your college days, and what happened with Landon, and then we'll get to what the plan is for Landon's algorithm.

When we're done, we'll put you in a safehouse with a security detail to make sure no one gets to you.

But you'll need to hand over your phone now and give us your password.

You have to be completely transparent. If you're not, you're going to get swept up with everyone else, because we are going to take this group down. You can count on that."

Matt's words were convincing, and in the end, Trent inclined his head.

"All right. But I want you to protect my sister, too.

Jill is not a criminal mastermind. She's been brainwashed by Drew and is eager to prove herself to our father.

Drew is the same way. He's driven by his hatred of his dad.

He wants to prove he can be richer and more powerful than Kent.

Henry struggled to get Graham's respect, too.

" Trent shook his head. "You have no idea the kind of pressure our parents have put on us.

Everyone thinks we're just entitled rich guys, and we are, but there's a dark side to it, as well. "

She doubted any of their lives had been as dark as hers or as Landon's, but she didn't interrupt because keeping Trent talking was all that was important.