Page 126 of Stone Coast

"Go right ahead.”

I stumbled off to the guest room, texted Xzavier, and asked him for a favor. Then I put the phone on do not disturb, fell onto the bed, and closed my eyes for a minute.

When I opened them again, it was dark.

Olivia had left for her date. A note on the counter advised me not to do anything that she wouldn't do. I didn't think Olivia was capable of assassinating a CIA officer, so I would have to ignore her advice. She had left a key along with the note.

I showered, got dressed, and raided her wardrobe.

There were a few calls and texts from Tyson. I felt bad about not getting back to him, but I needed to handle this on my own. I needed to insulate him from any repercussions.

Xzavier had texted me back.[I have the items you requested.]

[Fantastic. Where can I pick them up?]

[There’s a coffee shop around the corner from you. The Bay Beanery. Meet me there in 20 minutes.]

[How do you know where I am?]

He responded with a wink emoji.

I gathered myself, locked the apartment, and drove to the coffee shop. It was an eclectic little place with plenty of cozy couches and chairs to get lost in. The perfect spot to read a book or sip hot java. Chill music filtered through speakers, and the sound of the espresso machine filled the air. The smell of gourmet coffee and fresh pastries swirled. The back porch had a nice view of a marina.

Xzavier sat in a booth at the back.

I joined him and slid across the bench seat.

“I probably shouldn’t ask what you intend to do with this,” Xzavier said.

“It’s probably best if you don’t know.”

He smiled. “Want some help?”

It seemed Xzavier was always up for a challenge.

“No sense in getting involved in this. It could end badly.”

“Think positive,” he said.

I’d have a more positive attitude if Ross was dead.

“You might find this interesting,” Xzavier said. “It looks like Dirk Langston hired two thugs to kill his wife. He made a large cash withdrawal in the days before her death. There are phone calls and texts to a burner. That burner pops up on the grid in an apartment in Bayshore Heights. That apartment is leased to Eddie Rodriguez,” he continued. “The guy’s a gangbanger and has a host of prior arrests. Won’t be hard to make a case.”

“How will you handle it?”

Xzavier shrugged. “Hand the information over to the authorities and let them take it from there. If that fails, we do what we do. That’s how it works. I bring it up because I don’t think Alec Stratton is responsible for the attempts on your life. But I think you already know that.”

I nodded.

“I suspect you’re going to take care of that problem tonight,” he said.

“It seems I’m back in the problem-solving business.”

His eyes narrowed with curiosity.

“I’ll tell you all about it sometime.”

“I look forward to it.” He smiled. “I’ll leave my backpack behind. Inside, you’ll find everything you requested. Completely untraceable.”