Edge of Mercy (A Kate Reid Novel Book 11), Robin Mahle [freenovel24 .txt] 📗

them go, was her way. It might not have been Surrey’s way, but it was how she preferred to do things.

She wrapped her knuckles on the doorframe as she peered inside Walsh’s office. “Hey.”

“Kate. Come in.” He set his attention to her. “You think there’s more than meets the eye with Mrs. Whitman, huh? Good. Me too. Let’s talk about that.”

She sat down and wasted no time. “I want to know everything about the Whitmans and the Bishops. Their circle of friends, any political ambitions, whether related to the hospitals or government. I want to know who they know because, Levi, someone knew what we were up against and knew how to throw us off track.”

“I couldn’t agree more. And since we’re no longer involved in this case, what’s the harm in pushing forward?”

“See? This is why we get along so well. We’re the same,” Kate said.

Walsh revealed a crooked smile. “Maybe so. That said, where do you want to start?”

“We take a look at charitable organizations Mrs. Whitman is a member of. Dr. Whitman too. I’m also thinking medical boards, hospital administrative boards.”

“Because the folks on those boards usually hold sway,” Walsh replied.

“Exactly. I want to find a connection to someone either on the political side, who could influence law enforcement, or who might be a member of law enforcement…”

“Or possibly someone, a lobbyist maybe, who holds influence over someone in power. And any connection we can find to the intelligence community.”

“Yep,” Kate nodded. “So how do we go about doing that?”

Walsh eyed her. “I thought you knew?” He laughed. “Just kidding. There are a few places we can check. The hospital boards will have members listed in a public database. Charitable organizations might be a little tougher, but I think if we can pull the Whitman’s taxes, we’ll be able to find donations, which will give us a place to start.”

“We’ll need to go to the DOJ to sign off on the request for tax returns. But it’s possible to do it without the Whitman’s knowledge,” Kate replied.

“Agreed. However, Fisher will need to be informed about this. If we go over his head to the DOJ, and considering you’re already about to be censured, it’s not worth the risk.”

“Nor is it worth the risk of pissing him off. I won’t go around him like that,” she said.

“Good. But you’ll need to consider the prospect he’ll say no,” Walsh added.

“I’ll present the case. He won’t say no. There’s no way this family has been able to do what they’ve done without outside help.”

“I’ll be there to back you up, but this has to come from you. Trust me on this. It could change the outcome of your censure hearing if you put together a solid case against the family that allowed their son to commit atrocities.”

Kate nodded. “Okay. Thank you, Levi. I’m glad to have you in my corner.”

“Always.”

25

The restaurant near the bayside condo in Woodbridge that Kate and Nick shared was where they had chosen for a late dinner. The quaint restaurant that oozed French flair was a nice change of pace from the fast food they had eaten over the past several days. Even better was that it had been just the two of them tonight after Kate kept her promise and left Walsh, setting aside their plans until tomorrow. What difference would it make in any case? The FBI international office in Mexico City was organizing the arrest of Theodore Bishop.

Kate was beginning to come to terms with the idea that the case was over, at least from a standpoint of bringing in Theodore Bishop. Fisher was right. They had done their jobs and led the authorities directly to him. It was all standard operating procedure now.

She raised the glass of wine to her lips, feeling guilty to be drinking in front of Nick, but he had insisted it was fine. Kate wondered if there would ever be a point where he could drink again or was it time for her to concede that he was, in fact, an alcoholic, no matter how she spun it. This would be their life now. Kate had never been a heavy drinker and had seen what booze had done to her father before he finally got help. This was familiar territory.

Nick sipped on his sparkling water and sliced off a piece of mouthwatering filet mignon. “I’m glad we’re doing this. It’s about time.” He placed the steak in his mouth.

“Me too. This job doesn’t leave a lot of room for us, does it?”

He shook his head and swallowed the bite. “Maybe it’s time for us to make room.”

Kate held his gaze. “There was something Jonathan Surrey said to me earlier this morning. He said that I didn’t know how to leave behind the work and that it would cause me to grow resentful and eventually burnout.”

“How long has he been with the Bureau?” Nick asked.

“About as long as you, I believe. Though he’s a bit younger, more around my age.”

“Burnout?” Nick appeared to consider the idea. “Well, you know that was why I wanted to transfer to BAU Headquarters. Then, of course, I started to feel like I was missing out. It’s a strange thing, you know?”

Kate nodded. “I’m sure it must be. I just don’t think I know how to be any other way. This work is my life. It’s our life.”

“Where will that leave us, then, when we’re too old to do this job anymore? What will happen to us? Will we have anything in common?”

She was taken aback by the question. He’d never expressed concern in this way for their future. It was always just assumed they would be together. Maybe this was something she needed to hear. “I think it’s getting past the time to consider a family, Nick. It’s unlikely, given my history, that I would ever conceive anyway, but we aren’t getting any younger either. And with this job?”

“I understand that. I wasn’t speaking solely to the idea of a family. I’m