“Tell me,” she said brusquely when she took him off hold.
“The short version is: we’ve got nothing.”
“It’s been over three weeks,” she protested. “You’re telling me he’s been a perfect citizen this whole time?”
“Yep,” Dolan said, “suspiciously so. He hasn’t so much as rolled through a stop sign. Of course, he’s well aware that we’re watching him. He waves at our agents when he drives by.”
“They’re not trying to stay low profile?”
“They were at first. But he’s pretty savvy, as you know. He spotted our van the first week so it seemed like a waste to use it after that. We’ve been employing unmarked sedans ever since. The truth is that my bosses are balking at the use of resources as it is. Pretty soon, they’re going to make me pull back to one agent. I wouldn’t be surprised if they dump the surveillance entirely by the end of the week if nothing pops. By then, it’ll have been a month without anything.”
“But that’s exactly what he’s waiting for,” Jessie insisted. “He’s holding out until you pull your guys before he tries anything big.”
Jessie could feel a familiar anxiety resurfacing, as she recalled how adept her ex-husband was at presenting a charming front that masked the ugliness below.
“You know that and I know that,” Dolan said, clearly frustrated. “But that doesn’t mean much to the higher-ups. They want to see results. And we haven’t given them any. You have to look at it from their perspective.”
“What does that mean?” Jessie demanded.
“Remember, technically your ex-husband was released because of malfeasance by a law enforcement professional. They don’t want to be accused of harassing a man who was already mistreated by the system. It’s a political issue. The fact that he’s a murderer gets lost in there. So we’ve had to tread lightly as it is. We’re close to the point where the hope of catching him in illegality is being outweighed by the bad press that might blow back on us. Today might be a tipping point on that front.”
“Why?” Jessie asked, though she could already guess. Kyle was about to go into public relations mode.
“Because later this morning, he’s scheduled to do an interview with a news station,” Dolan said, confirming her intuition. “Technically, it’s about his foundation. But I wouldn’t be shocked if his current personal situation comes up. And my supervisor is worried he might mention the surveillance.”
Jessie realized she was sweating, though she wasn’t sure whether it was because of Dolan’s words or the fast-rising morning temperature. She turned on the ignition and jacked up the air-conditioning.
“What about the suspicion that he’s involved with the Monzon cartel?” she asked. “Aren’t they worried that if they pull surveillance they’ll miss it if he contacts them?”
“We have other potential ways of keeping tabs on him. We got judicial authorization to put a tracker on his car, to set up bugs and cameras in his house, even to monitor his calls. But considering that a judge just gave a prosecutor a tongue-lashing for overreach—”
“A prosecutor who was surely threatened by the cartel,” she interrupted.
“Which we can’t prove,” Dolan countered. “My bosses are worried that the judge who authorized the taps will be wary about extending surveillance if he thinks his reputation is at stake. We’re in a delicate situation here.”
Jessie shook her head, though no one could see it. Less than a month and Kyle was already manipulating the system to his advantage. She bristled at the thought of what he could do with another month of freedom.
“This is exactly what he wanted, you know,” Jessie pointed out. “He knows you’re tailing him but he hasn’t complained yet. He’s holding it over your heads, ready to bust it out when he needs it most. He’s keeping his nose clean as long as it serves his purposes. He doesn’t want to cry to the press if he can get you guys to back off without it. He’s saving that chit. This is all part of his setup.”
She heard Dolan sigh heavily through the phone.
“You don’t have to convince me, Jessie,” he assured her. “I’m on your side. I’m just wondering if maybe we should pull our guys back now, before he makes any accusations. Then we can legitimately claim we’re not following him, harassing him. I can craft the message for the press that we merely have agents check in on him from time to time. If it looks like he’s Chicken Little, it hurts his credibility. He’s not the only one who can play this game.”
“No, but he’s better at it than anyone I’ve ever met. Don’t underestimate him.”
“I won’t,” Dolan promised. “Listen, we know that Kyle is out of jail because he convinced the cartel it was worth their time and effort. We know they were even willing to help destroy your life for him. At some point, he’s going to have to deliver for them. Something is going to break with this guy soon.”
“Yeah, I just hope it breaks before he finds a way to break me.”
*
Jessie could tell Ryan was trying not to rub it in.
“How were your days?” he asked her and Hannah as he washed the broccoli for dinner, pointedly making no mention of the case.
Hannah was prepping a marinade for the lamb while Jessie searched for the broiling pan.
It was clear that he hoped that by keeping quiet about his own day, he wouldn’t make her jealous that he was out investigating murders while she was stuck in the apartment. She thought it was a sweet gesture, though he would soon learn it was futile.
“Only two more weeks of school,” Hannah said happily. “Then it’s summer break. So there’s that.”
“That’s awesome,” Ryan replied.
“Don’t forget that you have summer school,” Jessie reminded her, hating how schoolmarmy she sounded.
“I know,” Hannah said, dialing up the sarcasm. “But that’s at the ‘regular kids’ school and not the therapeutic high school for students ‘facing extreme emotional and psychological challenges.’ Besides, it’s not for another month. Please don’t crush my already fragile spirit.”
“Sorry,” Jessie said.
“And your day?” Ryan asked Jessie, quickly changing the subject.
“It could have been better,” she admitted. “Dolan told me they can’t nail Kyle for anything. He’s been a choir boy since he got out. They’re thinking of pulling surveillance.”
“That sucks.”
“It does,” she agreed. “Almost as much as having my friend and professional mentor shut me down when I tried to get details on the case he was working because he was worried I’d salivate right in front of him.”
“Uh-oh.”
“Uh-oh what?” she asked.
“Uh-oh, Garland warned me you might come at me hard for info because he wouldn’t share much.”
“Oh yeah?” she pressed. “Did he give you any advice on how to handle me?”
“He said to stay strong, not to crumble under your withering interrogation.”