Page 19 of Owen

“I’ll get right to business.” She glanced at her notes. “How long were you with Benjamin Wilson’s organization?”

“Not saying.” His tone wasn’t welcoming.

“Okay. Then, what can you tell me about how his operation worked? For instance, where did the drugs come from?” She was so hoping for an answer that would establish how Wilson was using the museum to smuggle drugs into the country.

He shook his head. “I’m not talkin’ about that.”

So that was frustrating. She changed tactics. “Well, what are you willing to say? Why agree to meet with me if you don’t want to talk?”

“I agreed because I want to know why you tried to trap me.” His expression became even uglier, making her glad this wasn’t in person.

“Hold on, I didn’t,” she defended herself.

“Fuck, yeah, you did. Who was the cop with you?”

“He’s not a cop.” She had to control her impulse to look toward Owen.

“My ass. He looks like a cop, walks like a cop. No way was I getting anywhere near him.”

So Razor had watched them arrive that day when they were supposed to meet at the diner. He’d probably seen where they’d parked and had eyes on them as they’d walked around the block. A thought occurred to her. “You slashed our tires.” He didn’t deny it, so she kept on. “Why?”

“Couldn’t have you following me.”

“I had no intention of following you sinceit wasn’t a trap. The guy I brought with me wasn’t there to arrest you, he was there to protect me. You’re the one who picked the meeting spot. Wouldyouwant to be a woman alone in that neighborhood?”

He actually looked a little sheepish at that, which she chose to take as a good sign. “I was upfront about what I wanted from you,” she continued. “I’m writing a story to expose Wilson. I’m not working with the police. Frankly, Wilson’s got so much pull that I’m not going anywhere near the police until I have proof that not even they can ignore.” She hid a wince when Razor’s expression twisted at that. Damn it, she shouldn’t have reminded the man how much influence Wilson had. That wasn’t the way to convince him to cooperate. For a second, Razor’s hand hovered over his keyboard like he was going to end the video chat. She had to go for it.

“Look. Don’t you want Wilson behind bars? My story could put him there for years. I’d think that with Wilson out of the picture, new opportunities would open up for you and your…associates.” She hesitated to directly call them drug dealers and smugglers. “That’s why I need your help. I’m not interested in what you’re doing other than the connection you had to Wilson.”

He looked off screen for a moment, and she held her breath. “Yeah, all right. You make a decent point. I might talk some, but only in person. You could be recording this and give it to the cops.”

“I wouldn’t do that. I swear. Reporters protect their sources,” she said. “Even the cops couldn’t force me to turn over information that you give me. There are these statutes called Shield Laws. If you could give me just a few more minutes.”

“No, I’m not saying anything until we meet in person. I’ll let you know where and when.” A second later he was gone.

“Dammit. So close,” she muttered and closed her laptop lid. Her eyes went to Owen’s face. His expression was shuttered, and she couldn’t read it. “You heard him. He’s willing to meet me in person. I need to do this.”

“Not on my watch.”

She huffed. “Come on. It’s my only chance. You can be nearby, ready to jump in if I need you. Just don’t get too close. If he sees you, he’ll clam up and probably run.”

“Too bad. You aren’t meeting with him alone.”

“He probably isn’t that bad of a dude,” she said, trying to persuade Owen.

“He slashed my tires and left us exposed in the worst neighborhood of the city. Yeah, he’s a real peach.”

“Just because—”

“No, Soph. It’s not happening. I’m not risking having you in the crossfire.”

“There has to be a way we can do this.” She was so annoyed that they were back to this fight.

“There is. I’ll go to the interview, and you’ll feed me the questions over the phone.”

“He won’t agree to that. He’s already half convinced you’re a cop. And if you’re on the phone with me the whole time, it’ll just make things worse because he’ll think we’re recording the call.”

“But it would be only his voice, not his face. It’s worth a try since it’s your one option.”