Free So Close the Hand of Death by J. T. Ellison Page B

watchful gaze of Cici the flight attendant, and the pilot was getting clearance to take off. Baldwin waved Cici away, then leaned over to Taylor.
    “Pietra just sent me a text. You’re not going to believe this. All of the forensics were compromised,” he said.
    “What do you mean?”
    “I mean someone managed to cross-contaminate everything the SBI agents collected from the boat and the trailer. A second blood source was introduced, mixed with bleach. Even if they isolate the DNA strings, it would never hold up in court.”
    Pietra Dunmore was Baldwin’s forensics expert, back in Quantico. She was legendary in the forensics community, brilliant, capable and exceptionally loyal to Baldwin. A million thoughts raced through Taylor’s mind.
    “How? How does he manage this?” she finally asked. “He’s just one man.”
    “How else? He charmed his way into another woman’s life, talked her into doing his dirty work for him. We’ve seen him do this before.”
    Yes, they had. And watched the bodies pile up in his wake.
    “You think Renee Sansom’s imposter contaminated the forensics? When would she have access?” Taylor asked.
    Baldwin ran his hands through his already disheveled hair. “Remember what you said back there, about the eye being transported to Asheville rather than Fitz actually being moved around the state? They could have staged all of it, right down to the letter. If the Pretender has multiple people working for him, it might not bein his handwriting after all. And then we’re off on yet another wild-goose chase.”
    “But how would the imposter get her hands on the forensics? They intercepted the SBI agents early this morning. Surely that evidence has been in safe-keeping for a few days. They found it last week.”
    “Hall said the Western Branch brought everything down here for his people to process. They only have one lab for the whole state. We’ll have to see when it was logged in and who had access to it, but it’s all a waste. Nothing of use.” He slumped in his chair.
    “Do you think she has a personal connection to him? A lover? Or is she just a tool, someone he met along the road? He seems to have an affinity for finding people to work with. Dial-a-Psychopath, perhaps?”
    “No, this was someone close to him. Someone who wanted to impress him. I can feel it.”
    Taylor took his hand. “Baldwin, are you sure? You’re not just…reacting, are you?”
    The engines revved, then screamed, and they were pushed back into their seats by the force. The plane lifted off within moments, banked hard left, to the west. When it leveled out and Cici began moving about the cabin, Baldwin spoke again.
    “No, Taylor, I’m not reacting. I’m being very, very careful. I’ve got Kevin Salt running a background check on the real Renee Sansom as we speak, trying to find out why she was targeted. How did she and her team come to be working on this case? Is he recruiting people? And from where? How did he arrange for the plants to be in place so quickly? This took major forethought.”
    “Well, the Pretender has been off our radar foralmost a year. He’s had plenty of time to lay the groundwork.”
    “Yes, he did. I’ll tell you one thing. We can’t trust anyone on the outside.”
    She thought about that for a moment.
    “Between your team and mine, we at least have some people we can be sure of. Fitz was so evasive, I got the impression that he didn’t want to talk in front of the SBI. He must have suspected something.”
    “Absolutely. He’s smart. He might have seen something, overheard something.”
    “He’s going to be okay, isn’t he?”
    “He will be. It will take some time, but he will.”
    They sat quietly for a few moments.
    “So we’re on our own. Again,” Taylor whispered, mostly to herself.
    Baldwin put an arm around her, an awkward move considering the seats were positioned so far apart.
    “That’s just the way I like it,” he said.

Nine
    T hat wasn’t the truth