A Killer's Game by Isabella Maldonado

Author:Isabella Maldonado [Isabella Maldonado]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-06-01T06:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 37

After a nerve-racking drive from the used-car lot in Queens to the Bronx, Wu climbed to the top floor of a five-story walkup on Benedict Avenue. The century-old building wasn’t built with heavy vehicle traffic in mind and had no dedicated parking. Flint had spent twenty minutes of their lives they would never get back circling the block before finally throwing an NYPD placard on his dashboard and double-parking.

An urgent phone call had brought them here to speak with Agent Vega’s family. Vega had an apartment in Brooklyn, but Wu had just learned her younger sister and brother lived with her aunt and uncle when university wasn’t in session. Her younger brother, Axel, had called the main JTTF number, asking for the special agent in charge. When pressed, he claimed to have information about his sister that he could share only in person.

Wu had put off discussing Vega’s status with her family, but now her brother was forcing his hand. Vega had mentioned visiting her younger siblings before the undercover assignment. Without divulging details, she must have told them she’d be unavailable for a while.

He would have to walk a fine line, learning what Axel had discovered that had prompted him to call the JTTF while not letting on that she was MIA.

Unless her brother had already figured that out.

Wu had worked out what he wanted to say in case the family had questions about her situation on the drive over, but his carefully worded reassurances were bound to fall short. How could he explain losing someone he was responsible for?

Flint had offered to make the notification, but Wu wouldn’t weasel out of his responsibility. Vega had gone missing on his watch. He would take the brunt of whatever shitstorm was coming—from the Bureau and from the family.

He also hoped a preemptive strike would discourage the family from going to the media, giving him the opportunity to emphasize that their continued silence was the best way to keep Vega safe while they followed up on whatever Axel had to share.

The apartment door creaked open at Wu’s knock. A woman in her fifties stood at the threshold, eyeing them with a healthy dose of suspicion. Johnson had texted basic info from Vega’s personnel file to Wu on the drive over. The woman matched the photo of Vega’s aunt taken when the background investigators had come to interview the family for her top-secret security clearance.

He held up his creds. “Special Agent in Charge Steve Wu, FBI. Is Axel Vega here?”

Her gaze shifted to Flint, who showed her his gold shield. “Detective Mark Flint, NYPD.”

Her dark eyes narrowed. “What do you want with Axel?”

Before they could respond, a young face that resembled Vega’s appeared over the woman’s shoulder. “Did you say something about Axel, Aunt Manuela?” she asked, eyes widening when she saw their IDs.

“Can we come in?” Wu made a point of glancing up and down the narrow hallway. “We should talk in private.”

The young woman who had to be Vega’s younger sister, Erica, put a hand to her chest and rushed toward the back of the apartment.

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