“Who’s the other confidential informant?”

“I have no idea. But if he, or she, agrees then I’ll have to meet them. I got the impression we’d be sort of working together in some way.”

Aunt Maddy pursed her lips. “I don’t like this. They’re asking you to trust your life to someone you’ve never even met.”

“They’re not asking me to do anything. This was my idea, remember? And if the FBI trusts this person, then shouldn’t I?”

“I guess,” she said grudgingly.

“Agent Diaz told me my plan has no chance without this person’s help. I can’t just show up on the Russians’ doorstep with my business card. Someone they trust needs to recommend me. And for my own safety, Agent Diaz wants this person involved.”

“How is this even legal?” she asked. “What happened to attorney-client privilege?”

“It’s not absolute. You can’t hire a lawyer to commit a crime for you and then claim all your communications with that lawyer are privileged. It doesn’t work that way. There’s a crime-fraud exception. But I still don’t want to have to testify against them because if I did I’d have to go into Witness Protection, and that’s not something I’m willing to do. Testifying will be the other confidential informant’s job.”

Aunt Maddy shook her head. “I know you’re doing what you think is right, but I worry about your safety, Grace.”

“You don’t think I’m worried? Trust me, I am. But what’s the alternative? Maybe someday the FBI prosecutes these guys and maybe they don’t? I can’t live with that. I can’t live with knowing they’re alive, walking free, enjoying their life while Jonah and Amelia are dead. This is the only way I can ensure justice is done.”

Chapter 49

I’d just returned to my office—I’d been across the street trying to negotiate a month-to-month lease with my landlord Mike Murphy—when my phone buzzed. It was from a blocked number and I almost didn’t answer it, but now that I was unofficially co-parenting MJ and Sofia again, I felt like I no longer had that luxury. What if it was one of their schools? What if someone was hurt? What if they needed me? I couldn’t ignore phone calls anymore.

“I was about to hang up,” Agent Diaz said when I finally answered.

“Sorry, I didn’t know it was you. Your number’s blocked.

“You should expect a lot more calls from blocked numbers in your future.”

“Why?”

“Because that’s how the Russians operate.”

“Oh my god!” I screamed. “That’s great news.”

“That is not the reaction I normally get when I ask someone to be a confidential informant,” Agent Diaz deadpanned, “especially in an organized crime case.”

“Sorry, I’m just really excited.”

Agent Diaz sighed.

“Am I not allowed to be excited? Is that against the rules?”

“I’m concerned you do not fully appreciate the danger you’re putting yourself in. This is not going to be like it is in the movies.”

“I know that,” I said, tamping down my enthusiasm. “But this is something I have to do.”

Agent Diaz sighed again. “And that is the only reason I’m agreeing to this. Well, one of the only reasons.”

“What’s the other?”

“My confidential informant, the one I told you about, has agreed to testify. In the past he’d been unwilling.”

“That’s great. How did you get him to change his mind?”

“I didn’t. You did. Apparently, you two already know each other.”

“You mean Jake? How is that going to work when the Russians think he’s dead?”

“Jake is an undercover agent, not a confidential informant.”

I was glad Agent Diaz couldn’t see me rolling my eyes. “Then who?”

“Alex Perez. He told me you two are well acquainted. He also said you were the most persistent person he’d ever met, and unless I wanted you hounding me about this for the rest of my life, I should just agree to do what you wanted now and save myself the trouble.”

I collapsed onto my office couch, my mind reeling. “I can’t believe Alex is a confidential informant for the FBI. I thought he was a drug dealer.”

“He is,” Agent Diaz said. “Many of our confidential informants are criminals. We don’t often get upstanding citizens such as yourself, who volunteer to put themselves and their families in danger.”

“Wait, my family’s in danger?” I thought I was only endangering my own life.

“Again, Grace, I cannot stress enough that this is real life, not a movie. That said, there would be no reason for anyone to go after you or your family because if all goes according to plan, no one is ever going to know you were the source of our information. Alex is the one who will testify against them.”

My mind immediately jumped to MJ and Sofia. “What about Alex’s family?”

“He doesn’t have any, or no one close.”

“He has a sister, and a niece and nephew.”

“They don’t live with him and, according to Alex, he doesn’t see them that often. If he stays away from them, they should be fine.”

“And what if he doesn’t stay away? What if they want to see him?”

“Grace, if you want to back out of this, just say the word. No one will think any less of you.”

“Did I say I wanted to back out? I’m just saying I want to keep everyone safe.”

“There are no guarantees.”

“And if I don’t do this? Will you still re-open this investigation? You didn’t seem to be doing much before I offered to be an informant.”

“We didn’t have the flash drive before. We do now. But I’m not going to lie to you, Grace. Even with the information on the flash drive, without an informant and someone willing to testify, we don’t have enough to prosecute. I’m not saying the investigation wouldn’t proceed, but it would be at a much slower pace.”

“How slow?”

“I can’t quantify it for you,” Agent Diaz answered testily. “In light of our current staffing shortages and the present administration’s focus, an investigation of this type would likely be moved to the back burner. I’m not saying it won’t ever happen, I’m just saying it’s not the agency’s highest priority at this particular moment in time.”

“But you’ll move it to the front burner if I agree to be a confidential informant and Alex agrees to testify?”