“Morning. I made you some coffee.” She handed me the warm mug.
“Thanks. How did you sleep?” I asked.
“Okay, I guess. You?”
“I’ve had better nights. I couldn’t stop thinking about everything you told me.” I sat on the stool at the island.
“Well, you need to forget about what I told you, Parker.” She leaned over the island with her hands wrapped around her coffee cup.
Her phone rang, and I saw Gabriel’s name pop up.
“Hello, Gabriel. Okay. Okay. Got it. I’ll be in touch.”
“That was Gabriel?” I asked.
“Yeah.”
The doorbell rang, and Pagie and I looked at the wall-mounted touchscreen.
“It’s Simon,” I said, getting up and walking to the door. “Morning.” I smiled, extending my hand.
“Morning, friend.” Simon shook it.
“Come on in. Paige is in the kitchen. Coffee?” I asked.
“Please. Paige.” Simon nodded.
“Detective.”
Simon pulled out one of the kitchen chairs and sat at the table. After handing him his coffee, I took a seat next to Paige.
“This is a waste of your time, detective. I work alone,” Paige said.
“I usually do too, but maybe this once, we can work together. I don’t know you, but I’ve seen what you’re capable of. Where is Elias Dimitri?”
“I don’t know. If I did, he would be dead, and the LAPD and FBI wouldn’t have to worry about him anymore.”
“The warehouse. Was that you?” Simon’s brow arched.
“Yes.”
“So, what are you doing? Taking out his entire crew until he’s the last one standing?” Simon asked.
“Basically.”
“You need to stop, Paige. Let us find and deal with Elias.”
“Elias has people working for him everywhere. Police departments, the FBI, prisons, and the streets. For all I know, you could be working for him, too.” Her brow arched.
“How dare you!” He pointed at her. “I may color outside the lines every once in a while, but I’m not a dirty cop, and I never will be!”
“Okay, Simon. I just wanted to hear you say it. I checked you out, and you’re on the up and up. You’re an excellent detective.”
“Damn right, I am. I did a little digging on you myself, and you don’t exist. Care to explain?”
“No. But you can trust me. There’s a shipment coming in tonight at one of the L.A. ports for Adamar Industries. It’s either guns, drugs, people, or nuclear weapons, I don’t know.”
“We’ve been monitoring the ports, and there’s nothing scheduled for tonight,” he said.