Read Online Denouement by E. H. Reinhard - Free Book Online Page A

giving him the opportunity either way. This time around, I’m going to be the one coming out of the shadows at him.”
    Hank pointed at the stack of papers. “See anything of interest in your numbers?”
    I shrugged. “Not really.”
    Hank took a seat across from me. “Yeah, me either. I got through two of the guys. Nothing there, that I could tell.”
    “You got through two? Hell, I’m not even done with my first.”
    “One of the guys was only like five pages. Anyway, I’m going to have to bug out soon. Karen is going to be late tonight, and I need to feed Porkchop. I can pop back in for a few hours after that and try to finish up.”
    “Don’t worry about it, Hank. You don’t need to come back.”
    “Are you sure?”
    “Yeah, go home and relax. Deal with the puppy. Bring me what’s left of your phone records, and I’ll get it taken care of.”
    “Are you sure?” he asked again.
    “Yeah, its fine.”
    “Okay.”
    Hank disappeared from my office and returned a moment later with his portion of the records. “These guys I looked into.” He waved the papers he held in his left hand. “These guys I haven’t.” He held up the papers in his right hand. “Where do you want them?”
    “Stick the ones you’ve already gone over in that box there.” I nodded toward the box.
    Hank complied. I grabbed the ones he hadn’t gotten to and put them on the stack I needed to complete.
    “Thanks,” I said.
    “Are you sure you don’t want to come out and crash at my place tonight? Better than sleeping on the old couch in here,” Hank said.
    “Ooh, while the thought of Porkchop barfing on me while I sleep or pissing in my shoes is tempting, I think I’ll stick with my trusty couch here.”
    Hank smiled. “All right, Kane. The offer stands if you feel like showing up later.”
    “Thanks, Hank.”
    He stood and left my office.
    I dug back into the phone numbers and finished with Yakov Mishutin within ten minutes. I filed his records in the “completed” box on my desk. Then I moved on to Mark Popov and pulled his sheet. He was also a convict, and his sheet showed multiple prison stretches for fraud, assault, and drugs. In his midforties, Popov lived in Lakeland, a city halfway between Tampa and Orlando.
    “That’s a little closer,” I said.
    I read over the notes on the cover sheet. The FBI’s interest level on him was a twenty-six. I held up my hands in question, realizing I’d need to get a hold of Faust to make heads or tails out of their internal ranking system of interest. I looked over Popov’s most frequently called numbers. One belonged to Yakov Mishutin while the other two were takeout restaurants in Lakeland—no help. I started in on the called numbers one by one.
    Ten minutes into the list, I was interrupted by knuckles tapping at my office door. Bostok walked in. “Hey, I’m heading out. Do you need anything?”
    I raised my eyes. “I think I’m good. Hank was looking for you. I guess he needs next Wednesday morning off to go to the dentist.”
    “Yeah, that should be fine.”
    “That’s what I told him.”
    “Are those your phone records from the feds?” Bostok asked.
    “Yeah, I’m just going to keep plugging away on them until I make some headway.”
    “Are you staying here tonight?”
    “I think so,” I said.
    “Do what you have to do, but at least make an attempt to sleep.”
    “I will.”
    “You know that meeting you and Rawlings walked in on this morning?”
    I rocked my head back. “Yeah, again, sorry.”
    “No need for apologies. I got the major seat. That meeting was them offering it to me. I was just upstairs finalizing everything until a couple of minutes ago. It’s a done deal. I get the office on the first.”
    I slid back my chair, stood, and walked over. I shook Bostok’s hand. “Congrats, Major.”
    He smiled. “I could be congratulating you soon. How are you coming with what I gave you for the captain’s test?”
    “Honestly, Cap, I haven’t gotten