Read Online Tempting the Devil by Patricia; Potter - Free Book Online Page B

new enough as a supervisor to be cautious.
    â€œI’m taking you off the task force. The U.S. attorney says to wind it down. Too many dead ends.”
    â€œI don’t think so.”
    â€œUnfortunately you don’t make the decisions.” Holland was clearly not happy with the decision. He picked up a file. “We have a money-laundering case. You’ll be our lead agent.”
    â€œI’m not an accountant.”
    â€œYou can have Robert Haver, and anyone else you want. It’s preliminary. If you find anything, you’ll turn it over to the Money-Laundering Unit.”
    Ben took a deep breath. “What about the Meredith County murders?”
    â€œWe haven’t been invited yet.”
    â€œIt wouldn’t hurt to keep up with the investigation. That way we’ll be ready when we do take jurisdiction.”
    â€œSure of that, are you?”
    â€œIt wasn’t just local. A rookie would know that. No one would take that kind of risk for anything that’s penny ante.”
    â€œMaybe someone just doesn’t like cops.”
    â€œYou don’t believe that’s what it is, do you?”
    â€œNo, but it’s one of the motives being bandied around.”
    â€œWe need agents on the scene.”
    â€œWe’ll have one,” Holland said with a wry smile. “That money-laundering case? There’s a Meredith County connection.”
    â€œWe’re going in the back door?”
    â€œAs long as the locals try to keep us out.”
    Anticipation stirred in Ben. “What do we have?”
    â€œWhispers that Hydra might be involved.”
    â€œHydra?” The anticipation grew stronger. “That would explain the murders.”
    â€œYeah, I thought so, too,” Holland agreed with a gleam in his eyes.
    Ben knew that name. God, he knew it. It seemed to have tentacles everywhere. No, not tentacles. Heads. Named by law enforcement agencies after the many-headed snake whose heads regrew as they were cut off, Hydra was a criminal network that covered at least five southern states, including Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia. It was mythical in law enforcement quarters.
    Hydra had taken over where another organization—the Southern Mafia—had ruled for thirty years until it was dismantled. But Hydra was far more sophisticated. Where the former had been a loose alliance, Hydra was, according to what they could discover, a very tightly ruled organization of cells, none of which knew—or were aware of—the other cells.
    The FBI had few clues as to its leadership. They’d found one witness ready to identify some lower-level members, but he’d been killed, along with his family. Ben doubted there would be many more willing witnesses.
    â€œWhat connection does this new assignment have?” he asked.
    â€œIt’s an import business. Perfect cover for laundering money. One of the owners is a developer from Meredith County.”
    â€œDo we have enough for a search warrant?”
    â€œNo. It’s your job to find enough.”
    â€œWho’s the developer?”
    â€œJames Edward Kelley. The company is Exotic Imports.”
    Ben started. Kelley was one of the developers of a high-scale “fly-in” community near the murder site.
    â€œName familiar?”
    Ben winced. Holland didn’t miss much.
    â€œI ran a search for ‘fly-in’ communities in Meredith County,” he admitted. “Just a hunch.”
    â€œWhat else did you run?”
    â€œThe property where the murders took place.”
    â€œYou were told to leave it alone.”
    Ben shrugged. “It was my off time. A mental exercise.”
    â€œAnd …?”
    â€œIt’s owned by a company called the Somerville Group, which in turn is owned by a shell corporation. Mahoney’s following the trail.”
    â€œOfficers?”
    â€œNot Kelley. That would be too easy. Only names are members of a law