J.T. remained in the hospital the longest—five days in all—and was scheduled to be released that day. Julie, Cam, and Maria had gone home on Monday, and both agents were on a two-week medical leave. Julie decided to take time off too.
For now, our group would be stationed downtown, and we’d work with that division until our entire team was healthy again and able to go back to work at our Glendale office.
With some digging, we were able to go back to 2014 and pull up Zack Kenny’s bank records. We found a large cash deposit had been made to his account at the time of the armored truck robbery. His current statement also showed a larger than normal deposit, likely an advance on the diamond heist Carden and the Pirelli brothers thought they would get away with. With a warrant in hand, our agents searched Zack Kenny’s house. They found a map showing the truck route for the diamond transport and the time it would take place. He was arrested and taken into custody, where he spilled the beans on Carden Vetcher for a reduced sentence. He and Vetcher had worked together—along with Sam Dunbar, Carden’s brother—in four bank and armored truck robberies in the past.
We sat around the conference table, finishing up our paperwork on the case.
“So, Carden and Sam had been estranged for nearly thirty years before they found each other and got reacquainted?” I asked.
Hopkins nodded. “It appears that way. Years back, the mother admitted to Carden in a deathbed confession that he had three siblings she gave up for adoption. Orly James Vetcher, or Sam Dunbar, as he was known when he was adopted, was the only sibling Carden ever found. It turned out they both had records for robbery. That’s when they began conspiring in their crimes and brought in Zack Kenny too. That’s about the time Carden began using the name C.V. Loomis, an apparent joke between the brothers.”
“And Zack Kenny told you all of this?” Bill asked.
“Yeah, for a lesser sentence. He was the lightweight in the bunch, but we told him he would be charged with serious crimes as an accomplice to kidnapping, murder, and robbery if he didn’t cooperate.”
I took a sip of water before speaking. “I bet Cam’s wife was happy to return Ralph to Julie.” I grinned. “Liza said he slobbered everywhere. Kaden was probably getting too attached to Ralph, anyway. This entire case amazes me, though.”
Spelling tapped his pen against the table. “In what way?”
“That J.T. recognized Carden after three years. They were actually face-to-face in 2014 when J.T. interviewed him as the driver of the Branded Armor Transport truck that day. He was in on that heist all along.”
“True, using the name Jeff Peterman back then. I’ll admit, the man is clever.”
I smirked. “He isn’t that clever, boss. Sneaking into a hospital room to try to kill a federal agent because you didn’t succeed the first time—well, that’s just stupid.”
“Agreed.” Spelling looked at the clock. “Isn’t it about time you go pick up your partner.”
“It sure is, and I think the nurses are going to miss him. Even though his teeth are wired shut, they say he constantly gives them the raspberries.”
Bill nodded. “That sounds like J.T., and I’m sure he’s happy to be alive.”
Val agreed. “Amen to that.”
“Just a reminder, everyone. Curt’s service begins at two o’clock. Do you think J.T. will be up for it?” Spelling asked.
“He insists, and I’ll be doing the driving. He’ll be fine,” I said.
Spelling cocked his head toward the door. “Okay, go bail out your partner from that hospital.”
“With pleasure, sir.”
It was only a ten-minute drive to St. Mary’s, but I still had time to relive the past week. It seemed like an eternity ago that I’d sat at the window table at Café Central and waited for J.T. to show up for breakfast—but he never did.
I knew our days would go on as they always had, save a few more bumps and bruises. With heavy hearts, we’d mourn the loss of a good agent, but three violent criminals had been taken off the street and would be caged in six-by-eight-foot cells for the rest of their lives. Another, Zack Kenny, would serve a five-year sentence. It was karma at its best.
I entered the hospital and rode the elevator to the third floor, where I walked the hallway to room 302. J.T. sat in the guest chair next to the bed, looking terrible, yet he wore a smile. I mirrored his grin.
“Ready to get the hell out of Dodge, partner?”
He muttered through his wired teeth, “Sure am.”
I took a seat on the edge of the bed. “You know, J.T., I’ve been doing some serious thinking.”
It looked as if he tried to furrow his brows, but his swollen face couldn’t manage it. “Really? About what?”
“You may not have given this any thought because of the mess you’ve been through. Maybe you aren’t even aware of it.”
“Go on.”
“Your Corolla got torched in the warehouse.” I smiled.
J.T. tried to laugh but couldn’t. “I bet that makes you happy.”
“Actually, it does. You can’t use the lame excuse anymore that you drive a girly car because it gets good gas mileage.”
“I imagine you have something better in mind?” J.T. gingerly stood and pulled the curtain aside.
“Oh boy, do I ever.” I helped him into the wheelchair and pushed it out the door. “This weekend, I’m taking you car shopping.”
THE END
Thank you for reading Leverage, Book 4 in the new Agent Jade Monroe FBI Thriller Series. I hope you enjoyed it!
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