Page 71 of His Wall

Conrad was trying to kill him.

I looked down.

Julian was on his back against the wheel well of the SUV with his white shirt streaked gray from the concrete and a small cut on the back of his left hand from where it had hit the ground. His hazel eyes were on mine.

He did not say anything.

Julian Cross was not guilty.

THIRTEEN

LEAH

I was standing over him on the concrete with my right hand still on his chest and my eyes still on the ramp when he said it.

"Claire. What's happening?"

I did not answer.

I pulled out my ringing phone from my pocket. It was Harlow.

"Help is minuites away. Are you okay?"

"We are fine, but my cover is compromised. I have the principal and he is unhurt. He is now aware of who I am, or going to be in the next ninety seconds."

"How aware is he, Calder?"

"He is going to be fully aware. There is no version of the next twenty minutes where he doesn't know."

"Copy. Read me in."

"Last night I accessed the principal's private archive. He has been investigating Weiss independently for at least a year. The architecture of his file is prosecutorial. He is building a RICO case against Weiss involving a federal judge, S.D.N.Y., and a pattern of dismissed criminal proceedings. I have twenty-three photographs of his system. I have not yet sent them."

A beat.

"Why have you not sent them, Calder?"

"I was running additional verification."

"You were running additional verification."

"Yes, ma'am."

She let the line sit.

I kept my eyes on the ramp.

"Send them. Now."

"Sending."

"Status on the principal."

"Secure. I need a unit and I need a safehouse. I need a forensic team at the structure and a trace on the unknown number that just texted his phone post-shot."

"On it. Safehouse in the hour. Get him off the grid until then. No office, no apartment, no public locations. Are you injured?"

"No."