Baltimore 03 - Did You Miss Me?

the the warrants,’ Grayson said. ‘If you can’t get any of the Millhouses to tie Richard Odum to the defense money, I’ll try to get a judge to sign without it.’
    ‘It’s a plan,’ Joseph said. ‘I’ll contact you if—’
    ‘Wait,’ Daphne snapped. ‘I want to be there when you interview—’
    ‘No,’ Joseph snapped. ‘You’ll stay where you’re safe.’
    Grayson winced and Bo looked up at the ceiling, his gray head wagging in pitying disbelief. The silence on the other end lasted so long that Grayson turned the speaker up. ‘Hello? You guys still there?’
    ‘Yeah, we’re here,’ Paige said. ‘I muted the phone. I didn’t think you’d want to hear Daphne’s true feelings about Joseph’s little pronouncement. Daphne’s coming down there, Joseph. Like it or not.’
    ‘She’s not safe here,’ Joseph gritted out.
    ‘You’re not her keeper,’ Hector said mildly. ‘Kate and I will accompany her.’
    Grayson shot Joseph a sympathetic look. ‘Paige, you’ll stay with her, too?’
    ‘Of course. See you in about twenty minutes.’
    The phone disconnected as Paige hung up.
    ‘Fuck,’ Joseph muttered.
    ‘Nobody knows the Millhouses like she does,’ Grayson said softly. ‘Do you believe Kate and Hector are good at their jobs?’
    ‘Yes. I just don’t want her to get hurt,’ Joseph said.
    ‘None of us do,’ Bo said. ‘But she’s one of our best resources right now, so we will use her. I’m more interested in your theory that Bill wasn’t involved in Ford’s abduction. If Bill didn’t know about Ford and Zacharias in the alley, why did he have pistols in his trunk that were stolen from the same Pennsylvania state trooper who owned the taser?’
    Joseph shrugged. ‘If one of Bill’s followers wants to push him out, he might know where the tasers and pistols came from. Hell, the follower could even have been the one to steal them from the trooper to begin with.’ His cell buzzed and he checked his email. ‘It’s from Brodie. She and Drew Peterson examined the knife Reggie used in the courtroom. The blood types match Welch and Zacharias.’
    Joseph’s phone buzzed again. ‘Peterson said they got a fingerprint match on that plastic strip Deacon and I found in the alley. George. They looked at photos of George. Every day in court he wore a wrist brace. When he was arrested, he didn’t have it on. CSU is looking for the brace in the courthouse.’ He looked up at the group. ‘The knife was smuggled in by George. Maybe George used it on Zacharias last night.’
    ‘George?’ Bo shook his head. ‘The son who’s not that bright? You said yourself that the person in the alley last night was a planner, a quick thinker. If George pulled off that abduction and murder, Bill had to have been involved.’
    ‘I don’t think so,’ Joseph said. ‘Bill didn’t know what I was talking about. But since George smuggled in the knife, I’ll start with him. If I don’t get what I need, I’ll move on to Cindy. By that time Daphne should be here.’
    Tuesday, December 3, 5.00 P.M.
    ‘Have a brownie. They’re good for the soul.’
    Daphne looked at the brownie Paige held in the palm of her hand, then turned back to watch the traffic they were passing easily on I-83 due to Agent Kate Coppola’s Formula One approach to driving. ‘No, thank you. I can’t eat.’
    ‘Then just sniff the chocolate,’ Paige said. ‘It’ll calm you down.’
    ‘Maybe I don’t want to be calm.’
    ‘But I do. Daphne, you are making me crazy.’ Paige forcibly stilled the foot Daphne couldn’t stop bobbing. ‘You’re going to kick yourself in the chin.’
    ‘She’s right,’ Coppola said. ‘You’re not doing yourself any favors, getting so upset.’
    ‘I’m not upset. I’m angry with Joseph and that’s canceling out the upset.’
    Hector twisted in the front seat to look back at them. ‘That weirdly makes sense.’
    ‘Thanks. “You’ll stay”,’ Daphne mimicked. ‘I’m not a dog, to be told to stay or heel.’
    ‘Maybe you’d prefer he teach you to play dead,’ Paige said, an edge to her voice.
    Daphne looked at her hands, twisted together in her lap. ‘Ford is my son, Paige.’
    ‘I know that. And he’ll be so happy to come home and find you dead.’
    ‘That’s not funny.’
    Paige’s jaw tightened. ‘Nor was it meant to be.’
    Paige is angrier than I am . At me . Which is unfair and just plain mean . ‘You think I should let Joseph Carter dictate my