Chapter 20
"Tell me you got that." Sam joined Mallory behind the black curtains, pulling from his coat sleeve a cell phone I didn't recognize and obviously the source of our audio feed.
"Loud and clear. But you know that constitutes a wire tap, and I don't recall you getting a warrant. So nothing he said is admissible in court." Mallory's voice was calm, while her foot frantically kicked my leg to stay wrapped in the curtain behind her.
"Nope. That's what Phillip's ears were for. Nothing beats a physical witness."
She scoffed. "Just get his phone back in holding before Stone goes looking for his possessions. You're lucky no one called him."
"At this hour? That Prick doesn't have any friends left. Besides, I put the ringer on silence." So Sam had used Stone's phone to help us listen. I didn't know whether to be impressed or disgusted that I was one device closer to our least favorite creep. The real question was whether Sam intended to return Stone's phone as well as the pistol Sam confiscated from Stone's Town Car. Or whether Mallory knew he'd never returned the weapon to Stone's hiding place. "You shoulda seen his face burn when I mentioned Goliath. They definitely cut him loose. He's desperate. Look, his outgoing calls outnumber his incoming three to one. And we should both recognize that number."
Someone came up huffing and puffing, interrupting Sam's information download. My heart tripped. Maybe Stone had seen Sam come this way.
"Phillip was late joining the game and delivering his line," Sam chided. "Stop at the bar a while, or did you have to rethink the plan?"
"Hey, we had to get more player's chips. Like Phillip's going to buy me a drink now that you've ratted me out." Bobby's whiney voice scratched at my nerve endings."So okay, you were right about that detective going after my sister. Doesn't tell me nothing I don't already know."
"Tells us everything. One, Canada was no surprise to him. He knows exactly where your sister's been hiding out. Yet you said she cut ties and ran. Probably means he's tracking her somehow. You bought her a new phone, but no way he'd know about her new number. My guess: he searched her family for a weak link, found an ex-con brother listed and hit paydirt."
"No way. My files were sealed," Bobby squeaked.
"Probably got his judge-buddy to unseal them, then sign a warrant to monitor your phone. You recognize this number?"
Mallory grunted in agreement with Sam's theory. Stone may not be a Goliath member, but his realm of influence was just as scary.
"Shit, that's my sister's cell. Jeez, he's logging my calls? Better dump this and get a burner."
"No, keep your phone," said Sam. "We need a way to manipulate Stone if he gets too close. He might not know you're under our wing now, so he'll think you're still in contact with Tiffany. That you can lead him to her location, even if she's in custody."
"No way, man. I'm not leading that guy to her. You said you'd protect her."
"And I will. But we gotta play our cards right. Relax, Parolee. We'll probably get to her before he does. Maybe. Hopefully."
Jesus, Sam. So he'd been bluffing about having moved Tiffany to a safe house. That meant she was still in the wind. Alone. Not an unfamiliar experience to me, and not a feeling I wished on anyone innocent.
"You gave her our coded instructions, right, Red?" asked Mallory.
"Sure, no overt directions," Bobby replied. "She understood the drop point. Probably already on the road. But she's freaked, man. So am I."
