My eyes widen as I look at the black-and-white images taken via the jail security system spread over the table.
“Holy shit,” Adrian whispers.
“The police are ecstatic. They haven’t had a definite link to him before but this proves without doubt that they are working together. They have issued a warrant for his arrest and are going around there as we speak to get the bastard.”
I shake my head. “God.” I frown at the photos as I put my hand over my mouth. “How many women did these sick fucks murder?” I ask.
“Twelve, and like weird-shit killing too. Tortured, raped and cut up,” Ben replies as goosebumps cover my flesh.
“And they wanted Natasha,” I whisper.
“Thankfully she has been guarded all the time. They may have gotten her if you two didn’t get back together,” Adrian gasps.
“See, this is why I hate her doing psychology in a jail. You’re messing with fucked- up psychopaths’ minds. She’s not doing that shit again. Over my dead body is she doing that shit again. What does she expect going to the fucking prison?” I stand in an outrage and rub my hands through my hair.
My intercom buzzes. “Mr Stanton, Robert Stanton is here to see you.”
Adrian pats me on the shoulder in a symbol of sympathy. “I’ve got stuff to do. We will go out for lunch to discuss this.”
“Yeah, ok.” I sigh as I watch Adrian leave the room.
Dad walks in and smiles at Ben and me. “Hello,” he greets us softly. I’ve never seen my father so broken. This was one of his closest friends that did this to his wife.
“I will be outside.” Ben gestures to the door.
“No, I want to see you too, Ben,” Dad replies.
Ben’s and my eyes meet. I knew this was coming. Ben nods and sits at the table.
I sit back down at my desk and my father sits opposite me.
“I want to have James Brennan taken care of,” he announces.
“Yes, I agree,” I reply. “He’s not getting away with this.”
Dad looks at Ben. “Do you… have the contacts?” he asks nervously.
“Yes,” Ben replies flatly.
“Can you ring? How does this work?” Dad asks him.
“No,” I snap. “Ben is not getting involved in this one.”
Ben’s eyes meet mine. “Joshua, it’s what you pay me for,” he snaps.
“Your role in this family has changed and you know that,” I reply.
Ben shakes his head angrily in disgust. “It’s what I’m trained to do,” he snaps.
“And you should have thought about that before you fell in love with my sister-in-law.”
“I didn’t say I was in love with her,” he replies.
“You didn’t have to!” I reply. “If you are becoming a part of this family that’s it, no more fucking hits, no more dealing with the underworld. You leave your military training in the past. You are already being investigated for the prostitute’s murder. I will not have Bridget alone with two kids while her husband is rotting in jail.”
Ben drops his head angrily.
“Well I hope nobody is going to jail.” Dad frowns. “You pay good money to not get caught I would expect.”
I nod. “Do you have the money?” I ask.
He nods. “Yes.”
My eyes hold his. “Do you have untraceable money?”
He thinks for a moment and then shakes his head. “No,” he answers.
My eyes meet Ben’s. “How much is in the safe at home, Ben?”
Ben narrows his eyes as he thinks. “I don’t know, about two million I think.”
My eyes flick back to my father. “It’s yours. You will need to pay before you leave the country, organise it while you are here. We can’t get that much money into Australia without being noticed,” I reply. “Ben, give my father the contact numbers. That is as far as you can get involved in this one,” I reply. Ben nods angrily like a naughty child.
“You will need to stay in the US until it is done,” I mutter.
My father nods. “Yes,” he replies. “I will get a hotel for your mother and me. We won’t burden you any longer.”
My eyes hold his. “Are you two going to be ok?”
He shakes his head. “I don’t know. How do you get past something like this?”
My stomach drops. What a nightmare.
My father stands. “Thank you, Joshua.” He nods at Ben and leaves the room.
Ben stands still and defiant with his eyes fixed on me.
“What?” I snap.
“I’m not changing my whole life to be with Bridget.”
My eyes hold his. “Yes you are, go with my father and give him the money and stay with Natasha until I know they have this sick fuck in custody.”
He nods and walks toward the door.
“Ben,” I call. And he turns to look at me.
“I don’t want you involved in this because I want you and Bridget together. You have my full support, but you need to leave that life behind. Bridget needs you to leave that life behind,” I say.
His eyes hold mine for a moment and he nods, turns and walks out of the room.
I scrub my hand over my face in frustration. What next?