Read The Betrayal for Free Online Page A

there? You’d have to put one between my eyes to keep me away. You think I’m going to let her sit there alone—?”
    â€œBoones, slow down. Don’t make things worse for her. Get her a lawyer, but don’t make it look like you’re conspiring.”
    â€œConspiring? What, I was in cahoots with her to get myself shot? Anybody who hears about my visit will know I don’t believe for a second that she was behind any of this. What’re you worried about, Jack? If I get too noisy now, is that going to affect your angling for Galloway’s job?”
    Keller recoiled. “How can you even say that?”
    â€œWell, what are you all gussied up for?”
    â€œDowntown is doing a little press conference tribute to Fletch. I have to be there.”
    â€œNaturally.”
    â€œDon’t start with me, Boones. You know I’m not political.”
    â€œThis is a pretty good job.”
    Keller stood and turned away. “I don’t deserve this, from you of all people. You know me.”
    â€œI thought I knew you, Jack. But tell me: why wouldn’t you get back to me? You knew I was desperate to know where Haeley was. What was that about?”
    Jack sat again. “I got to shoot straight with you, Boones. Pete’s no slouch. There could be something there. Now don’t look at me like that. I can’t be going behind his back, filling you in, knowing full well you’re going to hit the roof, check yourself out, go see her, all that.”
    â€œAnd I will.”
    â€œThat’s what I’m afraid of. Why don’t you just get her a lawyer and send him in there with a message from you. It gets out that you visited her, what’s that going to do to the investigation, to her, to Max . . . ?”
    â€œTo your future.”
    â€œI don’t want to hear that again, Boones. This has nothing to do with me and my future. And in case you haven’t noticed, your career has been in step with mine all along. If I do happen to get the OCD chief’s job, that only helps you.”
    â€œLike I care about that right now. You know the department is going to push me to take full disability or a desk job. And that’s not happening. I’ll take a civilian job before I give in to that.”
    â€œIf you must know, I don’t see that in your future either. I have something way juicier in mind.”
    â€œDon’t do this right now, Jack. You know I’m curious and I want to stay with you whatever happens, but how can I think about myself when Haeley’s in County? I can’t believe I’m even saying that! And you seem to think it’s okay, a woman like that locked up with all those lowlifes.”
    â€œYou want to do something for her? Get her a lawyer and get her out of there. Surely she can be bonded out. I wouldn’t have my name associated with the bail, though, if I were you. It’s going to complicate things. I can just see your mug on some TV gossip show. ‘She sets him up and he bails her out!’”
    â€œDon’t even kid about that, Jack. Tell me you know as well as I do that she’s innocent.”
    Jack looked miserable, as if Boone had raised an issue he didn’t want to face. “I learned a long time ago not to jump to conclusions. I’ve been a Pete Wade fan a long time.”
    â€œWho hasn’t?”
    â€œSpotless career. Smart, savvy, good investigator, good manager, cop’s cop.”
    â€œSo what’s he up to? This looks like a misdirection play to me. Taking the spotlight off where it needs to be. I mean, the department secretary is the culprit? Please.”
    Jack looked at his watch. “I’ve got to get downtown, but listen: Garrett Fox was in line for your job. You know that. Maybe he shouldn’t have been, and maybe he would have been a disaster. But he had a motive to get in the way of all this, to get you and embarrass us. He must have had