Her eyes, his lies

Chapter 15

The same dark SUV idled on the sidewalk, like a dark behemoth awaiting Jane. Her knees felt strangely cold beneath the artificially worn-out cloth of the jeans. Orange light from the street lamps reflected off the black paint of the vehicle, though the tinted windows gave no clues as to who was within.

She was only a block from her house, nearly at the same intersection where she and Victoria had parted the night before. Watson had intentionally parked further away in order to not rouse suspicion. It seemed like a good call to Jane, who had not even considered the idea that someone may connect the two of them.

She would need to make a lot more good calls, if she wanted to get out of this unscathed.

The passenger door opened once more, inviting her to enter. Jane clambered inside, exhaling as she hauled herself over the threshold.

The interior was surprisingly clean, considering how unkempt Watson appeared to be. Brown leather seats, and an air freshener in the shape of an Evergreen tree. The only flaw was an overfilled ashtray between the two front seats.

"Hey, Jane." Watson looked substantially less bulky without his jacket, though no less intimidating. The various tattoos on his skin seemed to meld with the shadows. A bulging vein ran down his muscular forearm as he rested it on the wheel.

"Do you have it?" Jane asked. She glanced at the dashboard, checking the time. Thirty minutes until she was supposed to meet with Ryder. Hopefully that would be enough time to figure out how to use covert police spying equipment.

"Straight to business, huh? Alright, alright. Good," Watson said, approval in his voice.

He reached backwards, behind Jane's seat. She shifted uncomfortably at his sudden nearness. He stunk of cigarettes and soil.

There was a crinkling as he retrieved a pair of paper bags, one the size of her fist, the other brimming with folders and papers. He handed the latter to her first.

Even at with a cursory glance, Jane could see how extensively Watson had investigated the group. The Jackson syndicate's documented legal history. Their financial reports. Possible shell companies. Photographs of Ryder's father meeting various men, taken at a distance. An itemized list of his biometrics, including what appeared to be a urine sample test. Jane didn't want to think about how Watson had gotten that.

"This is... a lot," Jane said, taking in as much information as she could.

There were things in here that she had never thought to look for. Fingerprints, known associates, even vehicles connected to the group. On the other hand, some things were missing entirely, though Jane had already discovered them. If they could put their heads together, it would truly be a synergistic relationship.

"Yeah, guess it is. Wasn't always that big. I've been in with them for a long time," Watson said, staring out the window. His voice trailed off around the end of the sentence. He appeared to be in a melancholic mood tonight.

"How long?" Jane asked.

"Long enough that I haven't really seen my kid in months. We just talk on the phone. She's probably getting into all sorts of trouble, the rascal."

Jane didn't know how to respond to that. Instead, she eyed the paper bag Watson was holding.

"Is that the listening device?"

Watson seemed mildly surprised that he was still holding it. With a nod, he handed it to her.

"Sure wish I could put this on Beatrice's phone, too," she muttered.

"Beatrice?" Watson asked, absently. "You said that name last night."

"I think she's their brains at the school. She-" Jane choked off as she remembered what Beatrice had done to her. She cleared her throat. "She's got her own posse. Like the Beatrice Ruth gang."

Watson seemed to focus, at that. "Ruth, huh? I know 'em. They're all bad types. Gina Ruth especially. Guessing that'd be her momma."

Jane nodded. She'd discovered as much, and more, when she'd hacked Beatrice's records. "Beatrice tried to intimidate me into acting like I hadn't heard her talking to Ryder. That just made me more suspicious."

"You really are something else, huh, kid?" Watson commented, a small smile on his lips.

Jane unwrapped the listening device, the paper bag crinkling as she did so. It was a plastic case, cylindrical, with a square clasp at the center. Opening it revealed a mass of dark foam with a pair of tiny sim-cards pressed into the material.

"You put that one in a burner," Watson said, indicating the left one, "And the other one in Ryder's phone. It'll transmit any messages or calls he's received."

Jane stared at the tiny chips, her stomach abruptly feeling hollow. "I need to put this in his phone? How am I supposed to do that?"

Watson glanced at her, one eyebrow raised. "Hey, you asked for stealthy police-issue equipment. This is as good as it gets."

Jane raised her thumb to her lip for a bite, before stopping herself. She didn't want to ruin the paint on her nails. Victoria had done an excellent job.

"Look, I'll be nearby if something goes wrong. Just look out for the car," he said, in what he believed to be a reassuring manner.

Jane didn't seem reassured at all. While the idea was simple enough, it would be getting to Ryder's unattended phone that complicated things. If he was like literally any other teenage boy, parting him from his cell phone was tantamount to amputating a limb. It would not be easy, and it certainly wouldn't be possible under his nose.

The voice mocked her, reminding her that she'd chosen this plan of action. That she'd chosen to work with Watson, that she'd agreed to this date, subterfuge and all. She couldn't back out now.

She shook her head, then turned to Watson.

"Hang on to the files for me, I'll come back for them later," she said.

He nodded, twisting the keys in the ignition. The engine roared to life. With the rumble of tires, Jane was sped away to her destination.