Chapter Seventy-seven
With a pitiful groan Agent Walsh rolled over and clumsily batted at his alarm clock. After a few tries he succeeded in silencing the irritating machine. Rolling back over onto his back Walsh stared up at the ceiling for a moment while he collected his thoughts. Usually he didn't mind the morning and he often jumped up before his alarm clock even went off. However the stress of this case was keeping him up at night and it was starting to take a toll. He had worked high profile cases in the past but never one that involved a fellow Agent as a victim. If he could just nail down one other solid piece of evidence he'd be far more confident about taking this case to trial. As it was the fact that Walker was out on bail despite Peter's positive ID was not a good sign.
Knowing he wasn't getting anywhere just laying around Walsh got out of bed and headed directly for the shower. The half removed tattoo that adorned his upper arm was itching like crazy this morning and it didn't appreciate the harsh water spray. He had gotten the poorly done tattoo during a deep undercover mission as part of his final initiation into the violent gang. It had taken a year of living a life of drugs and lies to get to the heart of the drug ring, but it had been a major triumph for the Agency in the end. Removing the prison style tattoo with laser treatments was actually taking longer than bringing down the nation wide drug cartel itself. He had gone in two weeks ago for yet another painful session and the skin was still recovering. As much as he disliked the laser he was determined to erase the mark the case had left on him.
Getting out the shower Walsh gingerly patted his arm dry before getting the rest of the water off his skin. Going over to his closet he spent a little more time than usual picking through his suits and ties, the more the case weighed on his mind the harder small decisions became. Selecting a black pinstripe with a deep gray tie Walsh quickly got dressed. Stepping out into his small apartment living room with the connected kitchen he decided against making coffee since the street vendors did a better job at it anyway.
"Okay, Baby, I gotta go to work. Daddy will be home tonight."
Walsh leaned over and gave the large silver tabby cat sitting on the back of the couch a kiss on the top of the head. Folding her ears down the cat meowed in protest of the affection. Chuckling at the cat Walsh headed down to the garage to get his car. Making his way to Harlem Walsh parked his car in a no parking zone and trusted his Federal plates to keep his car from being towed. Stopping at a cart on the street for a cup of black coffee Walsh made his way down a residential street. Coming to a large apartment complex Walsh stood to the side of the steps leading in and out and sipped at his coffee. The few people that passed by him eyed him warily. Usually if he was going to be heading into the outskirts of Harlem he would have dressed a little less like an obvious FBI Agent, but he didn't do undercover work any more. About halfway through his coffee his target stepped out of the apartment complex. Throwing his coffee in a near by trash can Walsh straightened his tie and got his badge out of his breast pocket so that he'd have it at the ready.
"Asha?" Walsh called. "Asha Williams?"
Asha had made it about ten feet down the sidewalk but she froze at hearing her name. Turning around she stared at Walsh with an expression that kept switching between anxiety and irritation. Walsh smiled at her but didn't step closer.
"Miss Williams, can we talk?"
"That depends on who you are." Asha said firmly.
"Agent Alan Walsh," Walsh flashed her his badge "FBI."
Walsh was pleased that Asha relaxed slightly at learning who he was. Walsh wondered if Walker's lawyers had been hassling Asha for any information she might have one Peter through Elizabeth. Walsh thought that she was going to be cooperative considering her reaction so far but when he approached she tensed again.
"It's okay, Asha, you're not in any trouble."
"How can I help you, Agent?" Asha asked in a tone that implied she'd rather tell him to go away.
"Right to business, I like that." Walsh smiled. "I'll cut right to the chase as well then: your boss is a kidnapping murdering psychopath and I need your help catching him."
"What? No…"
"I'm sorry, that was a little strong. I haven't been sleeping well. However, it is true."
"I know what people have been saying, but..." Asha shook her head in denial. "No, no, this is crazy. Light for the Lost is a wonderful organization, we help people, we don't…"
"Stop saying 'we', this isn't about 'we', this is about Walker." Walsh interrupted. "I'm sorry, I know you care for your organization and I know how hard you work to try to ease people's pain, but the truth of the matter is that you're just a cover story."
"No, please." Asha took a step back as her eyes brightened with tears.
"It's okay, Asha, no one is blaming you. I have vetted you inside out and I know you've never hurt anyone. But the money you've been using to help others is soaked in blood. Walker is washing money through Light for the Lost, and now he's kidnapped and tortured a Federal Agent along with multiple civilians."
"If you know all this then why haven't you just arrested Mr. Walker?"
"We have, but we are having a hard time making it stick."
"Why?"
"Honestly, because he's is rich and white."
The brief flash of anger that passed over Asha's delicate dark features was exactly what Walsh had been hoping for. He knew it couldn't be easy for Asha to accept the idea that she had devoted the better half of her life to an organization that was based on a lie but he was hoping that she would start to come around. Reaching up Asha brushed a stray tear away. Walsh swore internally when Asha suddenly shook her head and took a step back.
"No, I'm sorry, I can't…I can't help you. If you're wrong I might still end up destroying Light for the Lost. If the media or even just our investors gets wind that Mr Walker is under this kind of investigation and even if he's innocent…"
"He's not."
"You can't know that, if you knew that you wouldn't be standing her talking to me." Asha said stubbornly. "I'm no one in the organization, I have nothing to do with the financial side, there is no reason to ask someone like me for help."
"I'm not going to lie, I'm talking to you because I'm a little desperate. I have a case against Walker, but it's not bulletproof and I want bulletproof. If I could gain access to Walker's computer through an insider…"
"If you've arrested him why don't you just have a warrant for the computer?"
"The charges against him at this point are civil and are separate from his business, search and seizer laws are extraordinarily complicated and convoluted and Walker has an army of lawyers. If I could get into his office computer I know I could at the very least lock him away for money laundering even if I don't find my missing piece for the rest of my case."
"What makes you think he'd even keep records like that."
"Because they always do. Men like Walker are dragons and they love to count their gold."
Walsh was worried that Asha still didn't look convinced. Slowly realizing that Walker may have been using her was opening her up to the idea that others, including Walsh, might be doing the same. Walsh could see it in the way she was closing her body language that she was close to shutting him out. It would be easier for her to just go back to work, back to her life, and just wait to see what happened when the dust settled. Walsh was always amazed by how powerful human denial could be when faced with a reality that they didn't want to face.
"I'm sorry, Agent, I can't, I…"
"You became friends with Agent Burke's wife, Elizabeth, right?" Walsh interrupted.
"Agent, don't…"
"Were you ever in her house?" Walsh asked as he pulled out his phone and put a complicated passcode into it. "Did you ever see a picture of her husband? Do you know what Peter looks like?"
Asha nodded.
"Well, this is him now."
Even though he shouldn't be showing Asha the case photo on his phone he decided it was worth bending the rules to bring her over to his side. Asha's eyes widened in horror as she brought her hand up to her mouth to cover her sharp gasp. The photo was one of a series that had been taken as evidence while they had been working to clean Peter up after surgery. With his ivory pale skin smeared with blood and grime with a tube down his throat to keep him breathing he looked beyond saving.
"How can I help?" Asha asked quietly.
"I need you to attached something to the back of Walker's computer that will give me access to it."
"I can't just go into his office when he's not there."
"But he would see you if you ask right?"
"Yes."
"Good. He usually leaves the office at five so at four forty-five I want you to ask to see him, at four fifty I'm going to make an entrance. I don't have a warrant for Light for the Lost so he'll be able to ask me to leave, but I'm going to make a serious distraction of myself in the process and that's when you plant the device. Okay?"
Asha looked nervous but she nodded.
"You're going to do great." Walsh smiled encouragingly. "I have to go. If for whatever reason my distraction doesn't work or if Walker doesn't let you into his office just walk away. Got it?"
"Got it."
"When this is all over I'll tell Elizabeth how much you helped us."
Asha smiled warmly. Walsh gave her one of his business cards and instructions for her to go about the rest of her day as normally as possibly. Walsh knew this was a bit of a desperate move but it was also a fairly low risk one. With everything set with Asha Walsh headed to the Federal Building to comb through the piles of evidence dragged up from out of the Labyrinth. As Peter has suspected so far none of the other men taken out of the Labyrinth were flipping on Walker. Sitting down at his desk Walsh started going through everything from scratch in hopes of finding a missing connection. Two hours later and no better off than when he started Walsh sighed heavily as he rubbed at his tired eyes. Before he could get the motivation to get back to work the SAC of Violent Crimes knocked on his door.
"Alan, I've got a kidnapping case for you…"
"What? No. Jeff, please, you know I'm working the Burke/Caffrey case. I have no extra time or attention span for another case right now."
Rather than say anything further Jeff just held up a 8 by 10 photograph of the victim. Seeing Ethan's striking resemblance to Neal Walsh jumped to his feet and threw his sports jacket on before snatching the file away from his boss.
"I'm on it."
