Disclaimers in chapter one.
A/N: Thank you so much for the kind feedback; you guys are incredible.
*
Danny found himself engaged in an impromptu staring contest with Cameron Marks.
The man was sitting forward on his worn couch, fingers laced together as he studied the agent. Danny watched him mildly while Martin and the other agents searched the apartment with Marks's consent.
Cameron Marks broke first, holding his hands up in the air.
"What are they looking for?" he asked Danny, gesturing to Martin and the others.
Danny leaned back against the wall. "It's not so much 'what', Cameron. It's got more to do with 'who', actually. And we already told you about that."
"Yeah, and I told you I had nothing to do with Margo and Dylan going missing," Cameron challenged.
"Try to see it from our perspective, okay? The twins go missing a month after you get out of jail for killing their older brother. Now, where would you look for them?"
Cameron Marks shook his head angrily. "I didn't kill Will Bradshaw, and I didn't touch Margo or Dylan."
Danny told him, "We'll see," just as Martin came out from the back room, cell phone in hand, his face somber.
Danny frowned. "What's going on?"
"Got a call from Jack," Martin told him in a low voice. "Margo Reed just died of a gunshot wound. They found her alive in an old warehouse near Chelsea, but she didn't make it."
"Damn it," the other agent slammed his fist into the wall, and Cameron Marks's eyes grew wide.
Danny took a deep breath and asked, "What'd you find here?"
Martin shook his head. "Apartment's clean. No sign of Dylan, and it doesn't look like either of them were ever here."
"Great," Danny muttered, before turning back to Cameron. "You're coming with us."
"What?" Cameron's eyes flashed indignantly. "I didn't do anything!"
"I know," Danny told him, holding up a hand. "But we need to talk to you. Whoever killed Will Bradshaw just killed his sister, and I'm thinking you know who that is."
Cameron started to protest, but it was a second too late.
"Come on, Cameron," Martin entreated. "Help us catch a killer and clear your name all at the same time."
The man remained silent, and Danny figured that was as much of an agreement as they were going to get.
"Let's go."
*
"You don't have to do this, you know."
Samantha waited until Jack had come to a stop in front of the Reed's home before responding with a quiet "I know."
Vivian had gone back to the office to wait for Danny and Martin and for ballistics to finish with the bullet and shell casing found at the scene, but Samantha had insisted on telling Simon Reed about Margo face-to-face.
Jack had gently taken the car keys from her still-trembling hands and told her he was going with her.
And here they were, sitting together in silence, Jack's eyes on Samantha and Samantha's on the Reed's modest brownstone home.
"Sam.." Jack started, but Samantha's hand was on the door.
"I'm going," she told him quickly, and he followed her out of the car, up the front walk and to the wooden door.
Jack watched her reach out for the doorbell, hesitate for such a brief second that he knew no one else would ever have noticed, and press hard.
A few seconds later, Simon Reed appeared in the doorway. His eyes had a desperate, wild look to them, and they focused on Samantha as she tried to speak.
"Mr. Reed," she finally got out, and that was all it took.
Simon's face held like stone for a timeless moment, and then crumbled as if his bones had simply disintegrated with Samantha's shaky words.
He gripped the door for support, knuckles turning white with the effort of remaining upright.
"I'm sorry," Samantha whispered, and once she started, she couldn't stop. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry.." The words tumbled from her lips of their own accord until they ran together like a fast-moving river, and it was Jack's tentative, warm hand on her back that finally stopped the flood.
She allowed her eyes to slide closed briefly before forcing them open and training them firmly on the distraught Simon Reed.
"I'm sorry," she said one final time.
I'm sorry it was me holding her hand at the end.
I'm sorry we couldn't bring her back
I'm sorry..
*
Cameron Marks looked vaguely uncomfortable in the small FBI interview room, but it was a familiar kind of uncomfortable, as though he'd been in a place like this before.
Which, Martin reflected, he probably had.
"Okay, Cameron," Danny started. "You didn't kill Will Bradshaw and you didn't kill Margo Reed. So who did?"
Cameron just shook his head helplessly. "I don't know."
"Yes, you do," Danny challenged, leaning in closer. "You know exactly who it was."
Martin glanced at Cameron and back at Danny before speaking. "Why don't you tell us everything you can, Cameron? No bullshitting, but we won't worry about the name right away."
"We don't have that kind of time," Danny muttered.
"We don't have time for him to clam up completely on us," Martin reminded Danny, who stared at him for a moment before dropping his head in a nod.
"Okay. Everything you know. About Will, about Margo, about Dylan, whatever."
Cameron leaned back in chair, a resigned look crossing his face. "Will and I were friends," he told the agents. "The two of us, sometimes we used to wonder how the hell we got in so deep. And Will was in deep. Twenty grand in debt is not a place you want to be when you're nineteen years old."
Danny figured it wasn't a place you wanted to be no matter your age, but he said nothing.
"Anyway, Will wasn't coming up with the money. He was broke and he was scared, and then he was dead. I had no reason to kill him. He didn't owe me any money, but the cops didn't have anyone else to pin it on, and my print.."
"Look, no one's accusing you of murder, here," Martin told Cameron. "You don't have to defend yourself, but you do need to give us something better than that."
Cameron dropped his head into his hands. When he looked up, there was a grim determination etched across his features.
"You'll probably find this out anyway; I was there."
Danny and Martin exchanged quick glances.
"When Will was murdered?"
Cameron shook his head.
"When Margo was kidnapped."
The room fell silent.
"Cameron.." Danny finally started in a warning tone. "I think you better tell us everything. Now."
Wringing his hands, Cameron looked pleadingly at the agents. "I found out where she worked, what time she got off. I just wanted to talk to her. I swear, I never would have done anything to hurt her. I was about to go up to her when..when he came from behind, walked out with her."
"Why did you want to talk to Margo?" Martin asked quickly.
"Ten years ago, at the trial. I'd just been convicted, and before they took me away.." Cameron's voice trailed off as he remembered. "Before they took me away, she looked right at me and she said she was sorry. She knew," Cameron said forcefully. "She knew I didn't kill her brother. I wanted to talk to her to find out how."
"Hold up," Danny frowned in confusion. "You were in the lot that day? You were there when Margo walked out of the hospital?"
Cameron nodded. "Yeah. I was waiting for her there."
"Jesus," Danny spat, running a hand through his hair in frustration. He turned to Martin. "There were three people on camera in the parking lot, three people with appointments at the hospital that ended around the time Margo left. Two men. Ben McClennan checked out, but if Cameron was the other man on camera.."
"Maybe whoever took Margo did have an appointment," Martin said slowly.
Danny's next, fierce words were directed at Cameron Marks, who had been watching the exchange warily.
"A name, Cameron. We need a name. Right now. If you're scared, we'll protect you. We can keep you safe, but we. Need. A. Name."
Heavy silence hung in the room. Cameron's eyes swung wildly from Danny's to Martin's, and he ran a hand over his mouth before answering in a soft voice.
"Jimmy Larkin."
*
I didn't know she was going to go missing..
Samantha's eyes flew first to Jack's, then to Vivian's as the three agents processed Cameron Marks's words from outside the questioning room.
Jimmy Larkin.
James Larkin.
"Our witness," Vivian said in disgust, shaking her head.
"We had him," Samantha whispered, her tone bordering on amazement. "We had him."
"We'll get him again," Jack promised grimly.
Wish I could help you out..
Samantha's hands clenched into fists, and she pressed them hard against her eyes.
We had him..
I'm sorry, Margo..
TBC..
