Chapter 9: Reeves
They found Reeves in a rented apartment in Evanston, forty-eight hours after the hearing.
Marco's team had worked backward from the name Caro provided, cross-referenced with the scar description Mia had given, and pulled security footage from three transit hubs until they had a face, a movement pattern, and an address.
Gabriel did not go himself.
He sent Marco and two men he trusted completely, with instructions that were specific and left no room for interpretation: Reeves was to be brought in intact, unharmed, and with full awareness of exactly how much trouble he was in.
Marco called from the car on the way back.
"He's talking," Marco said.
"Already?"
"He asked for thirty seconds to think about his options and then started talking.
He's been in this business long enough to know what the options actually are."
"What does he have?"
"More than we expected.
Sterling didn't just plan the convoy operation.
Reeves says there are two other incidents over the past fourteen months that Sterling's people ran against Romano interests.
The highway accident that kjlled Daniel—"
Gabriel's hand tightened on the phone.
"—Reeves says he wasn't involved in that one.
But he knows the name of the man who was.
And he says Sterling ordered it."
The silence lasted four seconds.
"He's willing to put that in writing?" Gabriel said.
His voice was completely level.
"He's willing to put it on record with federal authorities in exchange for a cooperation agreement.
He wants out of Sterling's organization.
He says Sterling has been escalating for two years and Reeves doesn't want to be in the room when it finally collapses."
Gabriel walked to the window of the brownstone's front room.
The street outside was ordinary — a woman walking a dog, a delivery truck idling at the corner.
Daniel's accident.
Fourteen months of carrying it as guilt.
Fourteen months of standing at a nursery window at two in the morning making promises to a d*ad man.
"Bring him in," Gabriel said.
"And call Hargrove.
Tell him we need a federal contact.
Someone clean, someone who will move fast."
"Already have a name."
"Of course you do."
"Gabriel." Marco's voice was careful.
"If Reeves is telling the truth about Daniel—"
"I know what it means."
"Sterling didn't just come after the business.
He came after your family.
He's been coming after your family for over a year."
"I know, Marco."
A pause.
"What do you want to do?"
Gabriel thought about Daniel laughing at Sunday dinners.
He thought about a kindergarten teacher from Wisconsin.
He thought about a promise made at two in the morning to someone who couldn't hear it.
He thought about Mia Carver driving a stolen truck through a wooden barrier with a six-month-old on the passenger floor.
"I want Sterling to face every consequence the law allows," Gabriel said.
"Every single one.
I want it documented, public, and permanent.
I want his name attached to what he did for the rest of his life."
"And if the law isn't enough?"
"It will be," Gabriel said.
"Make sure Reeves understands that cooperating fully is the only version of this where he gets to walk away.
Then get Hargrove on the phone."
He ended the call.
May you like
He stood at the window for a moment longer.
Then he went to find Mia.
