Page 50 of So Vicious
Faith heard Carrie hiss, “It’s fine!Go!”just before she opened the door.
Faith put a hand on the door just before Julie stepped inside.Both girls jumped and stared at Faith, Julie in horror, Carrie like a protective mother.
“Excuse me, your partner said we’re free to go,” Carrie said curtly.
“Tell me who Jimmy Sullivan is,” Faith asked Julie.
“No,” Carrie said, stepping in between her friend and putting a finger in Faith’s face.“No, we didn’t do anything wrong, and we’re not answering questions.Julie, get in the car.”
Faith smiled at Carrie and kept her voice pleasant.“Neither of you are in trouble right now.But if it comes to light that either of you are withholding information that could help us catch this killer, then you will both be in extreme trouble.”
Carrie glanced at Julie worriedly.Julie stood ramrod straight, lips pressed into a bloodless line, eyes fixed on the FBI logo on Faith’s vest.
“People are dying,” Faith said.“Innocent people.Please help us stop that from happening.Please give us a chance to end this before anyone else is killed.”
The girls remained silent, Julie terrified and silent, Carrie terrified and defiant.
"We're going to find out," Faith said softly."Neither of you is experienced enough to know how to hide something from the FBI."
"We're not hiding anything," Carrie protested."We didn't do anything wrong.If you need to talk to us, you can talk to our lawyer.Now,back off of my car!”
She put a hand on Faith’s vest and shoved.That was technically assault on a law enforcement officer, but Carrie stood about five-one and weighed maybe a hundred pounds after Thanksgiving dinner.Faith barely moved, and she really didn’t think these two were trying to be difficult.They were just terrified.She didn’t want to throw the book at them unless she absolutely had to.
“If lawyers get involved, it means we’re charging you two with obstruction,” Faith explained gently.“If you talk to me right now, then we don’t need to charge you with anything.”
"Just…" Carrie folded her arms across her chest and looked over Faith's shoulder, then back at Faith."We don't know anything!"she said pleadingly.
Faith looked at Julie.“Is that true?”
Julie swallowed.Tears leaked from her eyes.Carrie put a hand over her mouth, then said, “Agent, you can’t make us incriminate ourselves.”
“No one’s doing that,” Faith assured her.“My interest is only in Jimmy Sullivan.I don’t want any trouble for you guys.”
“That’s just what cops always say,” Carrie protested.
But her resolve was weakening.She was looking at Julie again, but this time questioningly instead of protectively.Faith waited patiently.The shell was cracking.It just needed to open a little more.
“Fuck,” Julie whispered miserably.“He’s my brother.”
Faith was used to surprises in her line of work, but this was a good one.She stared in amazement at Julie for a moment before recovering.“I see.I’m sorry.”
“I didn’t know he was going to do anything.He never… I mean, he would say that he hated priests and prophets and stuff, but he never said he wanted to hurt anyone.He kept talking about how much he hated war and violence.”
She was weeping now, wiping tears from her eyes and shaking like a leaf.Carrie stood with her arm around her, looking down at the ground.
“Did you give him the records?”Faith asked.
“No!”Both girls said at once.
Faith lifted a hand.“I’m talking to Julie, Carrie.Please let her speak for herself.”
Carrie looked at Julie and seemed ready to protest again, but she kept quiet.
“No,” Julie repeated.“But I use the same password for everything.I know you’re not supposed to, but I don’t know.I didn’t think it was a really big deal.”She took a shuddering breath and wiped more tears from her eyes.
“But that’s not her fault,” Carrie said quickly.“That’s an accident.She didn’t tell him anything.”
Faith nodded."I believe that.And I'm so sorry that you have to deal with this, Julie.I'm also sorry that I have to ask this of you, but your brother is likely responsible for two murders and nearly a third.Do you know where we can find him?"
