“Of course. Who are we targeting first?” She might as well stay busy and help Hunter, because she couldn’t do any work for the Agency right now, and sitting around twiddling her thumbs wasn’t an option.

“There are two people who have worked with Cass and Zane. Mason pretty much told them they needed to cooperate. The first one should be here any minute.”

“Name?”

“Darnell Lopez. Forty-five, been with the DEA for fifteen years. Before that, he was a cop. Solid record.”

“I don’t think I’ve met him, but honestly, everything was so fast and furious with preparing for our Honduras op that I know I don’t remember everyone I met at the DEA.”

Layla took a few minutes to study Darnell’s file so she could be helpful in the interview, although she planned to defer to Hunter, since this was his gig. She’d only pipe in if she thought she could be useful.

It occurred to her that she was completely focused on the investigation—and not letting her thoughts be preoccupied with the past or even the present with Hunter. She thought that was a big step forward for her and an important piece of being able to leave the past in the past. Maybe Viv had been right all along and this was exactly what she needed to get some real closure once and for all.

When Darnell entered Hunter’s office, she rose from her seat and introduced herself, but she kept her State Department cover firmly intact. It wasn’t unusual for State and the DEA to work closely together. Darnell had jet-black wavy hair and big brown eyes, but she definitely didn’t remember meeting him before.

“Thanks for coming in on such short notice.” Hunter offered him coffee, and they all sat around the table.

“Mason said it was important, so here I am,” Darnell said. “Although I will tell you that I’ve already talked to the internal investigators at length. Twice, actually.”

Hunter nodded. “I’m sorry if this will be redundant, but we’re just trying to get to the truth.”

“If the DEA decided to hire a PI, it has to be serious.” Darnell’s dark eyes shifted from Hunter to Layla. “I’m an open book. Ask away.”

Hunter opened the folder in front of him. “Let’s talk about your experience with a few people, starting with Zane Carter.”

“Zane is the real deal. We had an instant connection because we were both Marines. If you’re looking for someone dirty, Zane is not your man.”

“You say that with a lot of confidence,” Layla said.