What would Raider say? She bit back a shudder. He was all about truth and loyalty to the unit, so he probably had even stronger feelings when it came to lovers. She shook off her unease. That was a concern for another day. “Maybe I don’t have anything to report,” she said, remaining by the door.

Agent Fields leaned against the counter, his suit hanging on him as if he’d lost weight recently. But his hangdog expression remained the same as the first time he’d interviewed her. “We know that Tanaka, Force, and Wolfe have flown to Boston, for some reason. What we don’t know is why.”

Rutherford picked dog hair off his slacks. “Angus Force is working the Irish mob case, which is fine, but we need to make sure he doesn’t screw up three other cases we’re working against the Coonan associates.”

Brigid crossed her arms, trying to look tough. These guys and their power made her knees wobbly. The pictures they’d shown her of the detainee station before she’d signed her plea agreement still gave her nightmares sometimes. “You didn’t think Angus would get this far with the case?” It was incredible. The HDD truly thought Angus was a washed-out alcoholic. How wrong they were. Well, about the washed-out part, anyway. “The case hasn’t changed any. Angus has a source that says Coonan is trafficking in women and children, and we’re trying to stop that. To stop him.”

Rutherford’s nostrils flared. “Angus’s sources are crap. He listens to fortune tellers and hot chicks with Ouija boards.” He stood, and dog hair clung to his pants. “The guy had a complete breakdown after the Lassiter case and ended up in a psych ward. Bet you didn’t know that.”

No, she hadn’t. Which meant that information had been buried by some pretty good techs, because she’d done a background check. Not a deep one, obviously. “Lassiter killed Angus’s sister. Of course he had problems.” But a psych ward? Did the other team members know that for a fact?

Fields sighed. “Yeah, and he escaped the place and disappeared into the woods with that crazy dog guarding you.”

Brigid mulled over the information. “Yet the HDD gave him a unit when he asked.” There could only be one reason for that fact. “Is Lassiter alive?”

“Of course not,” Rutherford snapped. “But Lassiter had worked for the HDD and was a huge embarrassment to us, so we need the case closed. We can’t have the FBI agent who caught him going around spouting nonsense or looking like a lunatic. Either Force will have another breakdown and end the unit, or he’ll finally accept that Lassiter is dead. Either way, don’t get too comfortable.”

As if their offices were anything near comfortable.