“What do you mean?” There was silence coming from her earwig, so Joe had taken her joke seriously. If they needed anything, she’d have to turn it back on.

“Drug lords get to the top not because of brains but muscle. The king of the hill is the guy who climbs to the top of the most bodies.” Dylan sounded detached from what she was saying, but to stay sane after that much blood, you’d have to have that mindset. “They kill indiscriminately, but Casey doesn’t strike me as that.”

“Believe me, she’s killed her share of enemies, but you’re right. Taking out innocent people to make a point isn’t her style.” She swallowed around a lump that formed at the thought of her parents. She’d blamed Cain at first and had come close to killing her even if she would have landed in the cell she’d wanted to cage Cain in for years. “I’ve learned that lesson the hard way, as have the people you’re working with.”

“She’s wicked smart, isn’t she?” Dylan asked, a slight Boston accent slipping out. All her time in California didn’t seem to have killed it off completely.

“It wouldn’t be wise to underestimate her. Cain is more of a tactician than a murderer, but she’s as deadly as they come.”

Dylan nodded, and she stared at Shelby, her features softening. “I read the files Agent Hicks sent me, but official reports don’t always tell the whole story, do they?”

“Reports are written for court. Blunt can lose you a trial when the accused is this charming and well known, and every agent knows that.” Shelby didn’t mean to sound patronizing and hoped it didn’t come across that way.

“True, so tell me your take on all this.” Dylan’s smile widened. “And don’t take this the wrong way, but I’m used to getting results.”

“Results?” she asked, already knowing the answer.

“We had a good close rate on all our cases, and none of them took this long. So what’s the deal?”

“Ah, you think we’ve been incompetent up to now and let her skate. Is that your take?”

“I didn’t say that. In California, we investigated and brought people down. All those guys are sitting in maximum security and will be old men before they get out. Your team has followed this family around for years and made no significant progress. I don’t get it.”