Total pages in book: 92
Estimated words: 86240 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 431(@200wpm)___ 345(@250wpm)___ 287(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 86240 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 431(@200wpm)___ 345(@250wpm)___ 287(@300wpm)
“Who sent you?”
Because it was early, I could hear the rustling of paper. “It looks like Shawn Rook placed the order.”
My heart leaped in my chest. “Give me a minute.” I set the phone down and went to find the burner phone. I called Griffin, and when he didn’t answer, I tried Kelsey.
“Hello,” she said groggily.
“Who is that?” I heard in the background. Was that Griffin?
“Kelsey. Did you guys order me a new door?”
“What? Just a minute.” There were muffled words exchanged in the background. “Sorry. Late night. Heard about your little shoot-out. Disappointed you didn’t call.”
“Sorry. I didn’t want to bring you all in my mess,” I said.
“I know you’re the big bad FBI, but we both know this has something to do with everything we’re dealing with. Keep us in the loop, okay?”
“Yeah,” I said, but I thought about my divided loyalties. Once I went back to work, there would be things I couldn’t share.
“To answer your question, no. We didn’t send the door. But Griff says Shawn ordered you one.”
“Is Griff—”
Kelsey cut me off. “Look, babe, I didn’t get much sleep last night. Can I call you later?”
“Yeah, sure.”
The call ended. For a second, I wondered again if Griff was with Kelsey until I remembered the guy at the door. I picked up the landline receiver. “Come up,” I said and buzzed him in.
Shawn knew about my brush with death, and he hadn’t come. I ignored my disappointment as I let two men into my apartment.
“This is a reinforced steel door,” the first one said after they had it installed. “The peephole doubles as a camera.”
“How will I access it?” I asked.
“I have to install the panel. My guy will also install another camera above your door to give you a hallway view.”
Shawn had thought of everything, but I wished he were there to explain all of this. Part of me had wanted to refuse the gift. But I needed a door. I would find out how much it was, and I would repay him.
When they were done, I had a wall panel as well as a portable remote screen that I could move around with. It also had security, which would send me an alert to my phone if my door opened. They refused a tip and said all had been taken care of before they left. I headed to work shortly after.
I drove the short ride to the downtown field office. I could have taken a train, but we were required to have access to a vehicle if needed. Using my access card, I pulled into the garage. I parked in an open spot, which was far from the elevator.
A sense of melancholy washed over me. I still hadn’t heard from Shawn, and I worried for a number of reasons. I made it to the office and went directly to my boss, Special Agent in Charge Davis’s office.
“James,” he said, addressing me by my surname. “Can you tell me why you didn’t let us know immediately when you got away?”
I knew this question was coming. “You heard about last night?” He nodded. “I didn’t know who I could trust.” It was the easiest answer that would explain all my actions, and it was true.
He said nothing for a second, seemingly contemplating my answer. “Do you have a report on last night?”
“I sent the report.” I’d filed all the necessary paperwork electronically before I’d gone to bed.
“I want to hear again.”
My recount didn’t change, and he stopped me when I got to the shooting. “You didn’t shoot center mass?” he said.
“No, sir. We can’t question dead men.”
“Dead agents can’t get answers,” he countered.
“I trusted my training and ability.” He said nothing. “I would like to be in when he’s questioned.”
“You know you are on desk duty pending an investigation.”
I rolled my eyes. “I could have killed him and didn’t. That should prove something.”
He shrugged. “There are procedures that must be followed.” There was that word again: procedures. Detective Lacey had said the same thing. I was beginning to hate the word. “Did they take your service weapon?”
I shook my head and removed the gun from my shoulder holster. “It was my personal gun I used in the shooting.” I set my work-issued gun on his desk. “You saw my other report. I can definitively say the senator’s son is the one who held me captive.”
“And we have your word. But we need more than that for a judge to sign off on a warrant for a senator’s son.”
I folded my arms across my chest as anger bubbled up inside me. “Exactly why I didn’t shoot to kill a potential witness.”
“And if we can get him to finger the son for this, we can get that warrant.”
I blew out a frustrated breath. “So what you’re saying is a criminal’s word is better than mine,” I groused, even though I knew the answer to that.