Chapter 14 #3
Ryker crossed his arms at his chest. “What did you say to him?” he demanded before adding a belated, “Specifically.”
They listened as Janie told them about her brief interaction with Daley.
“So he denied ever knowing Amy Weaver?” Ryker asked next for clarification.
Janie nodded once more. “He said he knew nothing about her or the fact that she was missing.”
“What’s he gonna say?” Gwen snorted with a smirk. Then she deepened her voice to mimic that of a man’s. “Yes, I know Amy, and I’m aware she’s missing, but the White House’s official response is that we have no comment at this time.”
Draven chuckled from his seat while Lucas’ mouth curved into a grin.
“Gwen’s right.” Emmett didn’t find humor in the fact that Janie had put herself at risk the way she had. “If Daley had knowledge of, or was involved in, what happened to Amy, there’s no way he’d publicly associate himself with her or the situation.”
The look on Janie’s beautiful face said the words before they fell from her lips. “I know.” She swallowed. “It was a long shot, at best. But I had to at least try.”
“Thought that’s why you hired us?” Emmett sent her a questioning stare.
“It was. I just thought—”
Gwen cut her short by finishing the explanation for her. “You figured you’re an investigative reporter, so why not go out there and do what you do best while we worked on things from here.”
The assumption hit the nail on the head, or at least that’s how it appeared from where Emmett was sitting.
“Yes.” Janie confirmed his suspicions with a hint of attitude. “This is what I do best, and I’m damn good at my job. But this case . . .” She fell back into her chair and sighed. “From day one, it’s been different than any other story I’ve investigated in the past.”
“Because there’s not much evidence?” Lucas took a valid guess.
“Because, up until now, there hasn’t been any evidence.” She looked back to Blake before continuing. “That’s all I know about Daley, but as for that guy . . .” Janie pointed to the sizeable screen. “He’s Secret Service,” she announced to the room before adding, “And he’s a dick.”
Several scoffs of under-the-breath laughter broke through before Emmett brought those in the room back into focus. “What makes you say that?”
He and the others listened while she described the volatile interaction with the Federal agent. His getting pissed about her taking his picture. The aggressive attitude. His threatening tone.
Emmett’s fingertips dug into his palms hearing how the beefy man had treated the woman he loved.
Ah, so you do love her.
He cleared his throat while also clearing the inappropriately timed thought from his head. This wasn’t the place or time for him to try to make sense of his emotions when they came to Janie.
He’d talk to her later, at his home. Or better yet, once this was all over.
Maybe then he could revisit the conversation he’d had with Ryker before coming in here.
For now, however, Emmett’s attention was needed elsewhere.
His focus had to remain on keeping her safe, and the best way to do that was to find those behind the attempts on Janie’s life.
To Blake, he pointed to the screen and asked, “You’re saying this man, a United States Secret Service Agent, is the one who paid off the psychiatrist?”
“That’s exactly what I’m saying.”
“Holy shit.” Draven’s blue eyes widened from the revelation. “Do you have any idea why?”
“The motive is still unclear, but I can tell you without a doubt, Agent Christopher Campbell . . . that’s this man’s name . . . sent half-a-million dollars to the same Cayman account linked to the shrink who signed Amy’s medical records.”
“We need to question Campbell.” Janie shot Emmett a look of determination that scared him to death.
“If we go to him with what Blake discovered, he’ll have no choice but to confess.
” Her gaze slid Ryker’s way. “Maybe you could offer him some sort of deal. Something worth his while that would convince him to confess. We could—”
“There is no we in this, Janie.” Emmett’s voice was gruff, even to him. “And you’re not talking to anyone outside of those currently in this room.”
“Excuse me?” She balked. “If that man was involved in what happened to Amy, I have every right to be there when he’s questioned.”
Refusing to back down on this one, he didn’t give her an inch. “You’ve already had two attempts on your life, most likely because of the first time you talked to him and Daley.”
“Which is all the more reason to go out there and prove to these guys they aren’t going to win.”
“This isn’t a game, Miss Reynolds.” Ryker appeared to have his back.
“No,” she bit back. “It’s my life.”
“Which is exactly why you need to stay out of the public eye.”
“You brought me here.”
“Because my team needed to meet, and I wasn’t about to leave you home, alone.”
“Uh, kids?” Blake intervened with a tone of caution. “Do you two need a moment to yourselves to work whatever this is out?”
“We’re fine, Blake,” Janie answered for them both. “I’ll just keep sitting on my hands while the rest of you figure out how I can continue on with my life.”
Continue on. Did she mean without him? Was she even considering making him a part of her world once this was finished?
Emmett wanted to ask the questions, but with their audience, he didn’t dare. Instead he shifted his focus from her to the man sitting at his left.
“Can you have your people look into Agent Campbell? Maybe one of them can feel him out to see if he’s even willing to bite.”
“I’ll make some calls as soon as I leave here.”
“Thanks.”
Ryker gave a small dip of his salt-and-pepper chin before Emmett returned his attention to Blake.
“Keep digging. Now that you have something to go on, hopefully more will come to the surface.”
Gwen’s tone was hopeful when she chimed back in. “Like who the one pulling Campbell’s strings is.”
That was the real question they needed answered. Who was the man behind the curtain? Or in this case, who was the one calling the shots?
“It has to be someone with a shit ton of money and power,” Lucas mused.
“I agree.” Ryker uncrossed his arms as he scanned the faces of those in his presence. “I’ve got a meeting to attend to back at Homeland, but I’ll touch base as soon as I can.”
Emmett watched as their government handler left the room. When his focus returned to the those at the table, he found Janie already staring straight at him.
Their eyes met, and his chest grew tight with unease. She was angry, and he understood why. But understanding and giving in were two very separate things.
Angry, he could live with. Her dead, not so much.
Sorry, sweetheart. You can be mad all you want, but at least you’ll be alive.