Chapter 17 Harper
Chapter seventeen
Harper
Roger opens his laptop and inputs his PIN. Within seconds, we can see who is standing on the front porch. “It’s Agent Simms and Agent Monroe.”
“Why are they back so soon?” I ask, moving to open the door.
“They’ve been assigned by Whitman to help with the case and our points of contact. I’ve never worked with them before, but their reputation precedes them. From what I’ve heard about them, they’re good agents even if their bedside manner needs some work. Go ahead and let them in.”
I hesitate. “I’m not sure how I feel about working with two agents who have it in for my father.”
There’s another knock at the door; this one even more impatient and abrupt than before. “We’ll discuss this later, but the longer you stand there, the more it will appear as if we’re hiding something. Please open the door, Angel.”
I do as he asks and take a hop back, expecting the agents to barge in as they had done previously. Much to my surprise, they wait a beat before entering. Simms scans the room before taking a seat. “Is it just the two of you?” he asks.
“For now,” Roger replies. “We were about to order some lunch. Can I get you anything?”
Simms and Monroe both decline. Roger goes into the bedroom to use the phone in there instead of the one on the kitchen counter to place our order. I sit quietly on the sofa with my legs crossed, doing my best to act nonchalantly.
Simms uses the opportunity to probe. “Shining Knight must have some amazing connections to fake a wedding certificate. I have it on good authority that the resort validates the marriage license against the county clerk’s office registry. How did you manage to pull that off?”
“Easy. There’s nothing fake about it. Roger and I are married, not just posing as a couple.
If you are insinuating that Shining Knight isn’t above board, you’re wrong.
They operate within the confines of the law.
” Mostly. They’ve been known to resort to hacking a time or two to get information and generate leads.
Simms throws his hands up in a placating gesture. “I was just impressed, that’s all. The lengths you would go through to find your father are astounding. I don’t suppose he or your mother have reached out to you.”
I cross my arms and shy away from the inquisition. “Why don’t you tell me? I’m sure you have my phone tapped and someone monitoring any email communications.”
“Touché, Agent Finnegan, and so far, we’ve come up empty-handed. But there are other ways to communicate, which is why I had to ask.”
“My father has been the Deputy Director for nearly a decade and holds all of us to the highest standard. Can you sit there and honestly tell me that you believe my father is capable of such an atrocity?” I ask scathingly.
Simms shrugs, but Agent Monroe doesn’t have any problem voicing his opinion.
“Six months ago, CIA Director Borshardt was caught with his hand in the cookie jar, and he was once an avid patriot for this country. Everyone has a price, Agent Finnegan, including your parents. Maybe your mother, agent-turned-asset, was indoctrinated on an assignment and convinced your father to turn traitor. Maybe it’s the other way around, and your father is fed up with the bureaucracy and snapped.
Whatever the reason, I don’t care. We will catch your parents and put a stop to their madness. ”
“That will be enough conjecture and accusation, Agent Monroe,” Roger says, entering the room. “As it stands, we know very little—certainly not enough to start pointing fingers and throwing out wild theories. Our job is to uncover the truth and…”
“Don’t act as if you haven’t already made up your mind regarding Finnegan’s innocence, Roger.
We all know you were his protégé and are practically like a brother to him,” Monroe says with a sneer.
“We may not have a ton of evidence, but what we do have all points to Finnegan being a ringleader in a terrorist plot. Will you share what you find with us, even if it leads to Finnegan’s arrest?
After all, you’re married to their daughter and are tight with the family. ”
Roger glances at me, and I see the resignation in his eyes when he replies to Monroe.
“If Robert and Eloise Finnegan are involved in a terrorist plot, I will not stand in your way when an arrest needs to be made. However, I’m not going to stand idly by and let you smear their good name and assume they are guilty of a crime that has yet to be committed.
You are entitled to your opinions, but I kindly ask you to keep them to yourself. ”
“And if I don’t,” Monroe asks combatively.
“Then there’s the door,” Roger says calmly. “You need our help far more than we need yours. We’ll get to the bottom of this, with or without FBI support.”
Simms calms his partner down. “We’re all on the same team here.”
I raise a skeptical eyebrow. “Are we? That’s not how it looks from where I’m sitting. What are the two of you doing here anyway? You were here only a few hours ago. What could you have found out that warranted you returning so soon?”
Simms’ face becomes blotchy with red spots, and he opens and closes his fist a few times. “Whitman wants all your video footage from the day you first arrived. It would go a long way to securing our cooperation.”
Roger laughs. “You have it wrong, Agent Simms. We’re cooperating with you, not the other way around.
We’ve given Whitman what he needed, and should anything else come to light, we’ll share.
But demands will not be made of us. Despite what Whitman said, we are licensed investigators with the right to share information with any authority. It does not have to be the FBI.”
Simms stands up and brushes off his suit as if being in our presence is a dirty affair. “I’ll pass on the message to Director Whitman. But, Agent Cavenaugh…”
“I’m not an agent anymore, Simms.”
“Mr. Cavenaugh, Harper Finnegan is still an agent in the Bureau, and as such, she is required to share everything with us.” He turns so that he faces me and can stare me down. “Whitman expects everything you have by 4:00 p.m. today.”
I stand up and invade the three-foot comfort bubble most people prefer and poke his chest. “I’m currently on a leave of absence, and what I do in my free time is up to me.
But if Whitman wants to play ball, I’m game.
He’ll have something on his desk by the allotted time, but it may very well be my resignation! ”
Monroe smiles smugly as if I was playing right into their hands. “If that’s what you feel you need to do, then so be it. It will just be one less Finnegan to deal with.”
Roger opens the door and gestures for the two men to leave. “I think it’s best if you both go. We debrief every night, and I’ll text you the time to be here. You run your investigation how you see fit, and we’ll run ours.”
Monroe begins to open his mouth, most likely to say something snide, but Simms puts an arm across Monroe’s chest to stop him.
Simms pulls a business card from inside his suit jacket and holds it out for Roger to take.
He doesn’t. Instead, he says, “We wouldn’t be very good investigators if we didn’t know how to contact you. We’ll be in touch. Have a good day.”
Just as he’s about to shut the door on Agent Simms and Agent Monroe, a feminine, but raspy, voice can be heard off in the distance.
“Well, if it isn’t Tweedledee and Tweedledumb. Yeah, I put the ‘B’ on the end of ‘dum’ just for you, Monroe!” Jessie shouts.
Monroe doesn’t take the comment in kind. “Stupid is as stupid does! How do you feel about having your face pounded in sand, Andrews?”
This time, both Jessie and Elijah laugh outright. “It’s Kincaid now, and I’ll take you anytime, anywhere, Monroe! You didn’t last ten seconds against me last time, and that’s just because your ego was in the way! Now, I can have you tasting crawfish in under three seconds!”
Simms once again holds Monroe back and grumbles, “Let it go. This is a fight you can’t win.” The two men head off in the opposite direction of our guests. Just beyond Jessie and Elijah is an attendant bringing the room service that Roger ordered.
“I really do not like that man!” Jessie exclaims once she reaches the porch and watches the retreating backs of the two agents.
“I went through training with Monroe, and he thinks he’s God’s gift to humanity.
I put a kibosh on that when I took him down on the sparring mats. He’s hated me ever since.”
I can imagine being taken down by a pixie more than a foot smaller would bruise the ego, but hate is such a strong word, and I tell her as much. When Jessie just stares at me vacantly, like I’ve said something stupid, I add, “Maybe a rematch is in order. Show him that it wasn’t just a fluke.”
“Harper, you could take Monroe down with your skills. He would be no match for me. It would just be embarrassing for him. I’m not against putting him in his place, though. He needs to be taken down a peg or two…again.”
Elijah snakes an arm around Jessie’s tiny waist and stares down adoringly at her. An impish glint flashes in his gaze, “I know the feeling.”
Jessie smacks him in the ribs playfully. “Other than my dad, who trained us, you’re the only one I will allow to put me in my place, Honey.”
“Allow? Surely you jest,” Elijah teases.
“Don’t call her Shirley,” Roger and I say in unison.
“I don’t mind being called ‘Shirley,’” Jessie says flippantly. “I’m as sweet as Shirley Temple and as feisty as Shirley MacLaine. Although I’m not into mysticism and reincarnation like the latter, I’m equally as original.”
“That you are,” Roger says, deadpan. In a fatherly tone, he adds, “Now, get your fanny parked on a chair so we can get down to business.”
Jessie salutes Roger. “Aye, aye, El Capitán Cavenaugh. Your wish is my command.”
Elijah whispers in her ear, but my hearing is on point and I can easily make out his words. “That’s my line,” he says.
She whispers back, “I’ll give you any royalties I make…in spades.”
Eww! “Is this what it’s like to be around married couples? Talk of royalties and movie quotes?”
Jessie bellows out a hearty laugh. “Wait until you have kids! It goes from pillow talk to diaper discussions. I’m going to enjoy the moment as long as I can!”
Elijah leads Jessie to a chair and then takes the seat next to her just as room service arrives. Roger accepts four dishes with silver plate coverings and then tips the attendant. She leaves with a smile.
Roger lifts one of the covers and then sets the dish in front of me.
There is a grilled chicken sandwich wrapped in lettuce and no bun and a side salad topped with blue cheese chunks, fresh berries, and a balsamic vinegarette dressing.
It’s perfect, considering I watch my carb intake.
I’m not averse to carbs, but I prefer whole grains to bread and pasta. “Thank you,” I tell him.
I wait for Roger to join me, and when he does, he sets two plates on the table.
His is loaded with delicious French fries and a double-decker cheeseburger.
Jessie practically salivates and reaches for one of the fries when Roger smacks her hand.
“Hands off, Missy. I ordered fries for you. I even got you a side of spicy barbeque sauce.”
Roger removes the lid from a large platter of French fries, onion rings, chicken fingers, and jalapeno poppers and pushes it toward her. Jessie licks her lips. “I just ate an hour ago, but this looks amazing!” she exclaims.
Elijah chortles. “If you didn’t know any better, you’d think Jessie is eating for two.”
Silence. Dead silence.
Roger finally clears his throat. “Are you sure she isn’t?”
Elijah’s face pales as he turns toward his wife, and Jessie laughs raucously and points at him. “Oh my gosh! You should see your face! I’m not pregnant, Honey.” As soon as Elijah’s shoulders relax, she reaches for a chicken finger and adds, “At least, I don’t think I am.”