Chapter 24
“I don’t know how I feel about Clover sharing a room with Micah,” Nick grumbled as he pulled down a couple more wineglasses. They were supposed to have a few friends over, to keep things as normal as possible.
But considering they’d just left a safe house where his sister was hiding out with fugitives…nothing was normal.
Berkley popped up from behind the refrigerator door where she’d been leaning in to get something, her eyebrows raised. “What’s wrong with Micah?”
He started to respond, realized there wasn’t a good way to say what he was thinking. Because he actually liked Berkley’s brother. The man was smart as hell and it was obvious that he cared about Clover. “I just…” He cleared his throat. “Is that the doorbell?”
“Nope.” She pulled out Brie and prosciutto, still watching him carefully.
“I like your brother,” he finally said, exasperated. Mostly with himself. “I’m just protective of Clover, that’s all.”
“Well he’s protective of her too. And Micah is the best… They’re really cute together.”
That wasn’t the word he would use but…yeah, fine. He started to respond then the doorbell really did ring. He glanced at the app on his phone, expecting to see two of their friends who were supposed to be there soon.
But it was federal agents instead. He held out his phone to Berkley.
“I’ll grab the door,” she whispered, picking up one of the glasses. “I’ll act surprised it’s them.”
As a weight settled on his shoulders, he nodded. Even though it went against everything in him to let her answer the door—when he wanted to simply ignore it—he started prepping the kebabs.
The tension spread throughout the rest of his body as he heard Berkley’s surprised voice, then voices of the agents.
“Honey, we’ve got unexpected guests.” Berkley actually looked like she was fighting a smile as she stepped into the kitchen, the two sour-faced agents behind her.
“Ah…hello.” He looked between who he knew was Special Agent Grace Lee and Sami Miln. But he hadn’t been introduced in person so he couldn’t let on. He wiped his hands on the nearby dish towel. “What’s going on?”
“I’m Special Agent Grace Lee. I left you a message?”
“Oh right.” He nodded. He’d received a message from her asking him to call back, but hadn’t left any more details. “I mentioned that to Sinead and she told me that I shouldn’t call you without her present.”
Her jaw tightened, and he could tell that she was fighting to keep that neutral expression. “You’re not under arrest and I’m not bringing you in for official questioning.” She also wasn’t going to introduce her partner, who was simply standing in the kitchen.
Maybe he was supposed to be an intimidating presence. If so, he was failing.
“Would you two like anything to drink? We have friends arriving soon but we’ve got more than enough to share.” Berkley’s disposition was all sunny, and it clearly surprised the two agents.
Lee cleared her throat. “No thank you, we’re working.”
“Well if you want some food to go, just let us know.” Berkley took a sip of her wine, far too casual for this situation.
But considering everything she’d been through, he wasn’t surprised. His soon to be wife was a full-on badass. “What can we do for the two of you?” he asked because he wasn’t going to waste time making small talk.
He doubted they wanted to either.
“We’re looking for your sister,” Lee said.
“Okay.” He raised his eyebrows. When neither responded, he thought about just remaining silent, but decided to end this as quickly as possible. “She’s not here. And I don’t understand why you are.”
“She’s not at home. Do you know where she might be?” Lee asked.
“She called me earlier, said she wasn’t feeling well and would be taking off a couple days from work.
I just assumed she’d be at home. What did Sinead say when you talked to her?
” He intentionally brought up their lawyer again.
They needed the reminder that they’d been invited in here but he could kick them out at any moment.
Because he knew they didn’t have any proof regarding Clover. If they did, they wouldn’t be wasting time at his house.
“When’s the last time you saw her?” Lee asked.
“When’s the last time you talked to her?” Miln asked almost immediately afterward.
“And where do you think she is?” Lee added.
“Which question would you like answered first?” He kept his tone even despite what they were trying to do. They wanted to pepper him with questions, to trip him up, and if he lied to federal agents, they’d have an opening to go at him hard. Maybe even bring him in.
“The first one.” Lee’s voice was annoying neutral, but she was watching him closely.
“This morning at work. Then I left for a jobsite…and got a call from one of my guys that the Feds had arrested her.” His tone was granite now.
“She wasn’t arrested. We simply want to talk to her,” Lee said. And it was the same thing she’d said to Sinead.
“Then I suggest you schedule something with her lawyer.”
“You didn’t answer when you’d talked to her last,” Miln interjected. “Or where she is.”
“I talked to her…” He looked around as if unsure where his cell phone was, then scooped it up.
He opened it, then scrolled to his call log.
“On the phone, we spoke about ten.” It had been right after he’d left to deal with some contract stuff.
“Then she texted me about two hours ago.” He was going to answer this stuff truthfully in case they had his or more likely, her phone records.
“You’re not under an obligation to show us, but can we see her last text to you?” Lee asked.
“Ah, sure.” He held out his phone, but didn’t give it over. Clover and Micah had prepared for this—with Sinead’s help.
He knew what Lee was reading.
Not feeling too hot. Think I’m coming down with something. And after that bullshit with the Feds I think it’s the universe telling me to take a couple sick days. I’m long overdue anyway, ha ha. I’ll be back in Monday or Tuesday. Love you.
Lee’s jaw clenched once, but then she gave him a gentle smile. “Would you mind texting her, asking her where she is?”
“You want me to text my sister and ask her where she is?” He looked between the two of them, frowned, as if they were stupid.
“Look.” Miln stepped forward now, vibrating with aggression. “She’s involved with a known kidnapper and time is ticking down. If you care at all for your sister, you need to help us.”
“My sister is involved with a kidnapper? How so?” He stared at them as if they were the dumbest people on the planet. The only thing they had was a video of her talking to an old friend at a gas station diner. That was it. And he knew they wouldn’t give him a straight answer.
“We’re just trying to find her, that’s all.” Lee spoke now, her voice a lot gentler.
The doorbell rang again and he knew who it was this time.
Berkley murmured something about letting their friends in but he was focused on the agents.
Sighing, he said, “Since it’s clear that you’re not going to let this go, why don’t I just call her?
” They’d already decided on a code. If he needed to get in touch with her, he would call, let it ring once, hang up, then call back.
But if he just called, she knew not to answer.
Her phone was being forwarded anyway.
When he called it rang and rang until it went to voicemail.
He could see the agents practically deflate and it took everything in him not to smile.
“If I talk to her, I’ll have her call you. But I was under the impression that you were in contact with her lawyer.”
That got him equally frustrated expressions from the two agents.
Yeah, Sinead brought that out in a lot of people. She’d have been giving them the runaround and then just ignoring their calls. Her office was huge and she could be very, very difficult to get ahold of when she wanted.
Lee set a card on the countertop as Berkley stepped in with their friends.
She didn’t look at them, her focus on Nick.
“If you talk to your sister, please call us. Or have her call us. We just want to wrap up this case and bring home a very scared woman. That’s it.
I doubt your sister even knows anything.
We’re just trying to tie up some loose ends, that’s all. ”
So she’d gone from being involved with a known kidnapper to probably not even knowing anything. Yeah, these agents were grasping at straws right now.
He picked up her card, pocketed it. “Of course. I’ll pass on your message.”
When hell froze over.