Chapter Thirteen
Ben stared at the piece of paper and his lips spread into a grin. “I think maybe you’ve found it.”
Could be an old girlfriend’s details, but Ben’s instincts were humming. This had to be the it that was causing all the mayhem.
It wasn’t that large. Maybe three inches by three inches. But it was folded at least once. He took the paper from her and placed it on the counter. “You have tweezers?”
“Somewhere.” She pulled out a drawer and prowled through it. “Here you go.” She extended the tweezers toward him. She was breathless with anticipation. He had to admit to feeling a bit like that himself.
He hoped this wasn’t going to be another letdown, but he suspected that was not the case.
Being as careful as possible, he picked at one corner until the top layer came free of the one beneath it.
Using his forefinger to hold the paper down, he slowly drew back the fold.
Then he did the same with the next one. As he’d estimated, the page turned out to be about a six-by-six that had been folded in half in two directions.
On the paper, written in two columns on the top half, were three names.
Beneath those were three series of numbers.
“That’s his handwriting.” Brenda’s eyes were bright with rising emotion.
“Do you recognize any of the names?” He pulled out his cell phone and snapped a pic in case the paper got damaged or stolen. At this point there was no way to know when the police or someone else would barge in.
She scrutinized the list. “I don’t. No. Do you think this has been hidden here for a long while?”
“I think—” he refolded the paper “—we can safely assume it has been here since he started talking to the Bureau.” He tucked the paper back into the bag and handed it to her. “Put that somewhere you think no one will look.”
She grinned. “I know just the place.” She picked up the fern and placed it back in the saucer. “I think it’ll be safe there.”
He chuckled. “I think you’re right.”
“Can someone at your agency figure out who those people are?”
“They can. I’ll send the photo to a colleague.”
He led the way back to the kitchen. She settled on a stool, propped her elbows on the counter and set her head in her hands. It was easy to see that she was exhausted and emotionally drained. He wished there was a way to make this easier for her.
If they were lucky, this could be the moment where things turned around.
He leaned against the island and sent the image to the expert, Max Granger, in tracking down accounts and the electronic trails left by people.
Then he googled the first name on the found list. The search showed that the man lived in the Huntsville area.
Ben took a screenshot of the information.
Then he moved on to the next. It took a minute, but he found Huntsville area addresses on all three.
He swiped through the screenshots, giving Brenda time to consider each one. “Anything seem familiar?”
She inspected each image, her face a study in concentration.
He wondered if she had any idea how good she looked in nothing more complicated than jeans and a sweatshirt.
He liked that she wore her hair down, loose around her shoulders.
She looked so young. He wanted desperately to protect her, but he was also well aware of how strong she was.
She shook her head. “I mean, I know where these areas are, but I don’t know the people.”
“He never talked about the firm’s clients?”
She sipped her soft drink. “He used to mention whenever they landed big deals or managed some particularly important accomplishment, but that was years ago. He really didn’t talk much about work around me the past couple of years.
” She made a face as if she were concentrating hard to recall something.
“It was when Janey was about two, I think, he mentioned something to the effect that everything was about to change for the better. The firm was expanding. He and Tate wanted to play with the big boys.” She shook her head as if shaking off a strange moment.
“I’d completely forgotten about that until now. ”
“It’s likely that was when the two started talking to someone who pulled them into the darkness.”
“That’s a good way to put it.” She folded her arms over her chest. “To my knowledge the firm was doing just fine at the time. So the move was about bigger money and more power, I suspect. He took the risk for all the wrong reasons.”
“Some do. For others it’s about desperation.”
“What do you make of those numbers?”
“Routing numbers for accounts, I’m guessing. I’ve sent the information to a colleague who specializes in tracing accounts. Whatever there is to find, he’ll find it.”
“Thank you. Again.” Brenda peered up at him. “I really don’t know what I would have done if you hadn’t been here.”
“Don’t thank me,” he warned. “We’re not out of the woods yet.”
She suddenly slid off the stool and went on tiptoe to hug him.
The move was so unexpected, for a moment he could only stand there.
Then his arms went around her and he hugged her back.
Her petite body felt good against his. He closed his eyes and relished the sensation of having her in his arms. It was not a smart move, but it was one he couldn’t resist. He liked her… a lot.
She drew back just enough to look into his eyes. “I know this is probably a mistake, but fair warning, I can’t…”
He kissed her. Whatever the hell had gotten into him, he couldn’t name. Call it lust…call it whatever, but he needed to kiss her. To somehow make her feel safe and appreciated…wanted.
She melted more firmly against him…kissed him with a ferocity that set him on fire.
The doorbell went off, the sound echoing through the house.
They drew apart just as quickly as they had come together.
“I’ll get it,” she said before rushing away.
The loss of her body against his made him slump with frustration. Pulling himself together, he followed the path she had taken.
“Check the peephole,” he reminded her when she would have opened the door. His voice sounded overly coarse, but there was no help for it.
She turned to him. “It’s Agent Cummings.”
The heat and desire that had taken over drained out of him. “Good. We need to speak with him.”
Looking confused, she opened the door. “Agent Cummings, has something else happened?”
They’d seen him just a couple of hours ago at Scott Devers’s house.
“May I come in?” the agent asked, looking from Brenda to Ben and back. The suspicion on his face blatant. Glaring.
Ben knew exactly what that was about.
While Brenda invited him in, Ben went to the kitchen. He picked up the glass and walked back to where Brenda was offering the man a seat.
“I don’t have a lot of time,” Cummings was saying, ignoring the offered seat. “I just stopped by to ensure that you’re all right. You seemed upset when we spoke earlier.”
Before Brenda could respond, Ben handed him the glass of water. The ice had all melted and the little electronic devices were blatantly visible.
“I think these belong to you.”
Cummings accepted the glass and stared into it, then glowered at Ben. “Where did you find these?”
“Right where you or Detective Shelton planted them.”
Since his reaction lacked one iota of outrage, the answer to who was responsible for the potentially illegal intrusion was standing right in front of them. The listening devices belonged to Cummings.
Ben stepped to the door, opened it. “It’s late, Agent Cummings. We should talk tomorrow.”
Clearly flustered now, Cummings did an about-face and walked out, taking the glass with him. Ben closed and locked the door behind him.
He made a face. “I hope you weren’t attached to that glass.”
Brenda laughed. “I am not, and even if I were, it was worth letting it go to watch his reaction.”
Ben moved closer to her. “I think we were in the middle of something when Cummings showed up.”
“I seem to recall there was a little something happening,” she agreed, moving in a little closer.
His arms went around her, but he didn’t restart the kiss. First he had to know. “We don’t have to do this. Tonight’s find is cause for celebration, for sure. But we don’t—”
She shut him up with her mouth.
So they celebrated…and he showed her how a man who respected a woman, who treasured their intimacy made love.