"I have nothing to hide," Kyle said.
"I still don't think you should be talking to the FBI unless you have a lawyer present," Nathan said.
"Does he need a lawyer?" Bree cut in.
"I don't." Kyle sent Nathan an irritated look before he turned his gaze back to her. "There are thousands of people who have the same ring I do, or a variation of it. I'm glad that Grace remembered such an important detail. I hope it will provide you with a good lead, but you're not going to get anywhere focusing on me."
Despite Kyle's attempt to be polite and firm, there was something in his tone that gave her pause. "Is there anyone who can corroborate your whereabouts between eight and eight thirty last night?"
"I don't know. My assistant left around seven. I wasn't aware of what was going on outside my office." He pressed his fingers together, giving her a speculative look. "When Josie called me, she also warned me that you might have a personal grudge against her. She said she took some jewelry of yours when you were kids."
"This is not about that, and I don't have a personal grudge against your wife."
"But you did have a problem with her."
"We were teenagers. It was a long time ago. I'm happy that Josie is doing so well now."
"Are you?" Kyle murmured, looking from Nathan to her, obviously sensing the discord between them as well. "What do you think, Nathan?"
"I think you should stop talking," he said.
"Well, perhaps I'll follow my brother-in-law's advice," Kyle said, getting to his feet. "I have a meeting, so if you'll excuse me…"
She stood up, knowing this interview was over. "Thank you for your time, Mr. Roberts."
"I hope you bring Hayley home very soon."
When she left the office, she couldn't help noticing that Kyle's admin was now nowhere to be seen. Was that deliberate? Had she not wanted to be questioned? Maybe she hadn't left the office at seven. Maybe she knew something about what her boss had been doing the night before.
Of course, she had absolutely nothing to base that thought on, but there had just been something very evasive in Kyle's tone.
Nathan caught up to her at the elevator. "You shouldn't have come here."
"No. You shouldn't have come here. This is FBI business. And if your brother-in-law has nothing to hide, he shouldn't be bothered by a few questions. The fact that you felt it necessary to run down here and warn him also doesn't put you or him in a good light. Why do you think he needs protection?"
"Because law enforcement sometimes spins the facts. It's not like you and I didn't see that happen when we were teens, Bree."
His pointed comment was impossible to deny. "Well, I wouldn't do that."
"You did it before—you spun a story for Johnny to save his ass."
"That's not even close to being true. You don't know what happened back then."
"I know a lot."
"I'm not talking about that with you." She punched the elevator button several more times, wishing it would arrive, so she could get away from Nathan.
"Leave my family alone, Bree. They don't have anything to do with Hayley's disappearance."
"I'm just following the facts. And you know I forgave Josie for stealing from me all those years ago. She was a drug-addicted mess at the time."
"She had a lot of good reasons for needing to escape from reality."
"I know that, Nathan," she said, softening when she saw the pain in his eyes. "That's why I let it go. For you and Josie to suggest I would come after her husband because of that is ridiculous. You're both overreacting."
"Maybe we just know how fast good can turn to bad."
She knew a little about that, too. "Okay. Fine. I get it. And it's done." She was relieved when the elevator finally arrived.
"Is it done?" he asked, getting into the elevator with her. "You're going to leave Kyle alone?"
"I'm going to follow up on all the rings that were distributed by the organization. That's the best I can give you."
"Why did they call you in from New York? Aren't there enough agents in Chicago to work this case?"
"Hayley's abduction might be linked to other cases I've been investigating. You need to stay out of this, Nathan. You're dangerously close to impeding a federal investigation."
"Is that a fact?"
"Yes, it is. I know that protecting Josie is deeply ingrained in you. But you have to back off. Bringing home Hayley is all that matters."
"I want that, too."
"Then focus on that."
She stepped out of the elevator, hoping they were finished, but he remained right behind her until they reached the sidewalk. Then he put a heavy hand on her shoulder.
She turned around, feeling an odd jolt at the personal touch, the familiar gesture. She'd tried to walk away from Nathan a lot of times before, but he'd always made the same move.
His gaze darkened as she looked back at him, and she couldn't help wondering if he was thinking the same thing.
He pulled his hand away. "Sorry," he muttered. "Look. I won't get in your way again, but I'd like to help if I can."
"So you can help me focus on someone besides your brother-in-law?"
"Do you really believe Kyle went into the auditorium and kidnapped his daughter's best friend without anyone recognizing him?"
"I don't know," she said honestly. "Kyle could have easily explained his presence backstage if anyone questioned him."
Nathan did not look happy with her answer. "Seriously, Bree?"
"He was hiding something, Nathan."
"If he was, it wasn't that."
"Well, if you really want to protect Josie, and Kyle has a secret, maybe you should try to find out what it is."
"I don't think Kyle is going to tell me. We're related by marriage, but we are not the best of friends."
"I can see why. He is not the kind of man you would respect."
He raised an eyebrow at her comment. "Really? A lot of people respect Kyle. He's very well-connected in this city."
"He's slick and cocky and very impressed with himself."
"You got all that in your short conversation?"
"I got all that in the first minute, and I didn't need FBI training to figure it out."
"You're better at reading people than you used to be."
"And you're a lot worse at the not-so-subtle digs."
"Then I'll stop being subtle. You were a sucker once upon a time."
"I was a desperate, lonely girl once upon a time. And one of my friends stopped being my friend, and that hurt."
His lips tightened. "You didn't want to be my friend. You had Johnny."
"I don't want to talk about Johnny." She groaned. "Why are we even having this conversation?"
"Because you came back to Chicago."
"It wasn't by choice."
"When you got on that bus, and you told me you'd let me know where you settled, I thought I'd see you again before more than ten years had passed. But you vanished."
"You knew why I had to disappear."
"I knew why you had to leave Johnny, not why you couldn't have any contact with me."
"Talking to you…talking to anyone from the old neighborhood was too risky. I couldn't chance it." She paused, her heart beating hard against her chest. "Did you ever tell anyone?"
"Not a soul. Just like I promised. You called in my debt to you, and I paid up." The anger returned to his voice. "Although my silence put me in the hospital for a few days."
"What?" she asked in surprise. "What are you talking about?"
"Johnny came after me. He wanted to know where you were. He tried his hardest to get me to talk, but I didn't tell him a thing."
"He beat you up?"
"Him and two of his friends."
She shook her head. "I had no idea. I'm so sorry, Nathan." She felt an enormous wave of guilt. "I didn't think Johnny would find out you'd helped me."
"He was desperate to get you back. I'd never seen him like that." Nathan drew in a breath. "You made the right decision when you left. But you made the wrong decision to come back now. Johnny still lives here. If he hears you're in town, he'll come looking for you."