“I miss you,” he said.
“It’s only been two days.”
“Feels like two weeks.”
“I talked to Carina this morning. It went well.”
“I’m still mad about Thursday night.”
“I had a long conversation with Dillon. I understand so much better now.”
“Because you look at everyone’s point of view. That still doesn’t excuse the way your family treated you.”
“I forgive them.”
“You’re a better person than me.”
Sean was protective of her, and she loved him for it, but she didn’t want this situation to permanently damage his relationship with half her family. Especially since he was so close to Patrick and Jack.
“Sean, I’m okay.” She’d been hurt, especially the conversation with her father, but she would be okay.
“This is me, Luce,” Sean said quietly. “How is the investigation going? Is Revere minding her manners?”
Lucy almost laughed. “We had a nice dinner last night. She was fishing for information—out of curiosity. She doesn’t like that she hasn’t figured me out.”
“Let’s keep it that way.”
“We have a list of suspects. A few stand out to me. Detective Katella is coming over with his notes and then … I’m hoping one of the names matches.” She wasn’t hoping. She was almost 100 percent sure that one of the names would match. “I talked to the assistant chief in Santa Barbara—he wants to help, but he also wants a formal FBI request.”
“There are a half dozen people you can have request the information.”
“I’m not going to risk anyone else.”
“Risk?”
“Reprimand. Suspension. I know the career risk, I’m willing to take it.”
“Lucy—”
“Please, Sean.” He had to understand her predicament.
“Okay. I’ll drop it, for now.”
“I might have a back door to get the information. If I have a name or two, the assistant chief may give me a yay or nay, and at this point, that’s all I need to push forward. I can turn everything over to the local FBI office with an actual suspect, and they can get the information through the proper channels.”
“That sounds like a good plan.”
“It was Max’s.”
“You told her about your leave? Or, rather, lack of time?”
“Not in so many words, but the woman is astute.”
“She raises the hackles on the back of my neck, Lucy.”
“On this, I trust her.”
Lucy deliberately changed the subject.
“How was the RCK meeting?”
“It’s not over.”
“I thought JT locked you all up until the meeting was over.”
“Patrick and I led a mutiny at two. That’s two in the morning. We bought a twelve-hour reprieve. Today should go faster. We still have a few security issues to work through, and then replacing Jayne.”
Jayne had been the computer guru and primary researcher for RCK until she’d leaked information. Though she hadn’t been malicious in her actions, it had created a huge problem for the group. She’d been with them for ten years and knew a lot about the organization and the people. There had even been talk about letting her stay in a different capacity, but no one was comfortable with her in the office. JT had found her a job as the IT manager for a software company. Perhaps she didn’t deserve the recommendation, but Lucy understood how the situation had spiraled out of control. Jayne hadn’t intended for anyone to get hurt, she didn’t even know that the information she shared would put Sean and his brothers in danger—and Lucy.
“She’s going to be hard to replace,” Lucy concurred.
“I have someone in mind, but you’ll be upset.”
“Why?”
“Because I want to take him from the FBI.”
She knew immediately who he was referring to. “Zach.”
“He’s perfect. Smart, young, loyal, and I’ve already run a deep background on him.”
“Honestly, Sean, I wouldn’t be upset except that I would miss him. He is good. And I don’t want any more changes in my squad. But it’s his decision. Maybe he doesn’t want to leave.”
“He has no family in Texas. His parents are semiretired in Florida. His sister is in college in Oregon. He’s in San Antonio because that’s where the FBI assigned him when he graduated. He’s squeaky clean and has a genius level IQ. The problem is that JT has an agreement with Rick Stockton that he won’t poach anyone from the FBI. He’s only allowed to bring in agents who have retired, or who seek out a position on their own—like when Mitch Bianchi came over from Sac FBI a few years ago. He wanted to leave, JT and Rick hashed out the details, and it worked out. But we can’t go to Zach and offer him a position.”
“You’re going to do it anyway, aren’t you.”
“I have to be sneaky about it. I probably shouldn’t have even mentioned it to you.”
“I won’t say anything.
“Hold on.”
Lucy glanced at her watch. Nearly three—she needed to meet Katella. She didn’t want him talking to Max alone. She was still a little worried about what the reporter had planned because she was far too quiet.
“Luce?”
“I’m here.”
“I need to go. I’ll call you when we’re done tonight or if it takes longer than I think, I’ll call in the morning and let you know when I’ll be in San Diego.”
“I don’t know that I’m going to leave tomorrow.”
Sean didn’t say anything. He knew as well as she did that her new boss wasn’t going to be pleased with her.
“I can always use your brains.”
“You have them. Be careful. I love you.”
“Love you, too.”
She hung up. Sean hadn’t said it, but she could sense his reservations. He didn’t like her new boss either, but he also knew how much she loved her job.
You’ll find a way to make it work. You have to.
*
“What’s going on?” David asked Max after they entered her suite.
Max shot him a narrow-eyed glance. “I’m in the middle of an investigation.”
“You’re quiet.”
“You can tell after five minutes?”
“I can see you thinking.”
“Psychic, too.”
“What job do you have for me? You seemed unhappy that I came down today. Should I head back up to Santa Barbara?”
“No, I was going to get you a plane ticket direct to Scottsdale.”
“What do you want me to do?”
“Blair killed her son.”
“You’re certain?”
“We know Justin’s killer is not Peter’s killer. And Lucy—she has a profile on Blair, though she didn’t share.”
“Profile? You didn’t tell me she was a profiler.”
“She’s not, at least not officially. She started talking about Blair, but then clammed up, as if I was going to broadcast every word.”
“Don’t hold that against her.”
“I’m not.”
David arched his eyebrow. He was actually smiling at her frustration. She ignored his unspoken commentary and said, “I’m going to take the trial. Ace will be angry with me, but that’s hardly news.”
“You need me to lay the ground work.”
“Ben will send someone later in the week. The trial starts a week from Monday. I need you to do what you do best.”
“Making sure no one takes a shot at you?”