by Dirk Patton
Katarina was physically calm, but her mind raced. Was any of this real? How could it be? It had to mean she was somehow being drugged. As she thought, the only common denominator was tobacco smoke. Zophiel and Liam. But how did she prove it and what did they want?
An idea took shape and she picked up her phone. Liam’s card was in her purse and she punched in his number, pausing before placing the call. Was this wise? Without knowing what their game was, how did she know she wasn’t playing into their hands. Maybe this was exactly how they wanted her to react.
She hesitated for five minutes, staring through the Range Rover’s windshield at the line of people across the street. Thought about everything that had happened and realized something with a start. Regardless of Zophiel’s words, there was something about Liam. Something that had triggered a response the instant she’d first seen him. And when he’d saved her in the vision, she’d felt...
She shook her head, dismissing the thought. It was a vision resulting from a drugged mind. Anything she may have thought or felt was irrelevant. And it was time to prove she wasn’t losing her mind. Pressing the send button, she raised the phone to her ear.
“Agent Macleod, this is Agent Daniels,” she said in a rush when he answered. “I just wanted to say how sorry I am for the way I behaved. I’ve got a case that’s... well, that doesn’t matter. Can I make it up to you? Please?”
There was a long stretch of silence before Liam responded.
“I appreciate that, but there’s no need to apologize. Why don’t you just give me a call after you read that file and I’ll tell you what I know that’s not in there.”
“Wait!” she cried, afraid he was about to hang up. “Where are you? Right now, I mean.”
“I’m in the U District. Why?”
“Look. I’m still at Ivar’s, and I could really use a strong coffee. On the corner of Brooklyn and Forty-third is this little coffee shop. I’ll be there in ten minutes. Please. Let me buy you a coffee and apologize in person.”
He didn’t say anything.
“Please. I’m really not some crazy chick, and I’m just talking coffee. I’m going there to get one, anyway, so meet me. Please.”
Taking a deep breath, she dropped the call, hoping she’d played that the right way. Starting the Range Rover, she took a moment to check her makeup in the mirror. He’d show. He had to. He was either interested in her, in which case he wouldn’t be able to resist, or he was involved in whatever game Zophiel was running on her and wouldn’t miss the opportunity.
Ten
Parking at the FBI field office, Katarina was surprised to notice it was three thirty. Her time with Liam at the coffee shop had been completely different than she’d anticipated. Guarded, at first, he’d quickly warmed up and they’d spent several hours talking.
Something inside her had fallen into place during their time together. She couldn’t explain it, but for the first time in her life she felt completely at ease. Comforted by his presence. Within minutes, she was telling him things that she’d never even told her husband of two years, nor could imagine ever revealing to him. Liam was equally as open, surprising her several times with things he was willing to share.
They would have sat there all afternoon if both didn’t have other responsibilities they had to get back to. Leaving the shop, Liam escorted her to where she’d parked and she was very aware that as they walked, the backs of their hands occasionally brushed. Every little contact was like a jolt of electricity.
When they reached the Range Rover, she turned to face him, not at all uncomfortable by how close he was standing. He smiled and tentatively touched her hand with a finger. She took his hand in hers and stared up into his eyes. Time stretched out and she knew he wanted to kiss her.
“I’m married,” she suddenly blurted.
His eyes narrowed, then he raised her left hand which was conspicuously absent a wedding ring.
“The job,” she explained, and he nodded in understanding.
“The less the bad guys know about you, personally, the better.”
She nodded.
“So. Married, huh?”
Katarina nodded.
“Tried that once. Didn’t work out very well.”
“I’ve got divorce papers drawn up. Told him last night,” Katarina said quickly.
They stood there a while, just looking at each other.
“Where’s this going?” she asked in a breathy voice.
“Hopefully to more of this.”
“It doesn’t bother you? That I’m married, I mean?”
He dropped her hand and stepped back to light a cigarette.
“Can I have one?” Katarina asked quickly.
Liam extended the pack and she plucked one out. He sparked a lighter and held the flame out, but she waved him off.
“For later.”
She smiled and wrapped it in a tissue inside her purse. He nodded without pressing for an explanation.
“So. Me married?” she prompted.
“Not sure how to answer. If I’d known, I’d never have asked you to lunch.”
“Now that you do?”
“All I know is I want to see you again. I should feel bad about wanting to be with a married woman... but...”
After a long moment, Katarina stepped close, tilted her head back and gently kissed him.
“My marriage is over,” she said, her face close to his. “It has been for almost a year. It’s just a matter of filing the papers and jumping through the hoops. So, when can I see you again?”
“Can you get away for dinner one night?”
Katarina nodded as she leaned in for another kiss. Despite the frightening break with reality she’d experienced only a few hours ago, her heart was lifted by the thought of spending more time with him.
“My place tomorrow?” he asked. “I’ll cook.”
“Oh, my God. All this and he cooks, too?”
“Didn’t say it would be any good.”
“Didn’t say I cared,” she shot back with a suggestive grin.
“Seven?” he asked, laughing.
“I’ll be there.”
She kissed him again before pulling away and climbing into the Range Rover. He waited until the engine started, then waved and walked away. Heart fluttering with excitement and anticipation, Katarina shifted into gear and headed for her office.
Locking up the SUV, she hurried inside the FBI building with a bounce to her step and made a quick stop before heading up to the floor where she shared a cube with Brody.
Entering the forensic lab, she smiled at several of the technicians and made her way to the back where Eloise had a small, cramped office. Stopping in the door, she waited for the woman to look up.
“I was a bitch this morning,” Katarina said.
Eloise removed a pair of reading glasses and tossed them onto her desk without breaking eye contact.
“You were.”
“And I brought you something to apologize.”
She stepped forward and placed a caramel Frappuccino with extra sauce and chocolate sprinkles on the desk. After a moment, Eloise’s eyes shifted to the drink, then she rocked forward in her chair and picked it up. Taking a long sip, she breathed out in satisfaction and smiled at Katarina.
“Okay, you’re forgiven. Wanna tell me what was wrong?”
“Shit at home,” Katarina said with a shrug.
Eloise was on her fourth husband and quickly nodded in understanding.
“If he’s being a dick, I know a good attorney,” she said, taking another long sip.
“It’s nothing like that. Just a rough patch,” Katarina lied. “So, am I forgiven enough to ask a favor? An off the books favor?”
Eloise stared at her a beat, steadily sipping the drink.
“That all depends on what it is.”
Katarina reached into her purse and retrieved the cigarette she’d gotten from Liam and placed it on the desk. She didn’t expect to find anything, but she also wasn’t a na
ïve child. Something was causing her to have wild hallucinations, and every time it happened was when she’d been exposed to tobacco smoke.
“What do you want?” Eloise asked, picking it up.
“Test the paper and the tobacco.”
“Okay. What am I looking for?”
“Anything that shouldn’t be there.”
Eloise’s eyebrows went up slightly.
“This have anything to do with your shit at home?”
“Don’t think so,” Katarina said with a head shake. “I’m just covering all my bases.”
“Fine. Gonna cost you, though.”
“Figured. How much?”
“Five,” Eloise said firmly, holding up a hand with all the fingers stiffly extended.
“Five? Christ, Elie! That’s a little steep, even for you.”
“Take it or leave it,” she replied with a shrug.
“Whatever,” Katarina sighed dramatically. “Five Frappuccinos. But you’re going to price yourself out of the market.”
“I’ll let you know when I have the results,” Eloise said with a grin, then finished the drink with the longest sip yet.
“Ever think about savoring those?”
“Nope. Now get out of here and let me get back to work.”
Katarina gave her a smile and hurried to the elevator. Walking into the shared cubicle, she dumped her purse and shrugged out of her jacket before sitting down. Brody watched her over the top of a pair of reading glasses without saying a word.
“What?” she asked.
“The restaurant must have been really slow,” he said drily. “You’ve been gone a long time.”
“We had a lot to discuss.”
Katarina swiveled away and opened the file Liam had given her, but not before he saw the beginnings of a blush that reddened her cheeks. After a moment, he stood and tapped the back of her chair. She looked up and he tilted his head in the direction of the stairs.
Sighing, she put the file down and followed him to the roof. Stepping out, a momentary fear that she’d see a burning city passed over her, but Seattle spread out at their feet, gleaming in the afternoon sun.
“Everything okay?” Brody asked as he lit a cigarette.
“Fine.”
“Look. I don’t care if you knocked boots, Kat. You know what I’m talking about.”
“It’s all good, Brody,” she said, irritated. “And we didn’t knock boots! We just talked. Something wrong with that?”
“Sorry,” he said without sounding like it. “So, I’ve been thinking about how to clean it.”
“I’ve already got that figured out,” Katarina said before he could continue.
“Okay. Tell me your idea.”
“Matt’s practice. That’s where all my debt is, anyway. Create patient and billing files. Funnel it in and deposit it in the bank. Taxes get paid and it’s just income that’s used to clear the creditors and have a nice, profitable practice.”
She looked at him with an expectant smile, frowning when he didn’t say anything.
“What?”
Brody took a deep drag and let the smoke out slowly before speaking.
“Kat, there’s two big problems with that idea.”
“Really? Like what?” she asked, challenging him with her hands on her hips.
“Okay. So, first of all, how many patient files are going to have to be created to account for this amount of cash? A thousand? Two? Any idea how long that’s going to take?
“Second, do you really want Matt to know what you’re doing? You run it through his practice, he’s going to catch on. And if for some reason he doesn’t spot it now, he sure as hell will when his CPA does his taxes. You’re about to get divorced, remember? Matt needs to be kept far away from any of this.”
Her hands slipped off her hips and her shoulders slumped when she realized Brody was right.
“Alright. So, what do we do?”
“We need a cash business. One where the banks aren’t involved. Right?”
Katarina nodded agreement.
“Where do we find one of those?” she asked.
“Pot dispensaries!” he said proudly.
Katarina stared at him in incomprehension.
“What?” she asked, blinking.
“Pot dispensaries,” he said again. “Cash only business. Even if those serial numbers are in a database somewhere over at Treasury, they’ll be buried and lost in the mountain of cash a dispensary generates.”
“So, you want to open a dispensary?” Katarina asked incredulously. “Brody, we’re federal agents! That’ll never work.”
He shook his head with a smile and lit a fresh cigarette.
“Listen. My brother just got back from Afghanistan and he’s not re-enlisting.”
“Baldwin’s back?” she interrupted.
“Two days ago. You’ve got to come around and see him. Anyway. Baldwin opens a dispensary. Or two or three. I’ll put up money from my savings to rent space and furnishings. That way it’s all above board. But the product is purchased from growers with the cash from the duffel. He’ll be the legal owner of the business and the only name on the license from the state. You and I are silent partners.”
“I don’t know...”
“Think about it, Kat! If we just clean the cash and spend it, when it’s gone it’s gone. This way, as long as there’s a market for marijuana, we’ve got a damn good income.”
He looked at her, beaming.
“I get it, Brody. I really do. But how long is all that going to take before we see a dime? Months? A year? I’ve got creditors breathing down my neck now! You may be done with the job and ready to move on, but I still love it. I can’t imagine doing anything else, at least not for the foreseeable future. And if I don’t get this cleaned up, quietly, I’ll be on the outside looking in. That’s the whole reason I took the duffel in the first place!”
The smile had dropped off Brody’s face as he listened to her. Now, he stood in contemplation, slowly smoking.
“Okay,” he finally said. “How much do you need?”
“I don’t know, exactly, off the top of my head. But, somewhere around four hundred grand. Two hundred after I divorce him.”
Brody drifted off in more thought, lighting another cigarette as he paced a small circle.
“Here’s what you do,” he said after several minutes. “Go see Pettigrew. Right now. March into his office, sit down and tell him everything Matt did without your knowledge or consent. Tell him you’re filing for divorce because of it and will pay off any debt you’re left with as soon as the decree is final. Who knows? Maybe the judge will decide Matt deserves all the debt.”
“Brody, I don’t have two hundred grand! How the hell am I going to pay off my half of the debt? Pettigrew will want to know that.”
“Tell him you’re going to pay it off with the proceeds from half of Matt’s medical practice. You’re going to sell it to Baldwin. You aren’t really, because Matt would never stand for that, but that doesn’t matter. You’ll have all the paperwork to make it appear nice and legal, and an account with enough money to clear your debt that’s as clean as a preacher’s sheets.”
Katarina stared at him with her mouth open.
“Where the hell is Baldwin going to get that kind of money? We can’t use the cash!”
“From me! I’ve got an untapped home equity line of credit available. I’ll write him a check tonight. Janice’s sister is a paralegal, so we’ll have the paperwork for the sale of half the practice ready by morning. This time tomorrow, you’ll have two hundred K in the bank! All that’s left to do is serve the divorce papers.”
“But the practice isn’t worth anything!”
“Doesn’t matter,” Brody said confidently. “Something is worth whatever someone is willing to pay. So, Baldwin makes a bad investment. If that was illegal, half the country would be in prison.”
“Brody...” Katarina began, but didn’t know what to say.
“Don’t worry,” h
e smiled. “You can pay me back once the money starts rolling in from the dispensaries.”
She looked at him for several long moments, relief beginning to wash through her and tears dampening her eyes. For the first time in a very long time it seemed there was a light at the end of the tunnel that wasn’t an oncoming train.
Eleven
“How’d it go?” Brody asked.
Katarina had just walked out of Pettigrew’s office.
“About like I expected. He took notes. Lectured me about his and the Bureau’s expectations for an agent’s personal and moral responsibilities. Said he was going to have to notify OPR.”
“Really? The Office of Professional Responsibility? Seems a bit extreme.”
“He said that’s a new procedure. Guess there were some agents in another field office who got caught up in some kind of pyramid scheme and wound up being sued. It was an embarrassment to the FBI, so the director issued a finding that all personal matters that could in any way come to public attention should be reviewed by OPR.”
Katarina was worried but Brody dismissed it with a shake of his head.
“Just a bureaucratic overreaction,” he said. “OPR doesn’t have the staff to start looking at every agent that bounces a check or is getting divorced. Hell, on any given day that’s probably half of the entire FBI. They’ll glance at you and move on.”
“They’d better. Right now is not the time to have my life being closely examined.”
“If they start digging, we just delay,” he said with a shrug. “You’ll still have the money to get out of your marriage and clear your debt. Once that’s done without any fanfare, there’s nothing for them to be concerned about. Right?”
Unconvinced, Katarina slowly nodded her head. Brody looked at her closely for a moment.
“Go home, Kat. Get some rest. Busy day tomorrow.”
After a long silence, she nodded and got to her feet. Shrugging into her jacket, she collected her purse and paused to place her hand on his shoulder.
“Thank you, Brody.”
He smiled and patted her hand, then she turned and went to the elevator. Before she could press the call button, the doors slid open with a ding and she came face to face with Eloise.