THE GIRL WHO KNEW TOO MUCH: A Suspenseful Action-Packed Thriller

by Nolan Thomas

  “Hey, Jackson. What’s going on?” Billy asked.

  “We think we found her.”

  96

  THE LOCATION CRAWLED WITH CRIME-SCENE investigators. Jackson, Billy, and Vince stared at the burned-out hull of a Hummer. Everyone was in on the action from the local police, to the Feds, to the CIA.

  “Do you think it’s her?” Vince asked.

  “That’s hard to say. The problem is we have nothing to make a positive match with. No pictures, finger prints or DNA,” Jackson said. “We do know it’s her Hummer. According to the coroner on the scene, the woman in the car matches the physical description of Rolinska—height, weight, and even what’s left of her clothing match the description Casey provided to us. The body is burned so badly, there’s no way Jeremiah or Casey could make an identification.”

  Billy asked, “Who do you think is behind this?”

  “My best guess is that whoever she worked for wasn’t happy.” Jackson said. “This thing got way too sloppy for a clandestine operation. Usually a good agent would be extracted from an operation like this. Her handlers decided to leave us a message instead. Her throat was slashed, and clearly the burned Hummer was arson. They want us to know this problem has been taken care of.”

  “If that’s the case, why not let us identify her?” Vince asked.

  “I’ve talked with some of our top Bureau people who have been in contact with the CIA. The general consensus is that this lets us know the search for Rolinska is over, but their tracks are still covered enough that we can’t prove who, or what government, she worked for,” Jackson said. “They figure our agencies will be busy tracking this down for years.”

  “What does this mean for Riley and the rest of us?” Billy asked. “Do you think it’s going to be safe for everyone involved to return to their normal lives?”

  “If no other fingerprint, DNA or missing person matches are found, the agencies may conclude this is Agent Nika Rolinska, aka Kathryn Dixon. Most likely all of you will be under protective surveillance for a few weeks, just to be on the safe side. It will be up to the national intelligence and security people to sort out why Agent Rolinska was in this country and what she was up to, but this could well be the end of the problem for all of you.”

  THE THREE MEN returned to the hospital and Jackson delivered the news.

  The now fully dressed Lester proclaimed, “Well ain’t that ‘bout the best news ever!”

  “Does this mean everything is going to be okay?” Riley asked, grabbing Billy’s hand.

  “We can’t be certain for a little while yet,” Jackson said. “But it’s looking good. I think things will be back to normal very soon. As a precautionary measure, the FBI wants everyone to stay here for a few days while waiting for the all-clear signal.”

  Vince put his arms around Casey as her knees buckled from the news. She covered her face with her hands, and cried tears of gratitude and relief.

  “Oh my God,” Casey cried as she threw her arms around Vince’s neck and sobbed into his shoulder. All the fear and terror of the last twenty-four hours came pouring out. Billy, still holding Riley’s hand, stepped back.

  Jeremiah placed a hand on Billy’s shoulder. He understood how hard it was for Billy to watch as someone else comforted Casey.

  97

  A NERVOUS-LOOKING MIDDLE-AGED couple walked through the hospital hallway, escorted by Special Agent Jackson. They stopped at Riley’s room. Billy, Jeremiah, Casey, Vince, and Lester were all in there with Riley. Some extra chairs and tables had been brought in to accommodate the unusual number of guests. They were chatting and watching HGTV, Riley and Lester’s favorite station.

  Jackson stuck his head in the room and motioned for Billy to come over. When he stepped outside, the agent explained who the couple was and why they were there. Billy nodded, but said nothing. He returned to the room, and stood next to Riley, placing his hands on her shoulders.

  “What’s up?” Vince asked.

  Billy nodded his head in the direction of the doorway as Jackson entered the room.

  “I’ve got good news. The FBI, CIA, and MPD are in agreement. Nothing indicates the person in the Hummer was anyone other than Rolinska. You’re free to go home and get back to your normal lives.”

  Everyone cheered and clapped except Billy and Riley. She dropped her head and wondered what that meant for her. She didn’t have a home or anyone to go back to.

  Jackson walked towards her. “Riley, I need to talk with you.”

  “Please don’t put me in a foster home.” Riley cried. “Please don’t do it!”

  “I think we have something better for you. You have family out there, Riley, and they want you to come and live with them.”

  “Family? My mom and I were alone. We didn’t have any family.”

  Jackson motioned for the couple to enter the room.

  “Riley, this is Nancy and Jim Sinclair. They are your mother’s parents. Your grandparents.”

  “Hello, Riley,” Nancy Sinclair said. She opened her arms and moved towards Riley.

  Riley moved back next to Billy, and put an arm around his waist.

  “No. My mom told me her parents disowned her and wouldn’t have anything to do with her. They didn’t want her.”

  Nancy Sinclair stopped. She began to cry. Jim Sinclair moved up next to his wife.

  “That’s true, Riley, and it was the biggest mistake of our lives. We thought we were doing what was best for our daughter, but after a while we realized we were horribly wrong. We tried to find Jessica. We even hired a private detective. Nancy and I have been looking for your mother for almost ten years now. We didn’t even know about you. We are so sor--.”

  Grief choked off his words.

  Riley let go of Billy and took a small step forward. “If you didn’t know about me, how did you find me?”

  Nancy and Jim looked at each other. “That private detective contacted us when Jessica died. He had some database notifications or some such thing. We contacted the police here in Washington, and that’s how we found out about you.”

  “Riley, we couldn’t tell you sooner,” Jackson said. “We needed to make sure they were in fact your grandparents, especially in light of everything going on with Rolinska. The Bureau performed a full background check on your grandparents—home, finances, criminal records. The works. We made sure they could provide you with a good home.”

  Silence. Everyone waited. Riley took another step towards her grandparents. She looked over her shoulder at Billy. He nodded his approval.

  “Where do you live?” Riley asked.

  “We have a lovely home in Charlottesville, Virginia,” Nancy said. “It’s in an excellent school district. Your grandfather and I already spoke with the administrator. You’ll be able to start school right away. They have tutors available if you need any help catching up.”

  “That sounds nice. Can all my new friends come to visit?” Riley asked as she swept her arm around indicating everyone in the room.

  “Of course. Your friends are always welcome. Charlottesville is only a couple of hours away. We have plenty of room for company,” Jim Sinclair said. He looked at each person in the room. “From the bottom of our hearts, my wife and I will be eternally grateful for what you did for Riley. Our home is always open to each and every one of you.” He wiped a tear from his eye.

  Riley ran back to Billy. In a hushed voice she asked, “What do you think? It sounds like it might be good.”

  Billy whispered back, “I think it sounds great. I’d take it.”

  Riley smiled. “Will you come and visit me?”

  “Of course. I still have that investigative report to do, and you’re my top advisor. I’ll come by in a week and see how things are going for you. Make sure everything’s okay.”

  “Pinky swear?” Riley asked.

  “Pinky swear.”

  Riley threw her arms around Billy’s neck and whispered, “I love you, Billy Daniels.”

  Billy hugged her and whispered
back, “I love you, Riley Sinclair.”

  “By the way, the vet released Rocky, so your grandfather and I picked him up. He’s been staying with us. Every time we say your name, he wags his tail.”

  “Is he all right?” Riley asked. “I can’t wait to see him!”

  “He has a bit of a limp. But the vet says he’s fine and should live a long, happy life.”

  Riley gave each of her friends a hug, then turned and walked towards her grandparents. “Do you guys have cable?”

  Everyone laughed.

  98

  ONE YEAR LATER

  THERE WAS BASEBALL TO WATCH, and visiting family to enjoy.

  Casey sat at her kitchen table chatting with Nancy and Jim Sinclair as Riley, Rocky, Billy, and Jeremiah readied themselves in the living room for the baseball game about to start, the excitement of October baseball in the air. Riley never had the opportunity to discover the joy of the sport, but Billy and Casey were determined to fix that. Next year, Riley and her grandparents were planning to visit Chicago so Billy could take Riley to a game at Wrigley Field. This would complete her initiation as a Cub fan.

  Riley sat close to Billy on the couch, watching the pregame show, outfitted in their matching Cub jerseys and caps. Rocky was right there between them. Although spared the indignity of wearing one of those doggie T-shirts, Rocky didn’t object to the Cub bandana Riley had tied around his neck before the game started.

  Billy called out over his shoulder, “Casey! You better get over here. The game’s about to start.”

  Casey felt a wave of contentment as she looked over at Billy and Riley on the sofa, and Jeremiah sitting in a chair.

  “Come on, Casey,” Jeremiah urged. “It’s time for the Cubs to kick some Cardinal ass!”

  The Sinclair’s opted to watch the game from the kitchen table. Casey walked over and plopped down on the sofa next to Billy and grabbed the bag of chips. She pulled a chip from the bag and popped it into her mouth. She reached in for another chip and held it as she expounded on the virtues of the Cubs pitching, and prognosticated about how she believed this year the Cubs could go all the way again.

  Billy, Jeremiah, and Riley watched in rapt attention as Casey moved the chip in a circular motion and then jabbed it in the air for emphasis. A few times it nearly made it into Casey’s mouth, only to be pulled away as she thought of yet another statistic to share with them.

  Jeremiah and Riley started to giggle, but Billy gave them the Look. Both understood immediately that they must do nothing to distract Casey. They were close to a record-breaker. Billy looked at his watch and again silently communicated with Jeremiah and Riley that they were indeed very close to a new record.

  All three were holding their breath, the record in sight, when the doorbell rang. Casey popped the chip into her mouth, just three seconds short of the record, as she jumped up from the couch to answer the door. They all groaned.

  Casey opened the door, smiled, and threw her arms around Vince. “Come on in. The game just started.”

  Billy groaned again.

  99

  MADISON JENNINGS WALKED INTO THE Empirion Oil Corporation office building, and was immediately escorted to CEO Oscar Remington’s office. Remington observed how attractive the newest soon-to-be member of the Empirion family was. The tall, twenty-something, brown-eyed brunette looked stunning in her perfectly tailored, yet feminine suit. He motioned for her to take a seat.

  “I checked your background,” Remington said. “There was nothing. No history, no credit report—absolutely nothing.”

  They looked at each other for a long moment, then Remington smiled. “Let’s head into my secure conference room. I want you to meet General Dennis Parker. He’s our managing consultant for this special initiative. You’ll be working directly with him.”

  As they walked, Remington explained how his private conference room was designed for security. No windows. Regular sweeps for electronic eavesdropping devices.

  “One can’t be too careful these days,” he said, as he held the door for her.

  Remington introduced them. Jennings shook his hand, pleased General Parker showed not even the slightest glimmer of recognition.

  WHEN THE MEETING ended, Jennings left the Empirion office building and headed for her car. Once inside, she made a call.

  “Identify yourself,” the Voice said.

  “Agent Nika Rolinska.”

  “Verification sequence?”

  “Red Tide 3359X,” Rolinska responded.

  “Verification accepted. What is your request?”

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  I thought writing a book was a solitary endeavor, but learned that writing a good book readers will enjoy takes a boatload of people—wonderfully supportive, generous, talented, honest, and pretty damned smart. Lucky me, because crossing the finish line would not have been possible without each and every one of them.

  My very special thanks to Copyeditor Lorraine S. Ransome, PhD. The level of expertise, effort, and detail she evidenced was amazing—following story threads, and challenging why a character did something. An original beta-reader, she offered sage advice and encouragement every step of the way.

  Content Editor Paula Sherman approached my manuscript from her 30,000 foot perspective. I am so grateful this bright, talented woman found and challenged areas of the book in need of improvement, and delivered that message in her straight forward, greatly appreciated, no-nonsense style.

  Writing necessitates a lot of research, but when it came to scenes involving weapons, I needed the extra help and support of Gary Briggs-Dineen. My avid-hunter friend’s advice was invaluable, and so appreciated. Lucky for me, this professor was also a beta-reader extraordinaire, with invaluable critiquing advice.

  My gratitude to critically-acclaimed author and Pulitzer Prize winning criminal justice journalist, Maurice Possley, who agreed to read my book. He generously gave me editing advice, and an awesome testimonial.

  Thank you to my wonderful beta-readers. Dan Edlebeck, who let me know when he had to turn to the next chapter, and when he wasn’t so inclined. Great info for my editing process. Carol Stampley, a fan of the genre whose advice and counsel I seek and respect, on all things, not just writing. Joanne Storlie has the soul of a poet with an eagle-eye for punctuation, and a gift for tweaking with just the right word. Sylvia Windstein, one of my original readers. I appreciate and respect how she balanced encouraging me, yet trusted our friendship enough to tell me what didn’t work for her in the book. And a big shout-out to Andy Millman and the members of his Writers Workshop.

  Publishing is a difficult path. I am fortunate and grateful to count Amazon Best Selling Author, Donald J. Hurzeler, as a mentor and encourager in chief. I also want to thank publishing professional, Jane Friedman. Her book, newsletter, and courses on publishing were invaluable. Thank you to Sarah Duckworth and the team at Gatekeeper Press.

  My special thanks to Thomas P. Marcus. His entrepreneurial spirit and savvy business advice helped me push through roadblocks along the way. Thank you to Michael E Nolan, my trusted beacon of truth who helped me cross the finish line. And in a category all his own, thank you (not nearly a big enough word) to my wonderful and amazingly supportive husband, Ken, who is better known in my family by the well-deserved moniker, Saint Ken.

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  NEXT ROLINSKA THRILLER

  Go to the author’s website

  www.nolanthomasauthor.com

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Nolan Thomas, author of THE Girl Who Knew Too Much, thoroughly enjoys the thriller genre and the works of many of its greats. She is a member of International Thriller Writers. A graduate of the University of Illinois, she spent her career working with numbers and contracts, always feeling there was a novel inside, waiting to be written. Armed with desire and a bent towards hard work, Nolan set out to hone her skills. She took classes. Read. Wrote. Took more classes. Loved it. Doubted herself. Kept writing and learning. Continued to doubt herself. Kep
t trying . . . because something inside her insisted she had to. Thought she was crazy. Chose to think of herself as intuitive. Read more. Wrote more. Discovered On Writing by Stephen King. Tried his advice. Her imagination listened. Author Nolan Thomas, her alter ego creative self, was born. The author and her husband live in Madison, Wisconsin, where she is at work on her next Rolinska thriller.

  Visit Nolan’s website at www.nolanthomasauthor.com