J.P. narrowed his eyes. “Why would he do that? You just said he’s a cop, right? Why didn’t he just arrest you and turn you over?”
She leaned in closer, her voice quiet. “While we were back in the bathroom, I was able to talk to him again, you know, really talk. He’s a true believer too, J.P. He agrees with the Guard’s manifesto. When I explained to him why we were at the bank and what we were trying to do, he said he wanted to help.”
“Was he a true believer back when you were dating before?”
She shrugged. “Not as much as he is now. I mean, we wouldn’t have dated if we hadn’t shared some of the same beliefs, but now, well, he’s had some setbacks.”
J.P. raised his eyebrow. “Setbacks?”
Bethany smiled inwardly. The FBI had created a good backstory for Daniel. Now they only had to sell it. “Turns out his father lost his construction business due to the government unfairly giving out contracts. It had been in the family for three generations. His father lost everything. I’m telling you, he used to be a straight arrow, but he’s not anymore. He’s ready to fight for the cause.”
Bethany watched J.P. carefully, trying to gauge if he was believing her story. He seemed to be mulling it over in his mind, but he had always been a hothead and difficult for her to read. Why couldn’t it have been Terrell who had survived? At least she had always had a laidback camaraderie with Terrell that made it easy to talk to him. J.P. was a young, impetuous firebrand. Working with him made her nervous, but she didn’t have any choice. J.P. had survived, and J.P. was the one she had to deal with.
“Do you trust him?”
“I don’t know,” she said softly, trying to make it seem like she was hiding the answers from Daniel’s listening ears. She didn’t think J.P. would buy it if she joined forces with a cop in a matter of a couple of days, so she wanted to introduce the idea to him gradually. Without Justin to guide her, she was making this all up as she went along. “I haven’t been around him in a very long time. I know he’s passionate about what he believes. He always has been, and now he’s even more so. We’ve started dating again, so we’ll see what happens. I do know I’m not in jail. That’s a pretty good start. He helped me out at the bank, and that’s a fact. Sometimes actions speak louder than words.”
J.P. nodded and took another look at Daniel as if he were considering Bethany’s opinion. “Yeah, talk to him a lot and see if you can see if he really is a true believer. If he is, we could use a cop on the inside.”
“That’s exactly what I was thinking.” She leaned close again. “Look, J.P., I don’t know what to do next. Jackson was my leader, and I don’t know anybody else but you from the Guard. I mean, I’ve seen some faces here and there, and I know a few names, like that guy Bishop Jacobs, but I really don’t know how to contact anyone now that Jackson’s gone. How do I get reconnected? I’m feeling a little lost right now and I need your help.”
He raised his eyebrows as if considering her words. He studied her face for a moment as if judging her veracity, then finally seemed to make a decision. “Go to the dry cleaners on Fifth and Stadium downtown. Tell them you want to sign up for the monthly special. Tell them J.P. sent you. Then leave your name and cell phone number. Someone will contact you.”
“That’s it?”
“That’s it.”
“How long will it take?”
J.P. frowned. “Are you in some sort of hurry?”
She blew out a breath. “Of course not. But I want them to pay for what they did to Jackson and the rest of the team. That was my family. They killed our family. I want to make them pay. Don’t you?”
J.P. seemed satisfied. He grinned at her. “Don’t worry. We’ve got something bigger coming down the pike. They’ll pay for what they did at that bank alright.”
She grabbed his arm and gave it a squeeze, thinking it was prudent not to push him for more right now. She didn’t want him to get suspicious in any way. “Thanks, J.P. You’re the best.” She leaned back. “So are you going to be okay?”
“I’ve been arraigned and have a public defender. They want to do a deal but I won’t rat on our friends. And I’ve got plenty of friends on the inside. I’ll be safe enough.”
“How’s your health? Did that bullet do any serious damage?”
“No worries there. In a month or two, I’ll be playing basketball in the jail yard, reading about you and the glory of the Guard.”
“You can count on it.” She patted his hand and stood. Then she joined Daniel who nodded at J.P. before they left the hospital. J.P. would be reading about the Guard in the news alright, but if she had anything to say about it, it would be because the whole lot of them had been arrested and thrown in prison.
* * *
Daniel and Bethany rode in silence to a nearby grocery store, and even said very little as they purchased a few items. Bethany called Max Westfield on her burner phone and they discussed Justin’s death in more detail. She told him about their visit with J.P. Max was very supportive and promised he would contact her again once a new supervising agent was assigned. For now, he told her that she and Daniel should lay low until Justin’s murderer was found. Bethany listened, but Daniel doubted she had any plans to lay low.
After navigating to their new apartment, they made it up the stairs and entered the living room of the second-story unit. Daniel could tell that the loss of Justin Harper and dealing with J.P. at the hospital were all weighing heavily on Bethany, and he wished she weren’t quite so independent and would let him ease some of her burden. She had always wanted to handle everything by herself, which at times had been a source of contention between the two of them. Since they were no longer a couple, he hoped she would at least allow him to offer some friendship and support, but so far, her silence seemed to be sending him only one message: Stay away, I don’t need you. How did he bridge that gap? He wasn’t sure, but he wasn’t going to give up either. He still had feelings for her. Strong feelings. She was worth fighting for, and he was going to do whatever it took to show her that she could love him and maintain her independence at the same time. He had made a mess of it the first time, but God had granted him a second chance, and this time, he was going to get it right. Finding Bethany and getting to spend quality time with her was an answer to his prayers.
Daniel threw his duffel bag carelessly on the couch and made his way to the kitchen with the groceries while Bethany did a sweep of the bedrooms.
“See any problems?” he asked as he put the cold groceries into the refrigerator.
“No. It’s your basic apartment layout. The bedrooms are almost identical. You can have your pick. Each has a bath and balcony.”
She had never been one of those females that fussed over fluff and nonsense. She had never wanted jewelry or flowers as presents either. Her idea of the perfect gift was always something practical that she would use on a regular basis. He liked that about her, but it also made it hard to shop for her for Christmas and birthdays. Funny, but he had forgotten that detail about her until just this moment. He offered her a smile and a bottled water. “Want something to drink?”
“Not really.” She yawned and stretched. “Thanks anyway.”
He could see the weariness in her face and the haggard expression in her eyes. He wanted to just hold her and lend her some of his strength, but he could tell from the standoffish way she held herself that she wouldn’t accept his overture, and wouldn’t appreciate the offer either. She was in her independent mode again, and if he were correct in his guess, she was about to call it a day and disappear into her room and lock the door.
He tried something else, hoping it would keep her in his presence and communicating with him for little bit longer. “I got you a surprise.”
She raised an eyebrow. “Oh, really?” She tried to look into the brown grocery bag he was protectively guarding but he folded down the top and pulled it out of her reach. “No, ma�
�am. Make yourself comfortable on the couch and I’ll bring it over in a minute or two.”
She playfully narrowed her eyes. “You know I have a gun, right, and that I’m trained in how to use it?” she said, her voice full of mirth.
He smiled, relieved that she was willing to play along. “Don’t forget, missy, I’ve got a gun myself. And I’ve logged a few hours at the firing range too. Trust me. Have a seat and you won’t regret it.”
She watched him for a moment or two before finally heading to the couch. He moved out of her line of vision, prepared the surprise and called out to her before he headed back into the living room. “Close your eyes.”
“Really?”
“Really! Come on now. Play fair.”
“Okay, fine,” she said in mock exasperation. She closed her eyes.
He joined her on the couch and held a bowl up a few inches under her nose. “Okay, you can open them,” he said softly.
She opened her eyes, and smiled in delight when she saw the bowl with triple-chocolate ice cream that was swimming in chocolate syrup. Underneath the ice cream was a warm brownie with nuts that Daniel had heated in the microwave. It was a chocolate lover’s dream, and he knew it had been her favorite dessert since middle school. He was even wearing a red Santa’s hat to help celebrate the season.
She sighed. “You remembered.” She grabbed the bowl from him and eagerly took a bite.
“Of course, I remembered,” Daniel laughed. “There aren’t many people who can eat that much chocolate in one sitting without overdosing and being rushed to the hospital. It’s kinda hard to forget.” He took a bite of his own ice cream, which had half the amount of chocolate syrup on it and no brownie, and leaned back on the couch. Even though the day had been difficult and demanding, he was enjoying the camaraderie they had shared through the sorrow, pain and even exhilaration at getting what they needed from J.P. at the hospital. He enjoyed working with her, but more than that—he enjoyed having her back in his life.
“So how is your family?”
The question she asked seemed innocent enough, yet it caused a tightening in his stomach that he hadn’t expected. He rarely talked about his family with anyone. He shifted. Okay, he never talked about his family. Still, he couldn’t expect her not to ask. He shrugged as if the question didn’t bother him. “Mom is still living out west. Not much has changed. My brother is in Miami.”
“Have you heard from either of them lately?”
“No.” He didn’t elaborate, and he changed the subject. “What about you? How are your parents?”
She looked him in the eyes and he was aware that she knew there was more to the story, but she didn’t challenge him on his answer. Instead, she sighed and took another bite, just watching him. Her look told him she was disappointed in him, but there was no surprise in her features. Finally, she shrugged and answered his question, allowing him to change the subject. “They’re living the retired life down in Tallahassee. They’re happy between their church family and their Florida State Seminoles women’s basketball games. There’s always something to keep them hopping. They even started going to the theater at FSU, although Dad still doesn’t love the musicals, even though he tolerates them for Mom’s sake. They’ll be Seminole fans till they drop I suspect.”
“Have they seen any good plays?”
“They mentioned Arsenic and Old Lace and The Music Man, and they were pretty excited to see The Phantom of the Opera on the playbill for next year’s opener. That’s Mom’s favorite show ever. She can’t get enough of the music.”
He smiled, remembering Bethany’s mom was a theater buff and drummer in her own right. “Didn’t she see Phantom on Broadway?”
Bethany laughed. “Yeah, twice, and she saw it in Las Vegas too. She says the music still gives her goosebumps when she hears it live. She just loves it.” She smiled, reminiscing. “You know, the lady rarely spends a dollar on herself, but when it comes to a good theater production, she’ll actually splurge and buy front row tickets just to enjoy the experience. She took a few of the kids to New York recently and got front row seats to Les Misérables. They all said it was amazing. They could actually make eye contact with the actors.” She finished her dessert and took the bowl to the kitchen and rinsed it, then passed him again on her way to her bedroom.
“I’m done in. See you in the morning?”
He nodded, glad the dessert had given them an opportunity to talk about something besides work and the Heritage Guard. “Sure. 8:00 a.m.?”
“Sounds good.”
He was glad that she was willing to share about her family, but why did she seem so disappointed that he didn’t want to talk about his? That was all the past, and he didn’t understand her need or desire to dig through the remnants of where he had come from. It was over and done with, yet she still asked those same questions. He wanted to focus on the here and now. He didn’t want to live in the past. He certainly didn’t want to dredge up old memories or talk about people who no longer had a place in his life.
His new cell phone vibrated and he pulled it out and looked at the screen. It was the phone Justin had given him right before he was murdered and so far, he hadn’t received a single call on the line. Justin had told them to trust no one. Should he answer? He didn’t recognize the number. He was tempted to ignore the call. It vibrated again and again in his hand. He had meant to turn it off and take the battery out once Justin had been killed, or at a minimum discuss it with Bethany before he acted, but it had simply slipped his mind. Could someone locate them now that his phone had been called? Had he just jeopardized their mission? After all, it was a clean phone from the FBI, and as far as he knew, only Justin, Bethany and he knew the number. It was probably a wrong number, but even so, he was incredibly curious about who was on the other end of the line. The phone vibrated again, but he didn’t answer. Instead, he wrote down the number that was calling on a slip of paper, then made a mental note to call it in tomorrow to his contact at the office to run a trace on the number. Could it be Justin’s killer? Or someone from the Guard? Time would tell. He turned off the phone and removed the battery just in case.
TEN
Bethany looked to the left and right, then crossed Stadium Street and entered the dry cleaners on the corner. It was a busy store and there were three customers in line ahead of her. She pulled out a brochure from a display on the counter and perused it as she waited, looking up from time to time. There was nothing out of the ordinary about the store to suggest it was anything but a dry cleaners. Racks of clothing in dry-cleaning bags were behind the counter and the shop smelled of cleaning fluids and bleach. Posters on the walls advertised a variety of prices and deals available to special customers, as well as special ticket discounts for tourists that wanted to visit Ruby Falls or the Tennessee Aquarium. A small Christmas tree was also standing in the corner, decorated tastefully in red-and-green glass balls of various shapes and designs. Underneath the tree were several wrapped packages that added to the festive air.
A holiday tune played on the sound system and Bethany sang along to the Christmas carol. When it was her turn, she approached the young man at the register. He was blond with blue eyes and a ready smile. “May I help you?”
She smiled back. “Yes, I’d like to sign up for the monthly special.”
The man looked a bit confused. “Monthly special?”
Bethany nodded. “Ah, yes. My friend J.P. gets all of his clothes dry-cleaned here. He told me about the monthly special for your best customers, but said I needed to sign up to get the discount. He recommended that I come in here.”
The man pushed a pad across the counter. “I’ll have to ask the manager if we’re still offering that deal. Please write down your name and cell phone number, and he’ll call you back as soon as he gets a chance to check on the latest specials. Will that work?”
She shrugged. “Sounds perfect to me. I’m not in a ru
sh. I’m more interested in quality than speed.”
“Well, we just might be able to help you then.” He pulled the pad back over to himself after she had finished writing, removed the top sheet with her information and pocketed the paper. “We’ll be in touch.”
“Thanks.”
She left and returned to Daniel, who was waiting across the street for her. It was a bit chilly and she pulled her jacket closer as she approached. “See anything?”
Daniel shook his head. “Nobody followed you, and I didn’t see any suspicious people milling about, but my money is on surveillance cameras. I see three things that could be cameras, and they’re making surveillance equipment so small these days, there could be even more. There’s no telling for sure.” Bethany noticed a spark in his eye, but when he took her in his arms and leaned forward to kiss her, she pulled back, unsure. “What are you doing?”
He gave her a smile and touched her nose affectionately. “We’re supposed to be dating, remember? We’ve rekindled a lost love and are sharing an apartment? If anyone from the Guard is watching us, you can bet they have someone stationed near this dry-cleaning place, and I’m sure they’ve got their eyes on us right now.”
He made a valid point. She laughed, hoping to cover up her gaff in case he was right. She had to sell this romance between them, whether she felt it or not. “You’re right. I’m sorry.” She drew her hand down his face in a gesture of intimacy, then pulled him into an embrace. She found herself enjoying the contact more than she thought she would, yet still she felt herself awkwardly tighten up in his embrace. Daniel was warm and his strength made her feel safe and secure, but letting Daniel go and moving on with her life had been two of the hardest things she’d ever done. She didn’t want to open herself up to that kind of hurt again. Letting him be a part of this mission and pretending they were a couple were both going to be harder than she’d ever imagined.
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