Daring Deception

by Barbara Freethy

  "They're attacking by using the same pollutants they fight against," she said, her mind processing this latest attack. "Alancor was fined two years ago for releasing toxic gas into the environment. The perpetrators hit Alancor in the same way they hit the planet."

  All gazes turned to her.

  "Go on," Rob said.

  "Whatever the Freeman Group and Lexitech have done wrong, that will be the target."

  "I've been researching that," Emi said. "The Freeman Group was sued for polluting a river in Central California."

  "The water system," she said, meeting Emi's gaze. Then she turned back to Rob. "We need to make sure the water system at any office tied to the Freeman Group is secure."

  He nodded. "Good idea. Agent Sakato, take the lead on that angle. Let's find the stains on the environmental records of the companies involved and see if we can get out in front of these attacks."

  As the group returned to work, Rob walked over to her.

  "Good insight, Caitlyn," he said brusquely.

  "I hope I'm right."

  "I've notified your father that Carlson Industries may also be a target, in addition to Lexitech."

  "He's aware of that. He's increasing security at all offices."

  "Yes, but I'm more concerned about an event that your family is holding on Sunday."

  "The annual foundation gala. It's a huge fundraiser."

  "I'm very aware of what it is. You need to get them to cancel it."

  That might be the most difficult order Rob had ever given her. "My father doesn't bow to threats, stated or implied."

  "He won't just be risking his own life; he could be risking hundreds of other lives. Talk to him."

  "He might take it better from you."

  "I told him what I thought. He said he's hiring extra security, that the gala will be the safest place in the city."

  "Then you have your answer."

  "Change his mind, Caitlyn. The mayor will be there, numerous elected officials, and heads of companies. It is a high-profile target, and we are working blind. If anything happens on my watch…"

  "I'll do my best to change his mind, but I can't make any promises. Speaking of elected officials, have you had any contact with Senator Pederson?"

  Something shifted in Rob's gaze. "Why do you ask?"

  "His son, Wyatt, went to Bolton yesterday to look at the scene. He was in school with me. But he and his brother, Justin, were never thoroughly interviewed."

  "They had an alibi. I went through the file again last night."

  "I believe the alibi was bogus."

  "It came from the senator. Are you saying he lied?"

  "Possibly. Which is why I'm wondering if you've been in touch with him?"

  "He called me yesterday," Rob admitted. "He's concerned."

  "Did he mention his sons?"

  "No. He was calling as a senator worried about his constituents. He wanted a progress report on the case. I gave him one. He wasn't thrilled at our lack of progress. Let's leave his son on the back burner. I do not need you accusing the senator of lying ten years ago."

  "I wasn't planning on making that accusation—yet. But Wyatt could be involved in this current explosion," she argued. "He was at the scene yesterday."

  "When?"

  "Well, it was hours after the blast," she admitted. "However, he was there, and we need to know why. I can talk to Wyatt as an old friend. It won't be official."

  His jaw tightened. "All right, but don't accuse him of anything unless you have evidence."

  "Got it. I'd also like to talk to Agent Bauer. I wonder if he got pressure from the senator, if that's why the sons were not more thoroughly investigated."

  Rob's expression moved from irritation to anger. "Agent Bauer is out of town. I already called him. He's on a long-awaited European trip, so that will have to wait."

  "I don't think it can wait. I just need a few minutes of his time."

  "His investigation doesn't matter now. I need cooperation, and if you accuse former agents and senators of obstructing an investigation, that's the last thing I'll get. Dammit, Caitlyn, don't make me sorry I brought you into this."

  "I just gave you a new angle," she reminded him.

  "And that was good. Look forward, not back. Stick to facts, not speculation. Cooperation is first and foremost. Everything else comes later."

  "Got it."

  As Rob walked away, she grabbed her bag and headed down to the parking garage. Wyatt might be a dead end, but her gut told her that he was worth talking to. The rest of the team was looking forward. But there might be an answer from the past that could lead them to the truth now, and she was the only one who could bring the two together.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Caitlyn had just gotten into her car when her phone rang. Her heart jumped. It was Quinn. She'd been trying not to think about him for most of the day, and here he was. "Hello?"

  "I was looking through some things I had from my LNF days," he said.

  "And?"

  "We need to talk to Wyatt."

  She was surprised by his words. "I agree, but just out of curiosity, why did you come to that conclusion?"

  "I found an old photo of Wyatt and Donovan. They had just gotten matching tattoos on their forearms."

  "Of what?"

  "A snake with its head hanging by a thread."

  "That's a little disgusting. What does it mean?"

  "Donovan used to say we'll never get anywhere until we cut off the heads of the snakes."

  "And you think because Wyatt has the same tattoo that he shared the same thinking?"

  "Yes. I also keep going back to what Lauren said about Wyatt being at the scene ten years ago."

  "Which doesn't make sense because he had an alibi from the senator. It's in the file."

  "Maybe Lauren lied."

  "Or she didn't. Want to know something else that's interesting? Wyatt is on the surveillance footage from Bolton yesterday. It was hours after the blast, but he was there. Was he just curious like you, or did he have another reason?"

  "We need to find out."

  "I'm driving to his bar now."

  "Don't bother. I'm sitting outside the bar. He's not there. The bartender told me he didn't come in today. Do you know where Wyatt lives?"

  "Yes. 137 Dove Way, near the Great Highway."

  "I'll meet you there."

  She tried to tamp down the sizzle of excitement those words brought, but she wasn't particularly successful. She told herself they were just working together on the case. That was it. That was all it would be. "By the way," she added. "There was an incident at Alancor, one of the companies scheduled to speak at the symposium."

  "Another bomb?"

  "No, but toxic gas was piped in through the ventilation system. Several people went to the hospital because of it. Apparently, there was a board meeting going on."

  "So the heads of the company were in the room," he said slowly.

  "The snakes?" she queried, finishing his thought.

  "Yes. And didn't Hank say yesterday that they wanted to attack the companies in the same way that they attacked the environment?"

  "He did say that, and Alancor has had problems with air pollution," she said.

  "Maybe Wyatt knows more about the grand plan."

  "I hope he does. I'll see you soon."

  A feeling of foreboding ran down Quinn's spine as he thought about the gas attack. The stakes were going up. The terrorists weren't done. They needed to get answers fast! Hopefully, Wyatt could provide some new clues. Although he wasn't sure they could trust anything Wyatt had to say. But he was curious to hear whether he'd admit to being at the scene ten years ago. Or would he stick with the alibi? It wouldn't surprise him if the senator had pulled strings. Chuck Carlson had done the same thing. Agent Bauer had clearly been susceptible to powerful persuasion, and perhaps there had also been other perks.

  But while the alibi and Wyatt's snake tattoo tied him to Donovan in a weird way, it was still diffi
cult to see Wyatt as a violent terrorist. Wyatt's passions had mostly involved beer, babes, and pissing off his father. His brother, Justin, had been the real environmental activist, but Wyatt had been more of a hanger-on, interested in the social, not the serious.

  Had Wyatt's attitudes changed? Had Donovan's charismatic and persuasive personality turned the non-political Wyatt into someone else?

  It took him only another five minutes to get to Wyatt's condo, which was part of a newish development perched in an area of incredibly steep streets, some with amazing views of the ocean. He had just parked when Caitlyn's car slid into a spot across the street.

  As she got out and walked toward him, his stomach clenched. He'd thought he was ready to see her again, but he wasn't. She wore dark jeans today, a black sweater under the same gray leather jacket she'd had on yesterday, and a pair of low-heeled black boots. Her hair was once again pulled back in a ponytail. He itched to pull that band out of her hair and run his hands through her long, thick waves.

  "Quinn?" she queried, giving him a suspicious look as he drew near. "What are you thinking?"

  "Nothing."

  "Are you sure?"

  "You don't want to know."

  Something shifted in her eyes, and the not-so-distant past played between them as her gaze dropped to his mouth. His breath caught in his chest at that look. She didn't want to want him, but she did. God help him. He felt exactly the same.

  "No," she said, shaking her head.

  "What was the question?"

  "We're not going to kiss again."

  He couldn't agree, not with his body already firing on all cylinders. It had always been that way with Caitlyn. One look and he'd gone from zero to a hundred in ten seconds.

  "Let's talk to Wyatt," she said quickly. "We need to focus on what's important, and that's not us. So, stop looking at me like that."

  "Like what?"

  "You know what," she said, her cheeks burning.

  "You're looking at me the same way," he defended.

  "That's impossible. I don't like you at all anymore."

  "I'm sure you don't. But that's not really what we're talking about, is it?"

  She turned and marched up to Wyatt's front door, leaving him no choice but to follow.

  Chapter Fourteen

  When Wyatt opened the door, his jaw dropped, and amazement entered his green eyes. "Who am I looking at?" he asked.

  "Not a ghost," he said.

  "Are you sure? I thought you were dead, Quinn."

  "That seems to be the rumor, but I'm very much alive."

  Wyatt's gaze moved to Caitlyn "And you're with Quinn again? You are the last two people in the world I would have expected to ring my doorbell. Man, this is crazy."

  "We weren't expecting to be here, either," he said, thinking Wyatt had changed little in the past ten years. His hair was a dark blond, his scruffy beard slightly darker. He was tan despite the winter weather, and his faded, ripped jeans and long-sleeve T-shirt with a beer-loving slogan could have been taken right out of his closet in his college apartment. The same could be said for his flip-flops.

  "What are you doing here?" Wyatt asked. "Wait, this is about the bomb at Bolton yesterday, isn't it?"

  "Yes," Caitlyn replied. "Can we come in and talk to you for a minute, Wyatt?"

  "Sure." He waved them inside as if he didn't have a care in the world. If he was guilty of something, he wasn't showing it. Both Lauren and Hank had gotten wary when they'd appeared, but while Wyatt was surprised, he didn't appear nervous.

  "Do you want a beer?" Wyatt asked.

  "No thanks," he said. That was another thing that hadn't changed. Wyatt had always preferred beer over water. And as he looked around Wyatt's apartment, he saw more images from the past: the surfing posters, the empty bag of chips on the coffee table, and the video game player on the table. Wyatt and Hank had been video game junkies. The smell of weed was also thick in the air, another reminder from the past. Wyatt might be ten years older, but he still lived like a twenty-one-year-old.

  "I know. The place is a mess," Wyatt said, with an unrepentant smile and a dismissive wave of his hand. "What can I say? I don't have anyone to clean up for." His gaze grew more speculative. "When did you two get back together?"

  "We're not together," Caitlyn said quickly. "We're just trying to figure out if there's a connection between yesterday's explosion and the one ten years earlier."

  "I heard you're an FBI agent, Caitlyn. I have to say, I'm impressed by that. I never would have taken you for that kind of kick-ass woman. What can I help you with?"

  "Why did you go to Bolton yesterday, Wyatt?" Caitlyn asked sharply.

  Surprise filled Wyatt's gaze, and for the first time, he appeared more wary. "You know about that?"

  "You were spotted on a surveillance camera."

  "Oh. Well, I was shaken by the news of the bomb. I was supposed to be at the symposium. I heard the news just as I was getting dressed to go over there. I couldn't stop thinking about it all day, so I went in the afternoon to see what it looked like."

  "Why were you going to the symposium?" Caitlyn asked.

  "Kevin asked me to attend. He wanted some friendly faces in the audience. He was concerned the environmental group might try to ambush him with tougher questions than they'd promised. He was lucky he wasn't there. So was I. It's weird, because I never thought twice about going. I couldn't imagine a bomb would ever go off there again. What are the odds?"

  "Pretty long," she said. "Unless the same person set both bombs."

  "Who would that be?"

  "I was going to ask you that," she returned.

  "I have no idea."

  "You know what's curious," Caitlyn continued. "I heard you were also at the bomb site ten years ago, but the FBI file says you and your brother were with your dad that morning, at his office."

  Wyatt stared back at her. He ran a hand through his hair and shifted his feet. "Okay. I can explain."

  "Can you?" she challenged.

  Quinn had to admit he enjoyed seeing this tough side of Caitlyn. She wasn't about to let anyone run over her.

  "I went to my dad's office that morning. His assistant was helping Justin and me plan a graduation trip through Europe. Justin got to Dad's office before me. He was probably talking to Caroline for about an hour before I arrived. When my dad heard about the explosion, he came to find us, and he assumed that Justin and I had arrived together, and that's what he told the FBI. When he found out I was actually at Bolton when the bomb went off, he told me not to say anything unless I had helpful information, because it would cause more trouble for me to correct him. I'd also be putting his assistant in the hot seat since she hadn't given him the right information as to when we arrived."

  "That's a very long, convoluted answer, Wyatt, and I don't believe your father was confused for one second," Caitlyn said flatly.

  Wyatt stared back at her and then shrugged. "You're right. He was trying to protect me. I told him I didn't need protection, but he blew right past that. He told me to keep my mouth shut, and he'd take care of the rest. I thought I'd get questioned eventually, but no one ever came to talk to me."

  Quinn was surprised Wyatt was being so honest. He probably figured Caitlyn had some evidence now to prove he'd been at the bomb site ten years ago.

  "Would you have had anything to say?" Caitlyn challenged. "If the FBI had talked to you?"

  "No. I knew nothing. I swear, that's the truth, Caitlyn. You were a friend. Our families vacationed together. If I'd known you were in danger, I would have stepped up. I wouldn't have let you get hurt. I wouldn't have wanted to destroy the building your family funded. It was for science."

  "Others didn't feel the same about that building," Quinn said. "There was a lot of talk about protesting."

  "They said my family's money was dirty," Caitlyn added. "You must have heard all that."

  "I didn't agree with them," Wyatt said defensively. "But it's not like anyone listened to me. I wasn't in c
harge of anything. You both know that. I was high most of the time in college. I only joined the LNF because Justin was into it."

  "Where was your brother that morning?" Caitlyn asked.

  "I told you; he was at my dad's office."

  "What time did he get there?"

  "Long before the bomb went off."

  Quinn wondered if that were true. Did Wyatt actually know when Justin got to his father's office? They hadn't been living together that year, choosing to separate their lives more than they had previously. Justin had had his own apartment, and Wyatt had lived with Vinnie.

  "You should have been honest and stepped forward with whatever information you had, Wyatt," Caitlyn said. "You should have stood up to your father."

  "I have never done that. Can you honestly say you've stood up to your dad, Caitlyn? Come on, they're both cut from the same cloth. They use their power and their money to pull strings, and they're very good at it. They protect what's theirs and that includes their kids."

  "My father has never lied to the FBI about me," Caitlyn said. "There are lines that can't be crossed."

  Quinn had to bite his tongue to stop himself from pointing out that while Chuck Carlson hadn't lied about Caitlyn, Chuck had lied about him to get what he wanted. But now wasn't the time to challenge Caitlyn on her dad. They needed to stay unified in front of Wyatt.

  "I really didn't know anything, Caitlyn," Wyatt said.

  "Who do you think set the bomb ten years ago?" she asked.

  "Probably Donovan. Or Quinn. The FBI sure seemed to like you as a suspect," Wyatt added, his gaze moving from Caitlyn to him.

  "I didn't do it," he said, his gaze moving to Wyatt's arms, which were covered by his long-sleeve T-shirt. "Do you still have the tattoo?"

  Wyatt started at the question. "Which one?"

  "The snake. The one you and Donovan got together."