A Taste of Tragedy

by Kim McMahill

  “Possibly, but then we’d have another problem—Wiley knowing or suspecting too much. And if something were to happen to Ms. Hunter, then he would definitely be suspicious, and the vicious cycle of cleaning up the mess from cleaning up a mess would continue. Besides, that would take more time than J.R. wants to expend on this situation.”

  “Time is definitely not on our side,” Preston interjected as he strode into the room.

  “I don’t recall inviting you to our planning session,” Sofia stated.

  He ignored the barb. “I got word from J.R. that an APB just went out on Candace Rogers, and I had a message on my work phone from Ms. Hunter that she wasn’t feeling well and wouldn’t be in tomorrow.”

  “Fortunately I flew on J.R.’s private plane, but it would be wise to wrap this up and get out of the city within twenty-four hours. I guess we’ll have to dispense with the niceties. Preston, I need a car, not rented or traceable to me or anyone associated with this company. Stolen from someplace where it won’t be missed for a while always works well. Aaron, I need Ms. Hunter brought to me immediately. As soon as you nab her, contact me, and I’ll let you know where to bring her.”

  “What-what are you going to do with her?” he stuttered.

  Sofia stifled the urge to laugh as she watched the color drain from Preston’s face. He loved the financial benefits derived from his association with Coterie, but he didn’t have the stomach for the work necessary to keep it functional and secure.

  “That depends a lot on her level of cooperation. We need to know if anyone else knows about the e-mails and if any electronic or paper copies survived. Once she tells us that…well, I’m afraid she’ll have an accident.”

  “Yeah, right. That’s gone real well for you all lately,” Preston mumbled under his breath as he left.

  CHAPTER FIFTY

  Morgan wasn’t surprised when Nick slid into the driver’s seat. He always drove when they were married, and apparently, he still felt it was his right even though his name wasn’t on the title. She wanted to be annoyed, but as she sat back and closed her eyes, the comfort in having someone else share her burden nearly made her cry. Before long, the traffic began to thin as they drove north out of the city.

  “Burgers okay?”

  “My favorite fast food joint is off the next exit,” she replied.

  As Nick pulled up to the window, Morgan listened to him order for both of them and was surprised that he still remembered what she liked. She tried to fight it, but a tear slid down her cheek.

  “Sorry, was that too presumptuous? Did you want something else?”

  “No, it just reminded me how much I’ve missed you and that you’re the only person in the world who knows me well enough to order for me. I can’t believe you remembered such tiny details.”

  “I remember everything,” he replied as he reached over and squeezed her hand.

  “Here’s your order, sir. Would you like ketchup for the fries?” As soon as the young woman came back with the condiment, they drove away and took the first on-ramp back to the interstate.

  Morgan handed Nick his burger before diving into her own. Once finished, she felt less weepy and more alert. “So, do you want to tell me about your partner? Agent Tanner gave me a kind of funny vibe, but wouldn’t say much.”

  Nick chuckled. “Tanner can deal with the toughest thugs, but for some reason, Devyn makes him nervous. I’m not sure why most of the men are intimidated by her. Sure, she’s tough, good at her job, doesn’t candy-coat anything, but to my knowledge, she’s only cold-cocked one agent and it sounds like he had it coming.”

  “Oh, my— What happened? Did she get into any trouble?”

  “No. They made a little deal. She wouldn’t file a complaint for sexual harassment and he wouldn’t report the source of his black eye and bloody lip.”

  “She sounds delightful,” Morgan mumbled.

  “She’s a little rough around the edges, but she’s got a big heart. Unfortunately, she doesn’t let any of the men at work see it or they’ll interpret it as weakness.”

  “I imagine it’s still tough being a woman agent. If you show a softer side, the men think you’re weak, but if you’re too strong, you threaten their fragile egos.”

  “That pretty much sums it up.”

  Morgan studied Nick for a moment. She was curious about their relationship, but had no right to ask. She had let him go and he was well within his rights to move on with whomever he chose. “Agent Tanner said something like you’ve lasted longer than the rest. You must really like her.”

  “Yes, I do. Mostly, I respect her and we work well together. Though sometimes, she can be pretty frustrating when she’s trying to get what she wants and it isn’t going according to her plan. She seldom means to, but she makes me laugh, and we could all use a little more of that.”

  “Hmm,” Morgan uttered, before going silent.

  “Look, if you think there’s something going on between us, there isn’t. She’s got her eye on a sheriff from Wyoming. It’s been quite entertaining watching two strong, stubborn people trying to get together.”

  “We’re strong and stubborn, and I don’t recall you thinking anything was entertaining.”

  “Those traits are bringing them together. In our case, it was tearing us apart.”

  CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE

  Aaron pulled up in front of Morgan’s duplex and was surprised to find it dark. Even if she was sick, as she had claimed to Preston, it was still too early to go to bed. Ascending the front steps, he rang the doorbell and waited. He rang again and knocked loudly on the door. Still nothing.

  Returning to his car, he punched the built-in garage door opener button he had programmed into his own vehicle the last time he accessed her home. He pulled his car into the garage and closed the door. Letting himself inside her house, he did a quick search and confirmed she wasn’t home.

  The guest room’s closet door stood ajar. He looked inside and noticed several large pieces of luggage, but nothing resembling an overnight bag. Going into the bathroom attached to the master suite, he found very little make up, no lens cleaner even though he knew she wore contacts, and he noticed her toothbrush was missing.

  He was careful to leave everything exactly as he found it before exiting the house. After driving several blocks, he pulled out his phone and dialed Sofia. “She’s not home, and it looks like she packed an overnight bag. I’d bet a week’s pay that she’s going to her place in Sedona, which is really a stroke of luck. Her home is private with no visible neighbors. Unless you have a better idea, I’m heading that way.”

  “Let me know the moment you verify if she’s there, and don’t act without consulting me first.”

  As he settled in for the drive, his fists clenched the wheel. The first time out of Sofia’s nest, and he had not performed as was expected of him. If he survived this mess, maybe she would take him back under her wing. If he didn’t contain the Morgan situation, he knew his future was uncertain.

  * * *

  Sofia finished packing her overnight bag. Slipping on a pair of rubber gloves, she wiped down every surface of the cheap hotel room, removing all traces of her presence. She left the room and took the two flights of stairs to the ground level.

  She exited the building from a side door, hoping to avoid any security cameras, and hailed a cab. She directed the driver to a shopping mall parking lot several miles away. After he dropped her off and drove away, she quickly located the car Preston had procured for her. As planned, it was unlocked and the keys were hidden under the floor mat.

  Stowing her bag on the passenger’s seat, she got in the sedan and drove out of the lot. She had thought about all possible scenarios and what she might need to complete the job. She would wait to hear from Aaron before making her next move, but she had to be ready and in position to act quickly when he called.

  Since learning that her current name and image had been disseminated to law enforcement across the country, the timetable for completion
of the job had moved up. She had one chance to clean up Preston’s mess before she would have to disappear.

  Sofia pulled the car into the parking lot that was lined with a variety of stores, including a hardware store. She sat for a moment and pulled out her cell phone. She punched in her office number and waited.

  “Buyer’s Choice Foundation, this is Justine. How may I help you?”

  “It’s Sofia. I just wanted to check in.”

  “Everything is fine here. Are you okay? You sound tired, and you’ve only been gone a day.”

  “I’m good. I’m just getting a little weary of all the travel, and I feel like I’ve neglected the Foundation lately. Maybe we need to think about hiring another fundraiser.”

  “I’m sure no one could raise the money you do, but if you’d like me to look into it, I can start the process.”

  Justine was correct. No one could raise the money she did if they worked through legitimate channels. She couldn’t hire a fundraiser anyway, since that was her cover for traveling every time J.R. snapped his fingers. She wasn’t sure why she really called the office. She seldom did unless she was gone for at least several days, but Justine’s voice was a constant, something she could depend on when everything else felt like it was spinning out of control.

  “No, it’s just wishful thinking, at least for now. If you don’t have anything needing my attention, I’ll let you get back to work.”

  “Business is running smoothly here.”

  “Justine?”

  “Yes?”

  “I’m sorry I snapped at you the other day about the roses. It was uncalled for. I’ll take you to lunch when I get back to make it up to you.”

  “No worries. It was none of my business, but I would love to do lunch.”

  “Find a time next week and put it on our calendar. Goodbye.” The meaningless exchange made Sofia feel more grounded. Life had become too complex and too dangerous. She wasn’t sure how to change that, but for now, she had to focus on the job. She grabbed her purse and exited the vehicle. First things first, she needed rope and duct tape.

  CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO

  Morgan had fallen asleep somewhere along the way to Sedona. She was momentarily confused where she was when Nick nudged her awake.

  “What’s the code to the gate?”

  She stared at him, her mind racing through the keypad, trying to come up with the numeric equivalent, but the image failed to form in her mind.

  “Morgan, are you okay?”

  She nodded and bit her lip.

  “The code?” His arm rested on the rolled-down window and his fingers hovered over the keypad

  There was no use stalling any longer. “It’s N-I-C-K.”

  His head whipped around and their eyes met. He looked as if he was going to say something but then returned his focus to the key pad and punched in the code.

  The gate rolled open and they drove through. Nick waited until it shut and then proceeded toward to the house. Morgan punched the button on the garage door opener and watched as it rose slowly.

  Embarrassment over her security code colored her cheeks. She avoided Nick’s gaze as she quickly got out of the vehicle, grabbed her overnight bag, and opened the door. Flipping on the light, she entered the kitchen and tossed her bag on the nearest chair. She moved toward the sink, her throat suddenly very dry. As she reached for the faucet handle, her hand froze and then began to shake.

  “What is it, Morgan? You look like you’ve seen a ghost,” Nick stated as he rushed to her side. He followed her gaze to her laptop computer, which rested on the counter in a puddle of water.

  “Stay here,” Nick stated as he pulled out his Glock 17.

  Morgan couldn’t have moved even if she had wanted to. She had been here less than sixteen hours ago, and she hadn’t even fixed herself breakfast. She had done nothing in the kitchen that could have gotten her computer wet. She caught glimpses of Nick as he maneuvered silently from room to room, checking every nook and cranny of the house.

  “Nothing else looks disturbed,” he said as he returned to her side and pushed the power button on the computer. As suspected, nothing happened.

  “I didn’t even use the kitchen this morning. I didn’t spill anything on it.”

  “I know. The only person I know who is wound even close to as tight as me is you. You don’t spill things, and if you do, you clean them up immediately.”

  She tried to smile. Having someone who truly knew her was comforting.

  “Come on. Just sit here and try to relax.”

  Morgan didn’t resist as Nick led her to the sofa. A moment later, he returned with a glass of wine and set it on the coffee table next to her. “I’m going to check the doors and windows closer, and then have a look around outside. If someone was here, they’re gone now, okay?”

  She nodded but didn’t feel any better. Someone had been here. There was no other explanation for the water on the counter under the computer. If someone found the e-mails, they had probably hoped to destroy the electronics and make it look like an accident. If she hadn’t returned so soon, the water would have dried up and the computer would be dead without obvious reason.

  Nick moved around the house with familiarity, retrieving the flashlight from its usual place in the drawer next to the refrigerator. Morgan watched him until he disappeared into the darkness, her mind reeling through all the details of the past few weeks.

  Except for a computer in her duplex left on and another destroyed, she had no tangible evidence anyone had broken into her homes in Phoenix or Sedona. Other than the e-mails and sample she had sneaked out of the manufacturing facility, no one would have any reason to find her a threat. The only person, besides Nick and his partner, who knew the content of the e-mails was Preston, although she wouldn’t be surprised if he’d already shared the information with Aaron.

  Shaking off the fear and confusion, she forced herself to focus. She retrieved a pen and notepad and settled back down on the couch to make the list Nick wanted of everyone involved, her key suspect at the top of the page.

  “Have you had any work done on the sliding glass door recently?” Nick’s voice interrupted her thoughts and she set the pad down.

  “No, why?”

  “There are a few scratch marks on the locking mechanism on the interior side of the door, which is odd. The marks could have been caused by a knife or screwdriver slipping. Other than that, I found a few tracks around the house. There were no shoe treads or toe definition from bare feet, so I would guess someone was walking in stocking feet.”

  “There’s been no work on the door, and I have no idea what could have scratched the metal.”

  Nick double-checked the door locks, holstered his gun, and sat in the chair opposite Morgan. “What are you working on?”

  “The list you wanted me to make, but I have a good idea who broke in this morning. I don’t know how we’ll prove it, and I seriously doubt it was his idea.” Before Morgan could continue, Nick’s phone rang. She watched as he answered. He paused as he looked up at her. She was confused by the expression on his face, but said nothing.

  He stood and turned his back to her, but she clearly heard the words he spoke and the expression made complete sense. “The code is…well, it’s, N-I-C-K.”

  Morgan had to chuckle. Spelling his name out wouldn’t spare him any teasing from his partner.

  He ignored her as he grabbed the Jeep’s keys off the pegboard in the kitchen. “I’m going to pull the Jeep out so Devyn can put her car in the garage. If anyone followed you here, we don’t want to scare them off with an unknown vehicle.”

  CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE

  When Morgan heard the garage door shut, she walked toward the kitchen, pausing in front of the decorative mirror to check her hair and makeup. She wasn’t sure why, but she couldn’t help feeling intimidated by a woman she had never met but was such a huge part of Nick’s life.

  She was holding her breath when Nick stepped through the door followed by a tall, blo
nde, athletically built woman. Her heart sank. Nick’s partner was stunning in a casually beautiful kind of way. She was the type of woman who looked great in jeans or shorts, but clearly had the ability to be glamorous with a little effort. She wore no makeup and her hair was in disarray, but it didn’t detract from her natural beauty.

  “Hi, Devyn Nash.”

  Morgan took her extended hand and tried to return the smile. “Morgan Hunter.”

  She held eye contact with Devyn, refusing to be the first to look away or end the handshake.

  “Devyn, the bathroom is down the hall there if you want to freshen up,” Nick stated as he grabbed her arm and pulled the women apart.

  “She seems nice,” Morgan stated as she turned her back to Nick and retrieved three glasses from the cabinet, filling each with ice cubes and water.

  “Most people wouldn’t categorize Devyn as nice, but she does have her good points. There’s no one I’d rather have my back if things go wrong. She’d deny it, but she can be a softy.”

  “Don’t be spreading lies about me,” Devyn said as she sauntered into the room.

  The way the woman’s eyes examined the room, Morgan had no doubt she missed nothing and the scrutiny made her feel exposed. She watched as Devyn wandered to the mantle, eyed the photo of Morgan and Nick, and then gently touched her Senorita gnome. She smiled and her eyes twinkled as they met Nick’s. “Very nice. I’ve always been curious about gnome collecting. I’ve never seen this one before. Where did you get it?”

  Before Morgan could answer, Nick cut in. “Save it. Did the search of Smith & Brown turn up anything?”

  “You could say that. I just heard from Conroy about an hour ago. When I asked Sacramento to go have a look at everything removed from Dexter Fowler’s office, I got the run-around, so Conroy called Sacramento’s SAC, who ordered him to conduct the search immediately. Of course, he reported uncovering nothing of importance, but shortly after he left, I got a call from Neil Kimball, Dexter’s supervisor, stating that one of the janitorial staff asked him if Sacramento was Dexter’s replacement. Apparently, while Smith & Brown closed for Dexter’s funeral and the building was empty of everyone except the lone janitor, Sacramento tossed Dexter’s office.”