He reached across the table and pulled the menu from Zoe’s hands.
“Why are you trying to hide from me?” His smile was Zoe’s undoing. She turned away from him and shook her head.
“No one is hiding anything,” she replied. “And I wish you’d stay on task. It’s always something . . .”
Carver leaned in and stroked Zoe’s cheek, then pulled her in for a sizzling kiss. Any thoughts of resisting his pillow-soft lips floated away from her the moment his tongue parted her lips. She moaned and shivered as he deepened the kiss. When Carver pulled back, he smiled at her. “You needed that.”
“No, you need to keep your lips and hands to yourself.”
Leaning back, Carver folded his arms across his chest. “Because you hated it so much.”
“No, because I’m on the job and you need to let me do it. Call your office and get those transcripts!”
Carver pulled out his cell phone and dialed Wendy’s number. “I’m going outside, where there’s less noise,” he said as the waiter walked over with the chips and salsa. Zoe narrowed her eyes at him as he walked away.
Outside, Carver called Wendy because he needed to know what was going on with Smallwood and the investigation. He was sure that Wendy probably didn’t know much, but he hoped that she might have overheard something.
“Agent Covington.”
“It’s Carver,” he said. “Where is Smallwood?”
“Prepping for the raid on Singletary. He got away in LA, but I traced a signal from one of the computers and we have a lock on his new location.”
“Where is he?”
“We’re not on a secure line, I don’t want to say. Where are you and Zoe?”
“We’re safe,” he replied.
“How long do you plan to keep her wherever you are? I know the raid is going on at one of Singletary’s houses soon. So, maybe you can call this thing off.”
“Not until he’s arrested and we know who he may have hired to kill her.”
“Does she know anything about his organization?”
“Working on that. She did tell me something disturbing. Did you know Smallwood talked to Natalie the night she was arrested?”
“No. What did she say?”
“Don’t know. Why don’t you do me a favor and see if there is a report or a recording of his interview. The way Singletary wiggles out of charges, I’m beginning to think that he has an insider in the Bureau feeding him information.”
“And you think it’s Smallwood?” Her voice rose with disbelief.
“Zoe said he talked to Natalie the night she was arrested. And right after he talked to her, she clammed up.”
“She did, but I can’t see Smallwood working with Singletary. He’s by the books.”
“I’m sure someone thought the same thing about Robert Hanssen.”
“Did you read the History of the FBI every night before you went to bed?”
“It’s important to know these things and know when you’re in the midst of a potential double agent.”
“The cold war is over, I doubt Smallwood is some kind of spy.” Carver could’ve sworn he heard her laugh.
“And you don’t think stopping Singletary is important? If someone inside that Bureau is funneling information to him, we need to find out who it is.”
“So, now we have to investigate while doing an investigation? This is too much,” she said. “We have enough to deal with.”
And this was why he couldn’t trust that Wendy was the right agent he could depend on for information about Singletary. Something about the way she was dealing with the case gave him pause.
“This is important,” he said.
“I know that, but getting Singletary is the priority. You’re looking for things that aren’t there.”
“Wendy, how do you know that we don’t have a mole in the agency? Singletary is always a step ahead of us. How do you think that’s happening?”
“I have to go.”
“Wendy!” Carver said, then looked at his phone, realizing that she’d hung up. Returning to the restaurant, Carver took his seat across from Zoe.
“Everything all right?” She gave him a slow once-over, noting the scowl on his face.
“Yeah, I was talking to one of the agents who should’ve been sending me some information on Dolan and hasn’t done it yet.”
“I guess you had to throw your weight around, huh? You like having power and control, don’t you?”
“Don’t do that,” he said. “I’m trying to do my job and I need other people to do what I ask them to do so we can solve this case.”
Zoe threw her hands up and shook her head. “Well, I did order you fajitas. Did I do that right?”
“Depends, did you get meat?”
“Yes, I did. But I wasn’t sure if you wanted steak or chicken, so I got a combination of steak, chicken, and veggie. Hope that’s okay.”
“That’s awesome, because I’m starving. Though, you can keep the veggies to yourself.”
Zoe raised her right eyebrow as she fingered a chip. “So once we’re done, I want you to check into the hotel and I’m going to the police department to see if I can make friends with an officer who may have worked on the Dolan case.”
“Thought you wanted me to throw my FBI cred around to get you easier access to the information that you wanted.”
“Changed my mind. I want to talk down and dirty with the police officers. Don’t want to hurt your feelings.”
“My feelings won’t be hurt, and I’d like to know what’s going on.”
“You will when you get my report,” she snapped. “It’s time for you to stop acting like you’re my partner, or that I need you, so that I can do my job.”
“Whatever. That’s not what I’m doing at all. But you were brought on to help me, not to take over and do your own thing.”
Zoe tossed her chip in the bowl. “You know what, I can leave. There are plenty of other cases in New York I can be working on. I don’t need you. According to you, you need me.”
Carver popped a chip in his mouth. After swallowing, he focused his gaze on Zoe. “I do need you. And I’m not trying to be an ogre here, but there are still protocols that I have to follow. So, if I seem a little heavy-handed sometimes, don’t take it personal.”
Zoe rolled her eyes and held her tongue. She was about to say something when the waiter walked over to the table with a sizzling pan of meat and grilled veggies.
Zoe spooned meat and peppers on her soft tortilla.
“So, I’m going to get the silent treatment now?” Carver asked.
She nodded, then took a bite of her food. Carver grinned and reached across the table for her hand. “This isn’t going to work. Zoe, we’re in this together and communication is going to be key to solving this case.”
“Stop touching me. I’ll talk to you when I have something to say.”
“Tell me this, what are you going to do at the police station?”
“Work. Do you need me to share every detail with you?” Zoe rolled her eyes and slipped her hand from underneath his.
“I’m going to let you run the point on this; however, I’m going to the police department as well.”
Zoe took another bite of her food, reminding herself that Carver had every right to go with her to the police station. But he would cramp her style if he went in there flashing his FBI credentials. “Fine.” The rest of her blistering comment had to die on her tongue as the waiter returned to the table to check on them. Forcing a smile, Zoe told him how she was enjoying the food.
“Too bad I can’t say the same about the company,” she muttered.
“Heard that.”
She speared Carver with an icy glare. “Meant for you to.”
“Sometimes you act like a big baby, you know that, right?”
“And you always act like a giant asshole.”
“You know what’s big and giant about me. Whenever you’re ready to release that tension, just let me know.”
Zoe narrowed
her eyes at him and wondered if the grilled peppers or the steak would have a bigger sting if she tossed either at him. Instead, she made another fajita. “You don’t know how lucky you are that this food is delicious. Otherwise, you’d be wearing this right now.”
Carver knew he needed to get serious, and though it made all the sense in the world for Zoe to visit the police department without him, he wasn’t going to let her out of his sight. Not when he didn’t know if there was an inside man trying to help Singletary take Zoe out.
What if I tell her the truth? She should know that someone wants her dead and why.
Zoe locked eyes with him. “What?”
“Nothing, I’m just sitting here wondering if you were a mean girl in school or the one who got revenge on the bullies?”
“Why, are you a bully and you think I’m going to kick your ass?” She smiled wickedly at him. “Because I can.”
Carver returned her smile with a smirk of his own. “You wish.”
“When I find Jessica, we’re taking this to the ring.”
“You just challenged me to a fight, yet I’m the bully? But you’re on, babe. And when I win, what do I get?”
“You know what happens when you assume things, right, Agent Banks?”
Before Carver could reply, the waiter was back at the table. Zoe had no idea what she’d started with her challenge.
Chapter 9
Carver watched Zoe as she walked the few blocks to the Santa Fe Police Department. No one followed her, though a few men took notice of the shapely PI as she hustled along. Maybe no one in the Bureau had leaked their location to anyone. Yet. He still had nagging questions about Smallwood talking to Natalie the night of her arrest. She’d been the only way into the organization, and he let her walk. Even if she’d only walked into a jail cell.
This makes no sense, he thought as he kept a keen eye on the man who’d stopped Zoe in midstroll. When he saw Zoe give the man a hard shove to the chest, then dropped him as if he were a sack of potatoes, he started to rush over to her, but two police officers grabbed the man and put him in handcuffs. Then he watched one of the officers shake hands with Zoe as if she’d done them a favor taking the strange man down.
All right, Betty Badass.
* * *
“Some people are so stupid,” Zoe said as she walked into the police department with her new best friend, Officer Tony Carroll. “How do you snatch a purse this close to the police department? And then he called me the last thing a woman ever wants to be called.”
“The dreaded B-word, huh?”
Zoe nodded. “Bet he won’t do that again.”
“Those moves out there—are you a police officer?”
“In another life. Now, I’m a private investigator based out of New York.”
“Really? Are you working or vacationing in Santa Fe?”
“Working a case, and I need some help.”
He expelled a breath. “Probably going to have to point you in the direction of the chief, because we have a policy about working with outside agencies.”
“Do I look like an agency? Now, to be honest, I am working with the FBI on a cold case that I’d love for you to help me with. Let me ask you this, would you rather deal with an arrogant G-man, or me?” She batted her eyelashes for emphasis.
“Okay, what’s this case about?”
Zoe gave him the elevator pitch about the disappearance of Jessica Dolan and the Bayou Serial Killer. He nodded as she spoke, telling her that he remembered the case and how many people in Santa Fe were scared when a body was found at the Trailer Ranch RV Resort.
“Just one body was found there?” she asked, hoping that he wouldn’t stop talking.
“Yes. It turned out that it was a homeless man who’d died of natural causes, but around that time, there were reports of the killer being in town. People were on edge for months. There was even a local group who started digging up the land behind the resort because they swore the killer had buried bodies there.”
“Had he?”
“I don’t think anything was found, but I’d have to look at the reports again. That’s been several years ago.”
Zoe smiled at him and placed her hand on his forearm. “Would you get a copy of the report for me?”
“Only because you’re pretty and saving me from having to deal with a prick from the FBI. Come with me and I’ll see what I can dig up for you. But if anyone asks what’s going on, I’m just taking your statement.”
She offered him a bright smile. “Thank you.” They walked over to an empty desk and the officer sat down to boot up the computer.
“What’s her name again? The dead girl you’re looking for?”
“Jessica Dolan.”
Typing her name in the computer, he looked over his shoulder and glanced at Zoe with a smile on his lips. “I’m off tomorrow. If you want me to, I can show you some places where you might find a dead body. I’ll even bring the water so that we don’t get dehydrated.”
“Thanks, but I like to work alone. The last partner I had turned out to be on the crooked side.”
“Come on, you can’t judge us all by the bad behavior of one.”
She rolled her eyes, thinking that it was more than one bad apple that’d spoiled the bunch. And she was going to have to go and deal with one in a few minutes.
* * *
Carver dialed Smallwood’s number and it went straight to voicemail. The raid on Singletary had been hours ago. Why wasn’t he answering the phone? He started to call Wendy back when he saw Zoe walking out of the police department with a smiling officer. Rolling his eyes, he urged himself not to give in to the burning jealousy in the pit of his stomach and deck that man.
How could he resist Zoe? Hell, Carver was having a hard time doing that himself. Just looking at her made him want to make love to her until they were sated and she was branded as his. Part of him wondered how well he could protect her when all he wanted to do was strip her clothes off every time she was next to him. Carver knew one thing for certain. He was not going to lose another woman he loved. Not to violence. Not when he could stop it.
Turning away from Zoe and the cop, he pulled out his smartphone and logged on to the Hotels.com app to book a room. Carver said a silent prayer that no one would trace what he’d just done. Luckily the hotel that was closest to the police department had two adjoining rooms available for the evening. He dashed down the street to get checked in and hoped to have the keys before Zoe called him. He tucked the smartphone in his carrying case with his tablet after turning it off. Then his flip phone rang.
“Agent Banks.”
“Carver, it’s Wendy. We have a situation. Smallwood was shot during the raid on Singletary’s safe house.”
“What?”
“It was as if he knew we were coming. I think you and Zoe need to get out of New Mexico as soon as possible. Singletary is tracing her cell phone.”
“How do you know this?”
“We found evidence of it before we got involved in the shooting. Once we started questioning him about Zoe, that’s when things got out of control.”
“How is Smallwood doing?”
“It’s touch and go,” she said. “I told him that we shouldn’t have gone in before we had a backup team in place, but he was adamant.”
Carver furrowed his brows. That didn’t sound like Smallwood at all. He knew this man to be by the book. But then again, after the Natalie situation, he didn’t know if he could trust what he thought he knew about his boss.
“I have a plan to get us out of here, but how am I going to pry that phone from her hand?”
“Where are you guys going next?”
“I’ll let you know when we get there.” Carver hung up the phone when he saw Zoe coming his way.
“Please tell me you have a room. I’m about to drop.”
He nodded. “I have reservations at this spot right here,” he said as he pointed to the quaint inn across the street.
“There had better be
two rooms, or you will be the second man I take down today.”
Carver grinned. “Don’t threaten me with a good time. And yes, there are two rooms.”
“Have you gotten those transcripts yet?”
Carver shook his head. “I’ve been checking my tablet, but it died and I haven’t had a chance to charge it. And since I don’t have a smartphone, I can’t check my email. Let me take a look at your phone. Maybe I can pull up the email there.”
“We can do it later, I just need twenty minutes to sleep.”
“I can take care of it while you’re asleep.”
“Carver, you think I’m going to hand my phone over to you and let you install some kind of spyware? I was born at night, but not last night.”
Baby girl, you’re already being watched. If you want to live, you better give me that phone, he thought as he stared at her. “Zoe, I’m always going to find you, and I don’t need spyware for that.” He took a step closer to her. “I can smell you when you walk in the room.”
She opened her mouth, but no sound came out. Then she turned her back to him and reached into her pocket to retrieve her phone. “Here.”
“Thank you.” Carver fumbled with the phone for a second, then dropped it, smashing it on the cobblestone walkway. Zoe screamed, causing a few passersby to give them sidelong glances.
“You fucking idiot! You just broke my phone.”
“I’m so sorry, Zoe. It was an accident. Why didn’t you have it in a case?” He struggled to keep his poker face. Her reaction was priceless.
She narrowed her eyes at him, then punched him as hard as she could on his shoulder. “You are not turning this around on me. Clumsy! So, how am I supposed to get in contact with my other clients? You and the FBI aren’t the only people I work for.”
Carver would’ve felt bad if he hadn’t taken a step to save her life. “I can replace your phone, Zoe. It’s not that serious.”
She narrowed her eyes at him. “Go to hell.”
This time, Carver did laugh. “Get a temporary phone until we get back to New York. I’m sure you have a service that can route your calls to your new cell.”
She pointed to the entrance of the hotel. “Make yourself useful and get the room keys.”
Deadly Rumors Page 7
