by Kathy Harris
Danni froze.
There was no doubt he recognized her. And this time, instead of looking away in disgust, as he had done when they met on the street, he held her gaze.
He leaned toward the man standing next to him and spoke something in his ear. The second man turned and stared at her too. She was being viewed through the window like a chimpanzee in a zoo.
Danni swung the strap of her handbag over her shoulder and rushed toward the door. If anyone tried to stop her she would say she had an urgent appointment at the restaurant. That something had come up, and she would return later for the paperwork.
But as she reached for the handle, Officer Schlessman opened the door.
“I’m sorry, ma’am. That took longer than I expected. Our copy machine was down.”
“I was just . . .” Danni caught her breath. “. . . leaving. My office called and—” She had never been good at lying. “I need to go, so if you will excuse me, I’ll . . .”
A gray-haired man in uniform, the one who had been standing next to her attacker, walked into the room behind Schlessman. The older man whispered into the sergeant’s ear, glanced at Danni, and then retreated into the hallway.
Schlessman’s expression sobered. “Excuse me, Ms. Kemp. I’ll be right back.”
He pulled the door closed behind him.
What was going on?
CHAPTER 8
Caleb ducked into a side room to call his superior at the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. It took less than a minute to reach Martin Ridge, the head of the Drug Investigation Division and another thirty seconds to confirm Caleb’s suspicions. Ridge wanted to talk to the dark-haired woman and find out what she knew.
They couldn’t risk letting her leave and break Caleb’s cover. Maybe even cause irreparable damage to the case. They were too close to connecting the dots to let this woman ruin months of hard work.
Caleb stepped back into the hallway, a man on a mission. He would find out if the woman was involved or an unwilling—perhaps even unwitting—accessory.
When he saw Lieutenant Hale, the officer in charge on the floor at Metro today, he motioned for Hale to join him. Hale sauntered toward Caleb, looking somewhat like a kid in a candy shop, wearing a lopsided grin and an eager expression. “What’s going on, Samuels?”
“I need your help,” Caleb confided. “My boss is on his way over. He should be here in about ten minutes. Can we use one of your rooms to talk with a witness?”
“Ms. Kemp?”
Caleb nodded.
“Of course.” Hale checked his watch. “Would you mind filling me in while we wait?”
Caleb clapped the lieutenant on the shoulder. “I hope to be able to tell you everything soon. But I’ll need my boss to confirm that we have authorization.” He pulled his hand away and winced from the bite marks on his forearm. “This case is much bigger than me.”
Hale pressed. “So the Feds are involved?”
“I didn’t say that.” Caleb flashed a smile.
“You didn’t have to.” The police supervisor motioned for his officer, a man whose nametag read Schlessman. “Rick, the TBI needs to borrow our room for a while. Can you keep an eye on the girl until they’re ready for the interview?”
“Yes, sir.” Schlessman all but saluted.
Caleb nodded his thanks.
No doubt Hale ran a tight ship, but the TBI would be happy to show them a few tricks of the trade, courtesy of Martin Ridge.
Danni willed herself to try to relax, but her stomach churned as she thought about the possibilities. She was a numbers girl, and nothing about this situation added up.
Was the homeless man actually an undercover police officer? If so, why had he assaulted her? And why had he been watching her on the street? Didn’t undercover cops spy on bad guys?
Had he confused her with someone else? And why was no one telling her what was going on? All of this had to be a misunderstanding.
She glanced at the clock on the wall. Ten past ten. There was no way she would make it to Amoré in time for the Chamber luncheon. She had to let Jaycee know she would be dealing with it on her own.
Pulling her phone from her handbag, Danni saw she had missed two calls and a text from Jaycee. The text was cryptic.
Problem! Need to talk ASAP.
Danni groaned. Jaycee had no idea. What she wouldn’t give for an ordinary workplace problem this morning. At least Jaycee could be proactive in dealing with whatever situation she had at the restaurant. Danni was sitting here at the mercy of the Metro Nashville Police Department. And it appeared the hands of justice were moving at a snail’s pace.
She typed a quick reply.
Still at police station. You’ll have to handle the luncheon on your own.
Danni sent the message, and then typed I’m sorry. But before she could send it as well, the door opened, and Schlessman walked into the room.
“My apologies, Ms. Kemp. Something urgent came up.” He gestured to her phone. “You need to turn that off, ma’am.”
Danni frowned, sent the message, and shoved the phone into her purse.
“I was sending a note to my office.” She pointed at the clock on the wall. “I’ve been here longer than I expected, and I need to know—”
“Please, Ms. Kemp.” The officer gestured for her to take a seat. “I’ll explain while we go over paperwork.”
“I keep hearing that, but—”
“This is just routine, ma’am.” His expression wavered. “I am sorry. Really. I realize it’s inconvenient for you.” He appeared to be genuinely contrite. “But we want to be sure we have everything we need so you don’t have to deal with this again.”
“I would love that.” Danni offered a flickering smile. Maybe she would be out of here soon and all of this would be behind her.
He slumped into the chair on the opposite side of the table, a six-top in her business, although this was far from a fine-dining experience. Schlessman stretched his long legs between her and the only exit in the room. Then he placed a short stack of papers on the tabletop.
Danni waited, watching as he meticulously reviewed the first few pages. A minute later, he refocused on her. “Are you sure you wouldn’t like to take me up on that cup of coffee before we get started?”
“No!” She huffed. “I’d like to get out of here.”
“You have no idea how good our coffee is.” He grinned.
“Okay.” Danni softened her resolve, sinking a bit into her chair. “That would be great. Thank you.”
“How do you like it?” He stood and took two steps to the door, easing it open.
“Black, please. And . . .” She offered a wry smile. “In a to-go cup.”
“Got it.” He chuckled and walked out, closing the door behind him.
She fought the urge to open the door and leave. But there was no telling who could be roaming the halls. Hadn’t she just seen the homeless guy? She shook off a chill. As a matter of fact, hot coffee might be just what she needed right now.
A few minutes later, when the door opened, instead of Schlessman, it was the gray-haired man she had seen through the window. He strolled into the room carrying two cups.
“I believe this is yours.” He handed one to Danni and took a sip from the other.
“I’m Lieutenant Jeff Hale.” He extended his right hand. “I’m sorry this has taken so long. I’m sure you have a busy schedule, but a new detail about this case has come to our attention.” He took a seat. “You appear to be a woman of integrity. May we have a bit more of your time?”
Danni nodded.
“Thank you. We need to ask you a few additional questions about what happened the night of the break-in.”
Danni relaxed into her chair. Although the morning hadn’t gone as expected, maybe this was routine after all. She glanced again at the clock on the wall.
“Lieutenant, I’ll be happy to help. But I would appreciate your assistance in keeping it as brief as possible. I’ve been here for forty-five minutes,
and—”
Before she could finish her sentence, the door opened again. This time two men entered the room.
And one of them was her attacker.
CHAPTER 9
Caleb knew he had made a mistake as soon as he walked into the room. The dark-haired woman stiffened and sat back in her chair, an attempt to put as much space as possible between them.
What had he been thinking? That she would welcome him into the room? He should have asked Ridge to go ahead of him and introduce him. It wouldn’t have eliminated her fear, the shock of coming face to face with her attacker. But it might have lessened the impact.
Still there was more than fear in her eyes. There was anger. And questioning. She appeared to be trying to make sense of what was happening around her. It was that confusion—in her eyes and in her body language—that convinced Caleb she was an innocent victim of Evans’s. Just like the hundreds, maybe thousands, who stood to be hurt by him. Or already had been.
Caleb prayed to God that he and Ridge could do a good job with this interrogation. If she knew enough, they could be on the verge of a major break in the Evans case. Danielle Kemp had only to provide them with a few important details, and they would be well on their way to a warrant.
Maybe even prosecution.
The latter thought was so appealing it didn’t matter to him at the moment whether Danielle Kemp was guilty or innocent. One woman’s temporary discomfort was a small price to pay. He waited for Ridge to begin.
Danni studied the face of the man who had attacked her. For a moment, he met her gaze, then he turned to the older man who had preceded him into the room. Judging from how the first man carried himself, he was in charge. And the scowl on his face indicated he wasn’t happy to be here.
Well, neither was she. She stood to leave.
“Sit, Ms. Kemp!” The unhappy man barked.
“Not until I find out why you’re holding me here.” She pointed to her attacker. “And why is he here?”
“Danielle . . .”
Her attacker knew her name!
“I’m Caleb Samuels.” He spoke softly. “I’m a special agent and undercover officer for the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.”
“The TBI?” Danni looked from the younger man to the older man, and then back again. “I don’t understand.”
Samuels nodded toward his partner. “This is Martin Ridge, my boss and the head of the Drug Investigation Division.”
“But why—? I don’t—”
Lieutenant Hale stepped into Danni’s peripheral vision. “Ma’am, these gentlemen only want to ask a few questions. I’ll be in the hall if you need me.” He offered her a reassuring smile. “Please, have a seat.”
As the door clicked behind him, Danni lowered herself into a chair. “What’s this all about?”
The younger man spoke again. “We’re investigating a crime that’s related to the break-in last week. As Lieutenant Hale said, we only want to ask you a few questions.” He gestured to the older man, who was now occupying the chair at the end of the table, opposite her. “We appreciate your time today. Don’t we, sir?”
The older man grunted.
“May I?” Samuels pointed to the chair next to Danni.
She nodded, and he took a seat.
“I want to begin with an apology.” He ran his hand through his well-coiffed hair. “What happened last week was unfortunate, but I want you to know I did it with the full intent of keeping you safe. I had to react quickly, and with force, to protect you from what could have been a deadly situation.”
Danni considered his face as he spoke. His chiseled features would be somewhat handsome in other circumstances. “I was undercover that evening, and I’m sure my choice of wardrobe added to your misunderstanding.” He placed his badge on the table between them.
His credentials looked legitimate, and his explanation seemed reasonable. Perhaps his story was plausible.
“I hope my dog didn’t hurt you too badly.” Danni apologized.
Samuels rubbed his forehead. “Not as much as your vase.”
Heat rushed to Danni’s cheeks. “If I’d only known.”
He grinned. “Of course. You had no idea.”
“But why were you on the street that morn—?”
Ridge interrupted from the end of the table. “Now that we’ve made small talk, let’s move forward with the business at hand.” Considering the lines in his face, the older man appeared to wear a permanent scowl. “We need a few answers from you, Ms. Kemp.”
Danni tilted her chin upwards. “I hope it won’t take long. I’m already late for work.”
Ridge shook his head and grunted. “That will depend on how forthcoming you are.”
“Ms. Kemp.” It was Samuels again. He hesitated. “May I call you Danielle?”
“Yes, that’s fine.”
He flashed a near perfect smile. “How well do you know Robert Evans?”
“What do you mean? Rob is . . . my fiancé.” She rethought her reply. “Well, actually, we’re about to become engaged.”
“So you know him very well.” Ridge asked, making it sound like an allegation.
“Of course. I wouldn’t marry someone I didn’t know. Would you?”
“That’s unfortunate.” The older man shook his head and set his coffee cup on the table.
Danni glanced to Samuels, but he remained quiet.
She continued. “Rob and I have dated for more than two years. Of course, I don’t know everything about him.” Not that it was any of their business. “We live separately.”
“I understand he travels for a living?” Samuels asked.
“He does. He manages entertainers.” She glanced toward Ridge. “A long list of them.”
“Do you have any idea how much Mr. Evans earns a year?”
Danni leaned back in her chair. “What does all of this have to do with a burglary at Rob’s apartment? You’re acting as though he’s the criminal. It was his place that was burglarized.”
She looked from one man to another, but neither responded.
“As I’ve said, Rob and I aren’t married, and I don’t expect to know everything about his financial matters.” She took a moment to calculate. “I would guess he earns in the mid-six figures.”
“Only six?” Ridge sneered. “So can you please explain to me how he maintains an overseas bank account in the millions?”
Danni started.
“Perhaps you weren’t aware of that, Ms. Kemp?” Ridge seemed to delight in surprising her.
She folded her hands in her lap and chose to remain silent, wondering what these men were after.
“Danielle,” Agent Samuels’s voice soothed, “this may be a surprise to you, but we believe Robert Evans is involved in the international distribution of drugs.”
Danni choked out a laugh. “You are kidding, right? Rob?” She glanced from one man to the other, and then shook her head. “You heard that from someone in the music industry, didn’t you?”
All of this was becoming perfectly clear.
“Rob is not well-liked among his peers. They’re jealous because of his success.”
Samuels’s dark eyes softened. “So you believe what we’re suggesting is rumor?”
“Where else would something like that come from?” She searched the agent’s face for a connection. He must understand peer rivalry. He looked to be about Rob’s age, perhaps in his early thirties, although he was much rougher around the edges. Attractive, but not handsome like Rob.
She took in a long breath, exhaled, and forced a smile. “Look . . . Rob is a genteel kind of a guy. He would rather play tennis or travel on that bus of his than to get his hands dirty.” She looked directly at Ridge, not trying to hide her dismay. “Much less deal in a petty street crime.”
“Petty street crime?” The older man mocked her with a heavy sigh.
Samuels nodded. Thankfully, one of them understood.
“Rob isn’t the kind of person who would go out looking for trouble
, no matter what gossip you might have heard about him.”
“Our sources are not gossip, Ms. Kemp.” The older man stood and crossed the room. “We’ve been watching your boyfriend for weeks. You may not know him as well as you think you do.” He stood over her, his face contorting in anger. “Or is this your attempt to distance yourself from him?”
“Are we finished now?” Danni struggled to get to her feet, but her knees buckled, and she fell backwards into her chair. She looked from Ridge to Samuels.
“We’re not finished, Ms. Kemp.” Ridge turned to walk back to his seat. “And you won’t leave until we say you can leave.”
“I don’t understand.”
Ridge pivoted and pointed his finger at her. “Let me make myself clear then. If you don’t give us the information we need about Robert Evans, we will charge you as an accessory to the crime.”
“Crime? What crime?” None of this made sense. It was Rob’s condo that had been broken into. Her stomach began to churn.
The corners of Ridge’s lips tightened, and his already pasty skin turned whiter. “Transporting illegal drugs across state lines for the purpose of resale. Money laundering. And conspiracy to commit fraud against the US government.”
CHAPTER 10
Are you okay?”
Danni heard TBI Agent Samuels’s words before she saw his face, and when she opened her eyes, he was right above her. The last thing she remembered was the room spinning.
“Did I faint?”
“Yes.” He grinned.
She reached for the pain in her head and realized she was lying on the floor in Caleb Samuels’s arms. Not good timing for one of her spells.
“Did you hurt your head?”
“Not really. Just my pride.” Danni winced.
“Are you sure you’re okay?”
“Yes.” Danni pushed the agent away and scrambled to her feet. Faster than she should have.
Samuels steadied her as she settled into the chair she had occupied before her fall.
“We’re calling for medical assistance.” Ridge had his hand on the phone.
