Reasonable Doubt

by Carsen Taite

  While she ran through her options, she heard a voice and she strained to listen. She recognized the male voice as that of one of the associates that Meg had hired just before she’d quit the practice, Karl Lundberg. Young and ambitious, it was no wonder he was here working on the weekend. She only heard one voice and decided he must be talking to someone on the phone.

  “Are you sure you set it?” he said. “I just got here and it wasn’t on…No, nothing looks out of place. Do you think the agents came back? I know they aren’t supposed to come in without letting us know, but do you really think they’re above coming in on their own? Maybe I should call the cops.”

  Ellery waited through the long pause and then heard him say. “Okay, but stay on the line while I check around.”

  She glanced over the railing and saw him head to the first of three downstairs offices with the phone still to his ear, apparently deciding to have a look around before involving the police. This was her chance to get away. She watched him walk from room to room, but the moment she heard him start up the main stairway, she slipped through the door to the back stairs. Thankful for her soft soled running shoes, she took the steps two at a time until she reached the first floor. She leaned against the door to the kitchen, but she didn’t hear anything on the other side. Ready to risk it, she gently pushed open the door and looked around the room. Karl was nowhere in sight, but she could hear his voice and it sounded like he was still upstairs. Praying she hadn’t left anything out of place, she tiptoed her way out the back door, shutting it carefully behind her before speed-walking back out onto the street, in the opposite direction of the house.

  Once she was several blocks away, she breathed a sigh of relief. Funny how she could get so worked up about visiting a place that had been her second home for so many years. Her feelings were mixed. Being back in the office was disconcerting, but she’d experienced melancholy as well, and she had to admit she missed some aspects of her former life. Her hand-crafted furniture made people happy, but it didn’t change lives. She’d represented so many people whose lives and liberty hinged on her ability to do her job. By sheer advocacy, she’d been able to help them get back on track—from the falsely accused to the ones who’d strayed and just needed a second chance to find their way. Overall, the work she’d done had been fulfilling, but the toll it took on her day in and day out had been consuming.

  She shook away the thought. All her energy had to go into her own defense right now, not on revisiting the decisions she’d made in the past. She should go straight home and start analyzing the documents she’d lifted from Meg’s computer, but as she walked down the street, the smells of Saturday morning brunch emanating from the local restaurants distracted her from her task. She’d never gotten around to eating breakfast, and now it was almost time for lunch. She could grab something and take it home, but as the adrenaline rush from her break-in wore off, she realized she was completely worn out. She needed to sit down, eat, and rejuvenate. With her hoodie and sunglasses, she should be able to take in a meal on the patio without attracting any attention. Besides, if for any reason, someone later should question why she’d been in this part of town at the same time the office had been broken into, brunch could be her alibi.

  She looked around, considering her options. Breadwinners was just across the street, and a heavy dose of carbs was just what she needed. She crossed the street and peered in the window, assessing the possible wait time. The place was packed, but it was late enough that many of them might be leaving soon. She started toward the front door, when a familiar face caught her eye. Seated smack in the middle of the front dining room was Sarah Flores. Even in casual clothes with her hair pulled back through a ball cap, she looked amazing. Ellery looked to the other side of the table. Sarah was joined by another woman, attractive, but not stunning like Sarah. The other woman looked familiar, but Ellery couldn’t place her. She watched for a moment, but couldn’t tell the nature of their interaction. Who was she kidding? Weekend brunch was a dating gig, not a business thing. Whoever this woman was with Sarah, she was definitely interested. She leaned close and hung on Sarah’s every word.

  Ellery knew she should turn away, but she couldn’t break the spell caused by the surprise of seeing Sarah. She removed her sunglasses to get a better look. A moment later, when Sarah looked up and caught her staring, she regretted giving in to temptation, but she stayed rooted in place, unable at first to turn away as Sarah’s eyebrows rose in question. Ellery’s breath quickened and her heart threatened to pound its way out of her chest as it powered her instinct to move. She took two steps, while watching Sarah’s questioning glance turn into a frown, but she didn’t stick around to see what happened next, choosing instead to stalk off in the opposite direction. Weekend brunches and the women who shared them weren’t in her future. Not until she cleared her name.

  *

  Sarah knocked on the door and listened to the sound of someone rustling around inside. It was possible Liz was still asleep, but unlikely based on the fact she usually showed up at the office super early. It also occurred to her Liz might have company. She hadn’t called her because she wanted to catch her by surprise. If she wound up being the one surprised, she’d just beg off and find another way to determine the extent of Liz’s involvement in the bombing investigation.

  Seconds later, Liz flung the door open and didn’t even try to mask her surprise. “Sarah, what are you doing here?”

  Sarah gave her a broad smile, poked her head in the door, and started talking in a fast ramble. “I was out exploring the city and remembered you said you lived around here. I don’t know a lot of people here, but I hear brunch is the thing to do on a pretty day like today. Someone said Breadwinners is a good place. I put the address into my GPS, but I don’t want to go alone. I’ll buy. All you have to do is tag along. Cool?”

  She paused to breathe and prepare for any excuse Liz was prepared to offer. She didn’t hear any other sounds in the apartment so she assumed Liz was alone. Her hair was combed, she smelled of soap, and she was dressed, so she didn’t have the I-can’t-possibly-get-ready-in-time-to-go-anywhere excuse. “Mind if I come in?”

  “Uh, sure.” Liz stepped back to allow her in. Sarah wandered into the space, casually examining every surface. Liz was a neatnik, something she already knew from her desk at the office. “This is a beautiful apartment. Do you rent or own?”

  “Rent. Dallas real estate is a bit steep on my salary.”

  “I hear you. I’m renting too. In Uptown, I like it because there are so many restaurants nearby and I can’t cook my way out of a paper bag.” Sarah edged into the kitchen. “Do you cook?” She didn’t give a rat’s ass about Liz’s culinary habits, but she did want to see if she was cooking now since she might use that as an excuse to beg off on going to brunch.

  “Sometimes. Hey, I actually had some stuff I was going to work on. Maybe we could do brunch another time. Would that be okay?”

  Sarah faced her square on. Liz’s eyes twitched and she tapped her forefinger against her thumb in a nervous gesture, and Sarah could tell she really wanted her to leave the apartment. Sarah cocked her head, trying to get a better read as to what was causing the edge. As she stared at Liz, she noticed she kept shifting to the side. “What are you hiding?”

  “What?”

  “You’re hiding something.” Sarah stepped around her and spotted a plain cardboard box sitting in the corner of the kitchen. She walked over and looked down at it. The top was open and it was stacked with papers. She recognized the ones on top. “Why do you have WHI’s records at your apartment?” She managed to summon a healthy dose of incredulity to go with her question even though she felt a bit like a hypocrite since she had her own copy of the very same documents back at her place.

  “I have a good reason.”

  “Does Mason know?” Sarah saw the immediate surge of fear in her eyes. Whatever Liz was up to, she was acting on her own. “When did you know that Ellery Durant was involved with the WHI?�
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  “What?”

  Sarah had surprised herself with the question. She hadn’t meant to lead with that. “Let’s back up. I have a lot of questions. I need you to answer them and I need you to trust me when I say everything I’m going to ask is important. If you don’t want to talk to me, tell me now and I’ll leave, but I will call Mason and let him know that you have these documents at your house. Understood?”

  Liz nodded in defeat. “I’ll talk to you, but not here. My daughter is coming over later and she doesn’t need to hear any of this.”

  “Then how about that brunch I mentioned. I can drive and bring you back after. Deal?”

  “Fine.”

  The drive to Breadwinners only took a few minutes, but Liz’s silence made it seem like much longer. Sarah found street parking several blocks away and they walked in silence until they reached the restaurant. After a short wait, they were seated and Sarah tried to make small talk while they waited for someone to take their order. “How old is your daughter?”

  “She’s seventeen. Going on thirty.”

  “Mature for her age or just thinks she is?”

  “Mostly the latter. I love her, but her high school years have been trying.”

  “Where does she live?”

  “She spends most of her time at her dad’s place in Highland Park, but I see her on weekends. Most weekends anyway.”

  Liz’s tone was wistful and her seemingly straightforward statements were weighted with innuendo. A custody battle, a wealthy ex who’d been able to afford better attorneys, a rebellious teenager who didn’t mind her mother. All of these were possibilities, and Sarah couldn’t help but feel that something about Liz’s personal life factored into the decisions she made on the job.

  After they ordered their food, she launched right in. “You said you would tell me about the bank records.”

  “There really isn’t much to tell. I was just being thorough and there’s not enough time during the day to get everything done.”

  “You’re lying.” Sarah watched as Liz reacted swiftly to the accusation.

  “I didn’t come here to be chastised by you. You may have forgotten, but I have seniority.”

  “In this particular unit, maybe, but I’m sure you know that my experience with the Bureau outweighs yours.” Sarah delivered the words as gently as she could, but she knew they would rankle.

  “You think you’re better than the rest of us because you worked BAU? I’ve spent years running down people who cheat, lie, and steal. What we do here is important, and if you don’t want to be a part of it, you should leave. Don’t think I don’t know you’re working behind the scenes on the bombing investigation.”

  Sarah tried not to show her surprise at Liz’s revelation. It had been a little over a week since the first call from Trip, and even then she hadn’t been officially working the investigation until he’d shown up last night. Liz had to be guessing unless she had some other source to find out what she was up to. Sarah made a split second decision. “You’re right. I’m working with BAU regarding possible suspects. If you know something you haven’t reported yet, now’s the time to spill it.”

  The appearance of their waiter stopped Liz’s response and they both exchanged stares while he placed their food on the table and topped off their coffee. Liz waited until he was across the room before she started talking. “I’ve been digging on my own. Amir Khan is one of those untouchable types. He does such good things for the community, creating jobs, running a charity, that no one questions his dealings are aboveboard. My daughter, Hannah, goes to school with his son, Naveed.”

  “Are they friends?”

  “I think so. She’s mentioned him, in passing. Frankly, my relationship with my daughter is sketchy at best. Between the acrimonious divorce and the fact that she’s a typical teenager, I’m lucky to have any conversation with her at all. She’s been dating someone, but I can’t get any information from her about it other than ‘he doesn’t go to my school’ and ‘you wouldn’t know him.’ Her father seems to like her aversion to communication. It fits right in with his head in the sand lifestyle, which is why she spends most of her time with him. She makes me out to be the bad guy since I’m the one who pulls her phone records to see who she’s talking to and texting.”

  Sarah found the personal insight intriguing. “I wish I’d had parents who were remotely interested in my whereabouts when I was a kid.” The subject made her wistful, but there wasn’t time to dwell on her own feelings. To get back on track, she asked, “Did you find something about Amir Khan that concerned you? I mean, beyond the bank records?”

  “Sorry, I’m not telling this very well. I did find something. I have a friend who works in the Dallas County Probation Office. They send some of their probationers to do community service, mostly Muslims, to the WHI. They pack care packages, print brochures, stuff like that. He gave me a log of volunteers.”

  “Uh huh.” Sarah took a sip of coffee while she waited for Liz to get to the point. Liz sat hunched forward in her chair, her eyes big and her voice low. Whatever she was about to say, she thought it was extremely important and Sarah leaned close to hear.

  “One of the volunteers signed in with two names. I’m guessing he added his Western name only because that’s the name on his record in Dallas county. He’s on probation for burglary and he picked up a new case.”

  It was Sarah’s turn to get ramped up. She rolled her hand at Liz. “For God’s sake, what’s his name?”

  “His real name is Brian Barstow, but he goes by Abdul Kamal.”

  It wasn’t breaking news since Trip had already told her that the Barstows volunteered with Amir Khan’s charity, but Liz was still holding something back. “What are you not telling me?”

  “I managed to trace Brian to a website, it’s called Take Back the Homeland, and it’s filled with radical propaganda. He posts there as Abdul Kamal.”

  “And you told Mason about it and that’s why HSI came and grabbed the records from us, right?”

  “Yes, but there’s more. Something I haven’t told anyone.”

  Sarah reached a hand across the table. Liz was visibly shaken. Whatever she had to say was private, personal, and Sarah sensed she’s been holding the secret too long. “Tell me. Whatever it is, I’ll help you. I promise.”

  “My daughter. If she finds out I’ve been spying on her, she’ll never forgive me, but if I didn’t do something, I’d never forgive myself.”

  “What is it? What about your daughter?”

  “Brian Barstow’s brother, Michael. He goes by Hashid Kamal. I think he’s the man Hannah has been seeing. I think she’s been dating a terrorist.”

  Sarah squeezed Liz’s hand, offering what comfort she could while trying to process Liz’s revelation. What she wanted to do was insist they leave now and go find Hannah so they could debrief her about the Barstow brothers, but she knew she needed to tread lightly here. The good news was if Brian had a record in Dallas County, she should be able to have Danny pull the case file for her. She should have thought of that when Trip first mentioned the boys had been arrested last year, but she’d figured if there was anything to find, HSI would have found it. Mistake. From here on out she’d only rely on information she had the opportunity to analyze on her own.

  In the meantime, Liz was sitting across from her, looking more like a grief-stricken mother than a federal agent. “Have you discussed this with Hannah?”

  “No, she’s been on a trip for spring break. I’ve been waiting until she got home today.”

  “You didn’t tell Mason about your daughter, did you?”

  Liz, to her credit, looked her straight in the eyes. “No. Are you going to report me?”

  “For what, being a concerned mother? The only thing I want to do right now is talk to Hannah. Didn’t you say she’s coming to your place today?”

  “No way! I haven’t talked to her about this. You think I’m going to let you?”

  Sarah softened her voice in resp
onse to Liz’s panicked reaction. “You’re going to have to let me. Better me than a crowd of HSI agents out for blood, don’t you think?”

  “I don’t know.” Liz looked down at her hands in her lap. “I just don’t know what to do.”

  Sarah knew she’d come around. Liz hadn’t gotten to where she was in her career without learning how to be objective, although this was probably the first time her objectivity had been tested to this extent. She looked away to give her a moment with her thoughts. The street was busy with people enjoying the early spring day. Couples walked, hand in hand, laughing, talking, doing things that people who don’t let their jobs consume them do on the weekend. When she met someone special again, she’d be like that, but she couldn’t help but think that she’d never meet someone special again until she was like that.

  She reached for her coffee and then looked back at the window, sucking in her breath when she saw the one person she had met who made her wish she worked a different job. Ellery’s eyes were trained on her. Curious, wistful. Sarah raised her eyebrows in question, but seconds later, Ellery broke their gaze and started to walk away. Sarah glanced at Liz. She should stay. It was important she seize on the opportunity to talk to Liz’s daughter as soon as possible, but talking to Ellery was just as important. She pushed her chair back, preparing to tell Liz she’d be back as soon as she could, but Liz spoke first.

  “Okay, I’ll let you talk to Hannah, but only if you let me talk to her first. I’ll call you. I promise.”