by John Foxjohn
“Hell yes. Law won’t bother you.”
“Where is it?’
“Listen—it’s in the back. What about that car you drove in. Is it hot?”
Whistlam chuckled in a mean way. “Hot. Naw, it’s blistering. You better get rid of it quick.”
They strolled out back where a green Trans Am sat. Lester handed Whistlam the keys.
Whistlam’s eyes narrowed. “If you talk, there’s nowhere you can hide from me.”
When he drove away, he headed to Lufkin. Hell with Mexico. He needed to finish things with Mason.
* * * *
With a cross between a frown and grin, Melissa said, “I have something you need to see.” She slid a paper across to David. The two of them loitered in a coffee shop talking. Although nightfall had descended, the place was quiet. Only two customers occupied the place.
The fragrance of fresh-brewed coffee, along with pancakes, filled the air. David sipped his coffee and glanced at the paper. “Justin’s personal effects?”
She nodded. “Got it this afternoon. Sheriff sent it over with one of the deputies.”
“What should I look for?”
“The keys. He had one we can’t account for. Figured out it’s a safe deposit box.”
David raised one eyebrow and tapped his mouth. “Why in the world did he have a safe deposit box?”
When she shrugged, he continued to look at the list. This stuff got stranger every minute. He filled his cup from the carafe on the table, took a drink, set the cup down, and rubbed his hair. “We need to find the bank to that key.”
Melissa smiled. “Already did. Wasn’t hard. Called banks until I found it. There aren’t that many banks in this town.”
“We’ll get Morgan to get us a search warrant first thing in the morning, since he’s buddies with the judge.” He frowned. He needed to ask her about Morgan and not because he didn’t trust her, but as the head of the team, he needed to know about potential problems. “Speaking of Morgan. What’s going on with you two?”
“He has the hots for me.”
David smiled and shook his head. It was like Melissa not to mince words. When the waitress came by, they asked for the check.
When the waitress left, David cocked his head. “His feelings aren’t hard to see. What’s yours?”
Melissa’s eyes widened. She put a palm on her chest. “My feelings? For Morgan? You gotta be kidding. I wouldn’t touch him with a ten foot pole.” She smiled. “Maybe a foot applied to the proper areas.”
David laughed. “I can assure you, the pole he wants to touch you with isn’t ten foot.” The gist of her last comment erased his smile. He cocked his head. “Is there something you’re not telling me?”
Melissa’s faced flushed, and she punched him on the shoulder. “That was crude. Don’t worry about Morgan. I can handle him.”
David glanced at her for a long moment. She wasn’t telling him everything. What was going on with those two? If she needed his help, she’d tell him. He nodded. “I know you can handle him. Let’s get out of here.”
They waited for a couple of minutes for the waitress and paid the bill. When they exited, both stopped to put the collars up on their coats.
Melissa adjusted the belt around her waist. David’s step faltered. Hairs on his neck crawled. He scanned the area. Nothing.
Like her voice floated from a well, Melissa asked, “What’s wrong?”
Not turning to face her, his gaze continued searching. “Not sure.”
He had trouble ignoring this sensation. He could never explain it to anyone, a cross between danger and someone watching him. Once before, this awareness had warned him, and he ignored it, right before someone shot him. This thought made the old wound in his shoulder burn.
With his chest tight, coldness not from the weather, engulfed David. His hand inched toward his gun.
David’s attitude affected Melissa. She didn’t know what bothered him, but something did. Respectful of his instincts, she edged away from him, crouching.
All sounds stopped. Her gaze, like David’s, searched the area.
When he relaxed, tension drained from her like a balloon. She opened the passenger door and scooted into the car, almost melting into the seat. With her eyes closed, she adjusted her windswept hair. “What was that about?”
David started the car and shook his head. “Not sure. I had a strange feeling.”
Melissa half-turned in her seat to face David. “What strange feeling?”
He shrugged, but didn’t say anything. Looking into his eyes, she tried to read his thoughts, but as she knew, that was impossible at times like this. David kept his own council and many times, wouldn’t let people in.
She didn’t know the reason, but had recognized it when they first met. He thought things through before saying anything. Beth had told her, and she’d recognized that he held himself responsible for actions he had no control over. She knew he blamed himself for Henry, now the death of Justin Milam too.
His poker face put up a good front, but she knew he presented a façade. Like a clock wound too tight, he needed to relax. She almost wished Beth would return, but this thought brought a jealous pang that she brushed away.
She loved Beth like her own sister, a sister that had something she wanted, but knew she could never have. Even if she were the type to try to take a man away, it wouldn’t work. She’d tried once when he and Beth broke up, but David turned her down flat. He sure wouldn’t violate the oath of his marriage.
“Penny for your thoughts.”
His voice startled her. She blinked. “They aren’t worth a penny. Running through everything in my head.”
David nodded. “Yeah. Me too. This is a mess.”
A silent sigh of relief surged through her. He thought she talked about their investigation. She knew that at times, David was too perceptive, almost as if he could read someone’s mind. She adjusted her coat. “What’re we going to do?”
As if thinking aloud, David started to talk. “I’m splitting us up. I’m going to take Morgan and Melvin, and give you the other two. I’m going after Whistlam. Want you to find the other two. I think they may be the key to all this. I don’t think Whistlam will talk, but we need someone to. Too many suspects.”
Melissa thought a minute before she responded. “Are you taking Morgan because of what he feels?”
David shook his head. “No. I want you to head this other group. You have judgment and control.”
“You don’t think Morgan does?”
David’s eyebrows rose. “No, I don’t.”
* * * *
After arriving at the motel, David sent Melissa to round everyone up, and he dropped by the hotel’s front desk for a minute. When he approached his door, all five agents waited. He wished he’d given Melissa a key to his door so they didn’t have to stand outside in the cold. As he walked underneath them to get to the stairs, he could still see their faces. Morgan leaned against the rail, his arms crossed. An angry expression blazed across his face. John and Melvin had happy expressions, while Andy related something to them.
Melissa wasn’t talking, but her eyes cut back and forth from Andy to Morgan. As David got close, he could hear what Andy said, but could no longer see them. Curious, he stopped and heard Andy say, “David walked over and bent low, his face inches from the sheriff’s. He told him, ‘She’s small and delicate looking, mousy if you will, but that mouse roars.’”
Everyone laughed.
“Hey,” John said, “Let’s call Melissa, Roaring Mouse.”
David leaned against the wall underneath the five agents. He needed to do something with Morgan. He didn’t fit in, and now, for some reason, a tension existed between Melissa, Morgan, and Andy. Something had happened. If he didn’t stop it now, it’d get worse, but he didn’t want to step in. He trusted Melissa to handle the problem, and if he did step in, she might resent him for it. He could also take away her authority, the respect she needed and deserved.
And
y told the group some joke and everyone laughed and joined in, everyone but Morgan. David rubbed his chin several times. Morgan better not have tried to hurt Melissa.
Guilty about his eavesdropping, David walked out of hearing, but in sight so the agents could see him. Morgan still leaned against the rail, not taking any part in the conversation.
David unlocked the door and let them in. He took a deep breath—his heart thudded. When everyone had a seat, David stood for a moment.
How should he handle this? As minutes ticked by, the agents sat, exchanging quiet glances. Tension as thick as buttermilk existed. He couldn’t let this go on. David adjusted his suit coat. “Andy—I need to talk to you in private.” With a puzzled expression, Andy followed David out of the suite.
When David closed the door, he faced the agent. “What do you know about what’s going on between Melissa and Morgan?”
CHAPTER 19
Andy’s eyes widened. He pointed his index finger at himself. “Me!”
“I’ve noticed the glances you two exchange. You know. You’re too observant not to.”
Andy put his hands in his pockets. “I didn’t realize you knew I was observant.”
“I’m pretty observant myself.”
“I see that.”
Andy took a deep breath and related what he’d seen and heard, and what Melissa did.
David tried his best. He closed his mouth so tight his jaws ached. He closed his eyes, but nothing worked. At last, he gave up trying and the big grin spread across his face. “Damn. I wish I’d seen that.”
“Yeah, it was something. You should’ve heard him crying, especially when she dumped the ice down his pants. David—that woman can take care of herself.”
When David became quiet, Andy shifted from foot to foot. “What’re you going to do?”
“Not sure. Don’t say anything to anyone when we go back in there.”
“I really don’t want to get involved in this,” Andy said after a moment of silence.
“What would you do if you were in my place?” David saw the surprise in Andy’s eyes, surprise that he’d ask for his advice. David waited, giving him time to respond.
“That’s hard to say,” He took a deep breath. “This has the potential to tear this group apart. I’m not telling you what to do.”
Andy paused to gather his thoughts before he continued. David waited with hands in his pockets.
“I’d do something now. Before this gets too blown up to stop.”
David nodded and thanked him, telling Andy to go back inside. As cold wind tore at his face, David leaned against the wall. Andy was right. He had to stop it. Not just for Melissa, but the others, too. Morgan was too condescending to them. Besides, he knew and they knew Morgan was the one who called Beeker.
When David entered the room, he told them he needed to make a phone call and would use the phone in the other room. As he left, he heard Melvin ask Andy what was going on. David didn’t hear the answer, if there was any.
He picked the phone up, checked his address book, took a deep breath, and dialed Beeker’s number. “Sir—I have a problem I need to talk to you about,” David said when Director Beeker answered.
David heard the concern in the director’s voice. “Sure. What’s the problem?”
David paused a moment, trying to decide how to proceed. After a deep breath, he plunged in. “Sir—after I chose my team, you asked me if any of them would have a problem working for a woman.”
“I remember.”
“I had a feeling at the time that there was something you weren’t telling me.” David hesitated. He only knew one way—take the bull by the horns. “How many times has Morgan had trouble with women?”
The conversation froze on Beeker’s end. “Uh—how’d you…What’s going on, David? Did Morgan hurt Melissa?”
David’s eyebrows rose. Why would he think Morgan hurt Melissa? “No, sir. If he had, we wouldn’t be having this conversation. I’d be in jail. Sir, I think it’s time you told me the truth.”
“I guess it is. We’ve had a couple of allegations against him. Never any evidence, and the females were afraid to go forward with anything. Both of them resigned from the bureau. Now tell me what happened.’
David slumped on the bed and rubbed his neck with his free hand. “Sir, he tried something with Melissa. I don’t know all of it. I haven’t talked to Melissa or Morgan. I do know that she kicked his balls into his mouth.” David related what Andy had told him, including the ice.
As David waited for Beeker to respond, he heard the steady tap-tap coming over the phone. He knew Beeker was thinking, and like always, tapping his fingers on his desk.
“Okay,” the director said after several moments of silence. “This is your call on what to do. Obviously, there’re things about all this I can’t go into. Confidential things. If you think you can control him, let him stay, if you want to. If not, send him back here. This will be his third strike and he’s out of here. No bones about it. We can’t have this kind of stuff. Director Baylor and I had a long conversation about this after the last time. I told Morgan that very thing myself.”
Another long pause on the phone and the director gulped a deep breath. “As you know, until two years ago, the bureau had no female employees.” Beeker hesitated before he continued. “I’m not going to give my position on this, but women are here to stay. I will tell you this. Melissa or any other female should not have to put up with harassment. If you’re the person I think you are, you’ll agree with me on that.”
David didn’t have to think about this. “I’m definitely the person you think I am. I will not put up with it. It’s that simple.”
“That’s what I thought. I didn’t tell you because I had confidence you would handle it if it came up. Everyone deserves another chance. Morgan’s chances have run out.”
Now, it was David’s turn to be quiet. He sat, rubbing his chin. “Sir—I want to talk to Morgan before I decide.”
“I understand. Let me know one way or the other. It is your call.”
After David hung up, he leaned back on the bed and closed his eyes for a moment. He hated this shit. He had enough problems without Morgan’s bullshit.
After a while, he decided he’d better go in. The room was quiet and everyone sat, frowns on their faces. David sat across from them. “This is what we’re going to do. In the morning, we’re dividing into two groups. I’m taking Morgan and Melvin. We’re going to look at that safe deposit box and concentrate on finding Whistlam. The others with Melissa are going to concentrate on finding the other two.”
The agents nodded, except Morgan. He stared at David for a moment. “I don’t like that arrangement.”
David dropped his head for a moment. This idiot didn’t know when to shut his mouth. David raised his head. His eyes locked on Morgan’s. Without looking at the other agents, David told them to go to their rooms. He’d call them later. They trudged out. No one spoke. When the door closed, David stood.
His temples throbbed and he sucked in several breaths through his nose to calm down, but Morgan’s little smirk didn’t help.
The agent remained sitting on the sofa. Now he crossed his legs.
David put his hands on his hips to try to stop his hands from shaking. “Morgan—I don’t give a flying fuck what you like. I don’t remember asking you. What I do want to ask you is what happened with Melissa?”
Morgan’s face flamed and he leaped up. “What’d that whore tell you?’
David slapped him with all his power. Morgan’s head snapped around. Blood splattered as he fell half on the sofa. Shock splashed across his face, then rage. He reached for his gun in the cross-draw holster at his belt, but stopped. He looked into the bore of David’s .45.
A smile spread across David’s face. David’s voice chilled the room. “Go ahead. The only thing that’ll beat you to the hospital is the headlights of the ambulance.”
Morgan’s hands moved away from his gun. He crossed his arms, eyes b
lazing.
David fought to control the rage boiling inside. His chest heaved, and his knuckles turned white on the gun’s handle. When he calmed down a little, he eased his finger off the trigger and holstered the .45.
“First, Melissa hasn’t told me anything about what happened. She didn’t need to. If you ever call her a derogatory name again, what she did to you will be child’s play. I’ll put something on your ass lye soap won’t take off.”
Morgan didn’t say anything.
David paced around the room, trying to calm down, keeping a watch on the agent and half-wishing he’d do something stupid. He strode to the small refrigerator and pulled out a bottle of coke. When he opened it, he gulped half of it, and then marched over close to Morgan who hadn’t moved. “I just called Beeker about this. He said the decision was mine. He also said this was strike three. I’m sure you know what that means. Pack your shit and head to Washington. Report to Beeker.”
When David spun away, Morgan, now contrite, said, “David.”
Tears formed at the corner of the agent’s eyes. He tried to speak, but couldn’t say anything. He forced the words out. “Can we talk about this?”
David put his hands on hips. “You think that’ll help?”
Morgan dropped his eyes. “I don’t know. If I go back they may fire me.”
David swallowed some coke, but the phone rang before he responded. Melissa asked him if everything was okay. David told her it was, and he’d talk to her later. Melissa’s voice calmed him down some. Morgan still sat where he’d fallen, looking at the floor.
“There’s no may to it. You go back, you’re fired.” David said.
Morgan nodded and raised his eyes. “I don’t want to beg. Can we talk about this?”
David stood motionless. He knew he should let Morgan go. His attitude did not help the team, and he didn’t need to hear any more because Morgan couldn’t say anything to change his mind about sending him back to Washington. He deserved what he’d get. He surprised himself when he said, “Yes. We can talk about it.”
They talked for almost two hours. In the end, David decided to give Morgan one more chance. When Morgan left, David shook his head wondering why he’d done it. He knew that Morgan would have one of two reactions: either he’d be thankful to David for the chance and do his best, or he’d hate David’s guts and do everything to hurt him.
