flaming tar. They’d spoken in terms of the board game Monopoly, a game he collected in various forms —and there were over 150 varieties. Trivia she’d like to forget. He said the game was in his blood. In the past, she’d played it to please him, to gain his confidence, and to influence him to fall in love with her.
The scene in the courtroom marched across her mind, when her testimony locked his prison cell. He’d called her Delilah. Media capitalized on it, and while her undercover work made her look like a heroine, she tried to rub the dirt from her skin. Didn’t help he had the Robin Hood thing going, giving huge sums to charities.
Sleeping with a criminal. Pretending. Trash. A stigma of what she’d always been.
Miss Kathryn said one day Laurel would encounter a breaking point when she’d have to surrender to her need for God. For some it was admitting to an addiction, being tired of jail, or facing consequences for their behavior. Laurel long understood her god wascontrol. The God of Miss Kathryn had disappointed her years ago. Jesse had been a believer too, but God hadn’t saved him.
“Wicked people behave like wicked people,” Miss Kathryn had said. “Their choices are selfish, and other people get hurt.”
Miss Kathryn didn’t know the worst of it. Laurel had never told her the whole story of what happened the night burglars broke into her childhood home and murdered her parents. Law enforcement never found the two killers. God abandoned her that night, and she gave up on Him. It was her job now to stop those who preyed on the innocent. And she’d committed her life to stopping evil men like Wilmington.
Those who preyed on the elderly often used volunteers to infiltrate facilities and organizations where seasoned citizens congregated. Possibly representing a church or a charity. At Silver Hospitality she’d check that aspect as well as the other targeted victims. Agents were conducting investigations in the other cities, and she’d look into their findings tomorrow. Should have asked about volunteers during the Hilton interview.
An image of Daniel Hilton crept into her mind. He’d left a voice mail and asked her to return his call. Maybe new information had surfaced. Maybe she should acknowledge his message. The man was entirely too good-looking and kind to his grandparents. A distraction. One she didn’t need. Laurel began her career single, and she’d end it single. Hopefully at retirement age unless Morton Wilmington made good on his threats. Or some other revenge seeker.
Sitting in her car, she listened again to Daniel’s message, the sound of his voice strong.
“Agent Evertson, I’d like to apologize for my rudeness when we last spoke. Would you give me a call at your convenience?”
She honored his request.
“Officer Daniel Hilton here.”
“This is Special Agent Laurel Evertson. I’m returning your call.”
“I wanted to apologize for my rudeness.”
“You did so in your message. Was there anything else?”
“Not at the moment, except I want to help in any way possible.”
“Thanks for your concern. The FBI is investigating the situation at Silver Hospitality, so I’m sure we’ll have this case solved before you feel the need to pursue your own findings.”
“A nice thought, but I don’t think it will happen. I’ve learned from the director that nothing has been found.”
“The FBI doesn’t dispose of an investigation until all sources of a case are handled.”
“Good. I’m pleased.”
She ended the conversation, irritated Daniel did not heed her instructions. She didn’t want the elderly Hiltons hurt —or any of those threatened by the scam. Wilmington had orchestrated it, and she’d not rest until he was convicted of yet another crime.
A part of her feared for what little she held dear —Phantom, her home, and her career. What would she do if they were yanked away? How would she survive? How could she ever make it up to Jesse’s
The scene in the courtroom marched across her mind, when her testimony locked his prison cell. He’d called her Delilah. Media capitalized on it, and while her undercover work made her look like a heroine, she tried to rub the dirt from her skin. Didn’t help he had the Robin Hood thing going, giving huge sums to charities.
Sleeping with a criminal. Pretending. Trash. A stigma of what she’d always been.
Miss Kathryn said one day Laurel would encounter a breaking point when she’d have to surrender to her need for God. For some it was admitting to an addiction, being tired of jail, or facing consequences for their behavior. Laurel long understood her god wascontrol. The God of Miss Kathryn had disappointed her years ago. Jesse had been a believer too, but God hadn’t saved him.
“Wicked people behave like wicked people,” Miss Kathryn had said. “Their choices are selfish, and other people get hurt.”
Miss Kathryn didn’t know the worst of it. Laurel had never told her the whole story of what happened the night burglars broke into her childhood home and murdered her parents. Law enforcement never found the two killers. God abandoned her that night, and she gave up on Him. It was her job now to stop those who preyed on the innocent. And she’d committed her life to stopping evil men like Wilmington.
Those who preyed on the elderly often used volunteers to infiltrate facilities and organizations where seasoned citizens congregated. Possibly representing a church or a charity. At Silver Hospitality she’d check that aspect as well as the other targeted victims. Agents were conducting investigations in the other cities, and she’d look into their findings tomorrow. Should have asked about volunteers during the Hilton interview.
An image of Daniel Hilton crept into her mind. He’d left a voice mail and asked her to return his call. Maybe new information had surfaced. Maybe she should acknowledge his message. The man was entirely too good-looking and kind to his grandparents. A distraction. One she didn’t need. Laurel began her career single, and she’d end it single. Hopefully at retirement age unless Morton Wilmington made good on his threats. Or some other revenge seeker.
Sitting in her car, she listened again to Daniel’s message, the sound of his voice strong.
“Agent Evertson, I’d like to apologize for my rudeness when we last spoke. Would you give me a call at your convenience?”
She honored his request.
“Officer Daniel Hilton here.”
“This is Special Agent Laurel Evertson. I’m returning your call.”
“I wanted to apologize for my rudeness.”
“You did so in your message. Was there anything else?”
“Not at the moment, except I want to help in any way possible.”
“Thanks for your concern. The FBI is investigating the situation at Silver Hospitality, so I’m sure we’ll have this case solved before you feel the need to pursue your own findings.”
“A nice thought, but I don’t think it will happen. I’ve learned from the director that nothing has been found.”
“The FBI doesn’t dispose of an investigation until all sources of a case are handled.”
“Good. I’m pleased.”
She ended the conversation, irritated Daniel did not heed her instructions. She didn’t want the elderly Hiltons hurt —or any of those threatened by the scam. Wilmington had orchestrated it, and she’d not rest until he was convicted of yet another crime.
A part of her feared for what little she held dear —Phantom, her home, and her career. What would she do if they were yanked away? How would she survive? How could she ever make it up to Jesse’s
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