from settled, at least as far as her connection to Craig Myers was concerned. And a seasoned agent like himself knew better than to get emotionally involved with a possible suspect. But if Daisy Karr was an embezzler, he was King Kong.
Eventually, exhausted, they fell asleep. Marc was dreaming about Daisy’s naked body when a jarring sound woke him up. Blinking himself awake, he realized it was his cell phone. He looked at the time on it. Two o’clock. Fuck! It had to be Larry. But calling him at this hour? Of course, his boss had no idea he was sleeping with the suspect he’d been sent to get close to. Fuck again.
The ringing stopped but, in a moment, it started again. He slid out of bed and headed out to the balcony, taking the phone with him. He made sure to close both the drapes and the door before he answered the call, and turned away so his voice wouldn’t carry.
“You do know what time it is, right?” he asked.
“If I’m awake, you can be, too,” Larry Choate told him. “I figured you would have dropped the suspect back at her room by now, anyway.”
If he only knew.
“I do have to sleep sometime,” he joked. “So, what’s up?”
“Our confidential informants have really come through for us. We’ve managed to track where most of the diamonds were bought and have a trace out for Myers from there. But some of the money is still unaccounted for. Plus, he wiped his computer when he took a powder. He did such a good job our techs are having a hard time finding the ghost files. We’re hoping little Miss Daisy Karr knows about it and can help us.”
“Yeah, about that.” Marc cleared his throat. “I think we’re barkin’ up the wrong tree here, boss.”
There was a long moment of silence. “Are you losing your focus on this assignment, Doucet?”
Marc ran his fingers through his hair. “Not at all. I’ve done exactly what I set out to do. But she doesn’t act like a woman involved in this scheme, talk like one, or even behave like one. Wherever he’s got the rest of the cash, however he’s physically moving it, she’s not part of the scheme.”
“I’m telling you, I think she might be able to tell us something,” Larry insisted.
“And I’m telling you she knows nothing.” He raked his fingers through his already mussed hair again. “I hinted around casually about her so-called fiancé. She told me he’s got some troubles that have nothing to do with her.”
Larry snorted. “Where have we heard that before?”
“Besides,” Marc went on, “he hasn’t called her once since she’s been here or made any effort to contact her. She’s not actin’ as if she’s expecting someone to show up or even as if she’s trying to lay down a false trail. And she certainly doesn’t act like someone who’s expecting to live the good life on other people’s money.”
“Maybe she’s a really good actress.”
“Not that good,” Marc assured him.
“You said the credit card she used at the hotel was declined. We ran the numbers, and it’s one they were both signers on.”
“That means nothing. If she was trying to lead us away from him or had any part in this, she wouldn’t use anything so blatant,” he pointed out. “And thanks for activating the card so she could use it.”
“I did it because it gives us another electronic trail.”
“You always remind me I have great instincts where people are concerned. Well, my instincts are saying loud and clear that she’s as much a victim as everyone else.”
“I’m not ready to give up yet. She might not even realize she knows something. Get her to talk about it some more. Use that Cajun charm on her.”
“Larry,” he began.
“That’s an order, Doucet. I want whatever you can get from her.”
Marc was silent for a long time, thinking. He could screw this up royally if he made a wrong move.
“Let me give it some thought,” he said at last. “But I want you to know I don’t feel good about this. Not even one little
Eventually, exhausted, they fell asleep. Marc was dreaming about Daisy’s naked body when a jarring sound woke him up. Blinking himself awake, he realized it was his cell phone. He looked at the time on it. Two o’clock. Fuck! It had to be Larry. But calling him at this hour? Of course, his boss had no idea he was sleeping with the suspect he’d been sent to get close to. Fuck again.
The ringing stopped but, in a moment, it started again. He slid out of bed and headed out to the balcony, taking the phone with him. He made sure to close both the drapes and the door before he answered the call, and turned away so his voice wouldn’t carry.
“You do know what time it is, right?” he asked.
“If I’m awake, you can be, too,” Larry Choate told him. “I figured you would have dropped the suspect back at her room by now, anyway.”
If he only knew.
“I do have to sleep sometime,” he joked. “So, what’s up?”
“Our confidential informants have really come through for us. We’ve managed to track where most of the diamonds were bought and have a trace out for Myers from there. But some of the money is still unaccounted for. Plus, he wiped his computer when he took a powder. He did such a good job our techs are having a hard time finding the ghost files. We’re hoping little Miss Daisy Karr knows about it and can help us.”
“Yeah, about that.” Marc cleared his throat. “I think we’re barkin’ up the wrong tree here, boss.”
There was a long moment of silence. “Are you losing your focus on this assignment, Doucet?”
Marc ran his fingers through his hair. “Not at all. I’ve done exactly what I set out to do. But she doesn’t act like a woman involved in this scheme, talk like one, or even behave like one. Wherever he’s got the rest of the cash, however he’s physically moving it, she’s not part of the scheme.”
“I’m telling you, I think she might be able to tell us something,” Larry insisted.
“And I’m telling you she knows nothing.” He raked his fingers through his already mussed hair again. “I hinted around casually about her so-called fiancé. She told me he’s got some troubles that have nothing to do with her.”
Larry snorted. “Where have we heard that before?”
“Besides,” Marc went on, “he hasn’t called her once since she’s been here or made any effort to contact her. She’s not actin’ as if she’s expecting someone to show up or even as if she’s trying to lay down a false trail. And she certainly doesn’t act like someone who’s expecting to live the good life on other people’s money.”
“Maybe she’s a really good actress.”
“Not that good,” Marc assured him.
“You said the credit card she used at the hotel was declined. We ran the numbers, and it’s one they were both signers on.”
“That means nothing. If she was trying to lead us away from him or had any part in this, she wouldn’t use anything so blatant,” he pointed out. “And thanks for activating the card so she could use it.”
“I did it because it gives us another electronic trail.”
“You always remind me I have great instincts where people are concerned. Well, my instincts are saying loud and clear that she’s as much a victim as everyone else.”
“I’m not ready to give up yet. She might not even realize she knows something. Get her to talk about it some more. Use that Cajun charm on her.”
“Larry,” he began.
“That’s an order, Doucet. I want whatever you can get from her.”
Marc was silent for a long time, thinking. He could screw this up royally if he made a wrong move.
“Let me give it some thought,” he said at last. “But I want you to know I don’t feel good about this. Not even one little
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