Read Online Girl of Lies by Charles Sheehan-Miles - Free Book Online
Authors: Charles Sheehan-Miles
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competent and probably deadly. Her wedding ring was a plain gold band. She stood up when Andrea entered the room.
Andrea came to a stop, and the woman said, “Good morning. I’m Leah Simpson, with Diplomatic Security Services.”
“Andrea Thompson.”
“I’m in charge of your family’s security detail.”
“Not Bear?”
Simpson smiled at the use of the nickname. “Bear… uh… Mr. Wyden’s overall in charge of the investigation, among other things. You’ll be seeing a lot of both of us, I’m afraid.”
Andrea nodded unhappily. Right now she wanted nothing more than to get on a plane and fly back to Spain. Instead, she had to deal with investigations into her kidnappers , parents who seemed to be missing— at least that was normal —and everything seemed to be out of control. She closed her eyes and said, “How long does this go on? When will I be able to go home?”
Leah looked over to Carrie. Then she said, “I don’t know how long your family business will take, but unless we receive orders otherwise, a protective detail will accompany you back to Spain until we’re sure the danger is past.”
Andrea closed her eyes. She tried to imagine Abuelita’s response to a bunch of armed agents in her flat. Then she snickered a little. Federal agents or not, Abuelita was a fierce old woman. She’d tear them to pieces.
“Let me get some coffee,” Andrea said. “Then we can discuss all this?”
“Of course,” Leah said.
As gracefully as she could, Andrea made her way to the kitchen. A pot of coffee was already on the counter, still half-full. As she poured it, Carrie walked in.
“Sorry we couldn’t warn you first. I figured you needed the sleep.”
“I did.” Andrea mixed sugar into her coffee as she spoke. “It’s okay, this isn’t your fault.”
Carrie smiled uncertainly. Then her eyes darted away at the sound of crying.
“Rachel’s awake.” Carrie hesitated a moment, as if she needed to stay and reassure Andrea.
“Go, I’m fine,” Andrea said. She opened up the refrigerator in search of milk for her coffee as Carrie slipped out. Carrie looked tired… exhausted really. The good news was she had help—a full time nanny their father paid for. Undoubtedly that helped. But it didn’t take away the worry gnawing away at her soul. It didn’t take away the trauma of her husband being murdered.
Andrea didn’t want to be here. She didn’t want to be dealing with the police, the feds, and whoever it was who had attempted to abduct her. But no matter what, she’d be there for her sister.
She stepped back into the living room. Sarah was still intently drawing a detailed outline around the lines of the scarring on her left leg. Andrea walked over, sipping her coffee and watched her sister. Hair draped over Sarah’s face, almost hiding it. Her eyebrows were scrunched together, a vertical line of concentration centered in between them.
“Is it getting better?” Andrea asked.
“I can walk again. That took months.”
Andrea swallowed. “What about the scarring?”
Sarah leaned her head back and met Andrea’s eyes. “Mom wants me to see a plastic surgeon next month to start talking about repairing it. For a while they thought I was going to lose the leg.”
Leah Simpson sat forward in her seat. “This happened when Sergeant Sherman was killed last summer?”
Sarah nodded. “Ray.”
“You were in the back seat?”
“Yes,” Sarah said. “I woke up two days after the accident. Ray died a few hours later.”
Andrea lowered herself into her seat and sipped her coffee. Her emotions were roiling, confused. She had only met Ray Sherman once while he was alive. She’d flown to New York last summer for Alexandra’s wedding to Dylan Paris. Alexandra, the third eldest sister of six, had fallen in love with a boy who eventually ended up in the Army. Dylan and Ray were best friends and had married sisters in ceremonies two days apart.
She thought back to that ceremony, and the
Andrea came to a stop, and the woman said, “Good morning. I’m Leah Simpson, with Diplomatic Security Services.”
“Andrea Thompson.”
“I’m in charge of your family’s security detail.”
“Not Bear?”
Simpson smiled at the use of the nickname. “Bear… uh… Mr. Wyden’s overall in charge of the investigation, among other things. You’ll be seeing a lot of both of us, I’m afraid.”
Andrea nodded unhappily. Right now she wanted nothing more than to get on a plane and fly back to Spain. Instead, she had to deal with investigations into her kidnappers , parents who seemed to be missing— at least that was normal —and everything seemed to be out of control. She closed her eyes and said, “How long does this go on? When will I be able to go home?”
Leah looked over to Carrie. Then she said, “I don’t know how long your family business will take, but unless we receive orders otherwise, a protective detail will accompany you back to Spain until we’re sure the danger is past.”
Andrea closed her eyes. She tried to imagine Abuelita’s response to a bunch of armed agents in her flat. Then she snickered a little. Federal agents or not, Abuelita was a fierce old woman. She’d tear them to pieces.
“Let me get some coffee,” Andrea said. “Then we can discuss all this?”
“Of course,” Leah said.
As gracefully as she could, Andrea made her way to the kitchen. A pot of coffee was already on the counter, still half-full. As she poured it, Carrie walked in.
“Sorry we couldn’t warn you first. I figured you needed the sleep.”
“I did.” Andrea mixed sugar into her coffee as she spoke. “It’s okay, this isn’t your fault.”
Carrie smiled uncertainly. Then her eyes darted away at the sound of crying.
“Rachel’s awake.” Carrie hesitated a moment, as if she needed to stay and reassure Andrea.
“Go, I’m fine,” Andrea said. She opened up the refrigerator in search of milk for her coffee as Carrie slipped out. Carrie looked tired… exhausted really. The good news was she had help—a full time nanny their father paid for. Undoubtedly that helped. But it didn’t take away the worry gnawing away at her soul. It didn’t take away the trauma of her husband being murdered.
Andrea didn’t want to be here. She didn’t want to be dealing with the police, the feds, and whoever it was who had attempted to abduct her. But no matter what, she’d be there for her sister.
She stepped back into the living room. Sarah was still intently drawing a detailed outline around the lines of the scarring on her left leg. Andrea walked over, sipping her coffee and watched her sister. Hair draped over Sarah’s face, almost hiding it. Her eyebrows were scrunched together, a vertical line of concentration centered in between them.
“Is it getting better?” Andrea asked.
“I can walk again. That took months.”
Andrea swallowed. “What about the scarring?”
Sarah leaned her head back and met Andrea’s eyes. “Mom wants me to see a plastic surgeon next month to start talking about repairing it. For a while they thought I was going to lose the leg.”
Leah Simpson sat forward in her seat. “This happened when Sergeant Sherman was killed last summer?”
Sarah nodded. “Ray.”
“You were in the back seat?”
“Yes,” Sarah said. “I woke up two days after the accident. Ray died a few hours later.”
Andrea lowered herself into her seat and sipped her coffee. Her emotions were roiling, confused. She had only met Ray Sherman once while he was alive. She’d flown to New York last summer for Alexandra’s wedding to Dylan Paris. Alexandra, the third eldest sister of six, had fallen in love with a boy who eventually ended up in the Army. Dylan and Ray were best friends and had married sisters in ceremonies two days apart.
She thought back to that ceremony, and the
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