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Authors: Pamela Grandstaff
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a fresh pot.”
Agent Jamie Brown had shown up in Ava’s kitchen one night the month before, while her husband was still at large. It was right after she’d been threatened by Mrs. Wells, Brian’s drug supplier, that if she didn’t cough up half a million dollars within thirty days something bad would happen to her children. Jamie was a tall, handsome man with dark eyes and hair, and he seemed kind and friendly, but the information he brought her was horrible and hard to believe.
Jamie had asked for her cooperation in the federal investigation and Ava knew she had no choice. He knew things he could only know if Ava’s home and phone were bugged. They struck a deal that allowed her to get custody of Little Fitz and Brian was apprehended. Although Jamie treated her with compassion and delicacy, once Brian was behind bars, Ava hoped never to see the agent again.
When Jamie came downstairs he had on jeans and a sweatshirt with “ARMY” printed on it. Ava poured him a mug of coffee and offered him a plate of muffins, cheese, and grapes.
“Thank you so much,” he said. “I’ve been driving all day and didn’t take the time to stop and eat.”
Ava softened a little toward him as her innate graciousness was stimulated, and she replenished the plate as soon as he finished all she’d offered.
“I guess you heard,” he said, in between bites.
“Oh, yes,” Ava said. “I’ve been expecting you.”
“Have you seen or heard from him?”
“No.”
“How’s the baby?” he asked her.
“Fine. He’s upstairs sleeping,” she said, gesturing to a baby monitor on the kitchen counter.
“They’ve officially declared his wife’s death a homicide,” Jamie said.
“You said before you expected they would,” she said evenly, determined not to reveal anything by her expression. “But you didn’t tell me how it happened.”
“He took her scuba diving and came back without her. He reported her missing, and after they found her remains, he stayed long enough to get the death certificate so he could collect the life insurance. The police in Bimini were tipped off that he’d taken out a large insurance policy on her right before she died, but he fled with the baby before they could bring him in for questioning.
“The woman traveling with him, who was caring for the baby, had been working as a housekeeper for the wife, who was very wealthy. She’s back in Bimini now, and she was able to tell the police a lot of what happened before and after they fled. Evidently Brian cheated on the wife, she threatened to divorce him, he talked her around, and then they went scuba diving. The housekeeper said there was a prenup, and if he cheated he got nothing in a divorce.”
“So he killed her for the insurance money.”
“The authorities think so.”
“He abandoned the baby. He might have died.”
“If not for you,” Jamie said.
“Are you only investigating Brian because of what he did in Bimini?” Ava asked.
“No. That’s someone else’s investigation.”
“Then why are you here?”
“To talk to you about Mrs. Wells.”
Ava said nothing, just looked at him with as blank an expression as she could muster. She realized she was gripping the baby monitor so hard her fingertips were white. She took a deep breath and willed herself to stay calm.
“I know you applied for a home equity loan of half a million dollars, Ava, and I know that Brian owes Mrs. Wells that much. I’d like you to tell me about that.”
Ava felt her body start to tremble although she willed it to stop. She could feel a lump forming in her throat and tears stung her eyes.
“My children are my reason for living,” Ava said. “I won’t risk their lives because you want to catch a drug dealer.”
“Mrs. Wells is much more than a drug dealer, Ava. If we don’t put her behind bars and break up her business, there will be more death and destruction in this region than you can imagine. You may not know it, but there’s a war going
Agent Jamie Brown had shown up in Ava’s kitchen one night the month before, while her husband was still at large. It was right after she’d been threatened by Mrs. Wells, Brian’s drug supplier, that if she didn’t cough up half a million dollars within thirty days something bad would happen to her children. Jamie was a tall, handsome man with dark eyes and hair, and he seemed kind and friendly, but the information he brought her was horrible and hard to believe.
Jamie had asked for her cooperation in the federal investigation and Ava knew she had no choice. He knew things he could only know if Ava’s home and phone were bugged. They struck a deal that allowed her to get custody of Little Fitz and Brian was apprehended. Although Jamie treated her with compassion and delicacy, once Brian was behind bars, Ava hoped never to see the agent again.
When Jamie came downstairs he had on jeans and a sweatshirt with “ARMY” printed on it. Ava poured him a mug of coffee and offered him a plate of muffins, cheese, and grapes.
“Thank you so much,” he said. “I’ve been driving all day and didn’t take the time to stop and eat.”
Ava softened a little toward him as her innate graciousness was stimulated, and she replenished the plate as soon as he finished all she’d offered.
“I guess you heard,” he said, in between bites.
“Oh, yes,” Ava said. “I’ve been expecting you.”
“Have you seen or heard from him?”
“No.”
“How’s the baby?” he asked her.
“Fine. He’s upstairs sleeping,” she said, gesturing to a baby monitor on the kitchen counter.
“They’ve officially declared his wife’s death a homicide,” Jamie said.
“You said before you expected they would,” she said evenly, determined not to reveal anything by her expression. “But you didn’t tell me how it happened.”
“He took her scuba diving and came back without her. He reported her missing, and after they found her remains, he stayed long enough to get the death certificate so he could collect the life insurance. The police in Bimini were tipped off that he’d taken out a large insurance policy on her right before she died, but he fled with the baby before they could bring him in for questioning.
“The woman traveling with him, who was caring for the baby, had been working as a housekeeper for the wife, who was very wealthy. She’s back in Bimini now, and she was able to tell the police a lot of what happened before and after they fled. Evidently Brian cheated on the wife, she threatened to divorce him, he talked her around, and then they went scuba diving. The housekeeper said there was a prenup, and if he cheated he got nothing in a divorce.”
“So he killed her for the insurance money.”
“The authorities think so.”
“He abandoned the baby. He might have died.”
“If not for you,” Jamie said.
“Are you only investigating Brian because of what he did in Bimini?” Ava asked.
“No. That’s someone else’s investigation.”
“Then why are you here?”
“To talk to you about Mrs. Wells.”
Ava said nothing, just looked at him with as blank an expression as she could muster. She realized she was gripping the baby monitor so hard her fingertips were white. She took a deep breath and willed herself to stay calm.
“I know you applied for a home equity loan of half a million dollars, Ava, and I know that Brian owes Mrs. Wells that much. I’d like you to tell me about that.”
Ava felt her body start to tremble although she willed it to stop. She could feel a lump forming in her throat and tears stung her eyes.
“My children are my reason for living,” Ava said. “I won’t risk their lives because you want to catch a drug dealer.”
“Mrs. Wells is much more than a drug dealer, Ava. If we don’t put her behind bars and break up her business, there will be more death and destruction in this region than you can imagine. You may not know it, but there’s a war going
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