Read Online Kiss Me, Kill Me by Allison Brennan - Free Book Online
Authors: Allison Brennan
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knowing what to expect. With Sean, it could be anything.
She untied the ribbon and took off the lid. Inside was a necklace. The pendant was a single daisy made of six amethyst gems, a small diamond in the center. The jewels were set in gold.
She’d never seen anything like it. It was seven stones in a simple design, but the delicacy and complexity of how they were held together was exquisite.
Inside the box was a small card declaring that the necklace was from a local antiques shop she’d been in many times, though she rarely bought anything for herself. A couple of weeks ago they’d gone shopping at the mall, and while walking to a nearby restaurant they’d passed the store. She hadn’t seen the daisy, but she had commented to him how she enjoyed browsing and bought most of her Christmas presents there.
Sean had not only remembered, but he’d picked out a piece that she loved, that symbolized his declaration when they first met that he would give her only colorful daisies because they made her smile.
Putting on the necklace, Lucy wept.
Lucy was understandably upset over the idiotic panel’s decision, but Sean was downright furious about it and remained so for hours. He continued to work, following up on requests for phone records and ISP information in the Kirsten Benton case. But he couldn’t stop thinking about Lucy’s denied application.
The FBI had proven to him, yet again, that they had their collective heads up their collective asses. Not so much the investigating agents—he had a grudging respect for them after working a few cases with them in the field—but the mindless bureaucrats who ran the agency. Sean knew there was no other applicant out there better qualified or more dedicated than Lucy.
Sean almost called FBI agent Noah Armstrong, who’d recently befriended the Kincaids when he and Kate worked on a case together, but he stopped himself. He and Noah didn’t see eye to eye on most things, and Sean didn’t want to ask him for any favors. Instead, he went higher up and called Assistant Director Hans Vigo, whom Sean greatly admired.
“Hans Vigo,” the agent answered his cell phone.
“It’s Sean Rogan.” He glanced at the clock and winced. It was after eleven. “I hope it’s not too late to call.”
“I was awake.”
Sean sat down at his desk. “The FBI denied Lucy’s application.”
When Hans didn’t respond, Sean asked, “Did you know?”
“No, but I thought she might have an uphill battle.”
“Uphill? It’s done . She’s out.”
“She can appeal.”
“Appeal? How?”
“She gets one shot to request a different panel. But Lucy knows that.”
Why hadn’t she said anything to Sean about appealing? “She’s really torn up about this. I don’t think she’s considered her options.”
“Did she tell you anything about the interview? If she felt that someone was unduly biased, or if there were questions that seemed odd to her?”
“No—she thought it went well. She was jazzed afterward. Can you find out who was on the panel? Find out what their problem with her is?”
“I don’t know that you, or Lucy, would like the answers.”
“What aren’t you telling me?”
“Nothing you don’t already know. Lucy isn’t a typical recruit. The Bureau looks closely at anyone they think may have a hidden agenda.”
“They can’t blame her for what happened with WCF! Dammit—”
“They can look at anything and everything. WCF is only one factor. There is also the fact that she killed two people.”
Sean’s blood ran cold. “Was she supposed to die instead?”
“Look at the bigger picture, Sean. They probably assessed that she was too high profile. That’s my guess, not because I know anything specific. I don’t even know who’s on the hiring panel right now, but it’s not secret and I’ll find out.”
Sean latched on to Hans’s first statement. “What do you mean Lucy’s too ‘high profile.’ Is it because she was raped? That is just
She untied the ribbon and took off the lid. Inside was a necklace. The pendant was a single daisy made of six amethyst gems, a small diamond in the center. The jewels were set in gold.
She’d never seen anything like it. It was seven stones in a simple design, but the delicacy and complexity of how they were held together was exquisite.
Inside the box was a small card declaring that the necklace was from a local antiques shop she’d been in many times, though she rarely bought anything for herself. A couple of weeks ago they’d gone shopping at the mall, and while walking to a nearby restaurant they’d passed the store. She hadn’t seen the daisy, but she had commented to him how she enjoyed browsing and bought most of her Christmas presents there.
Sean had not only remembered, but he’d picked out a piece that she loved, that symbolized his declaration when they first met that he would give her only colorful daisies because they made her smile.
Putting on the necklace, Lucy wept.
Lucy was understandably upset over the idiotic panel’s decision, but Sean was downright furious about it and remained so for hours. He continued to work, following up on requests for phone records and ISP information in the Kirsten Benton case. But he couldn’t stop thinking about Lucy’s denied application.
The FBI had proven to him, yet again, that they had their collective heads up their collective asses. Not so much the investigating agents—he had a grudging respect for them after working a few cases with them in the field—but the mindless bureaucrats who ran the agency. Sean knew there was no other applicant out there better qualified or more dedicated than Lucy.
Sean almost called FBI agent Noah Armstrong, who’d recently befriended the Kincaids when he and Kate worked on a case together, but he stopped himself. He and Noah didn’t see eye to eye on most things, and Sean didn’t want to ask him for any favors. Instead, he went higher up and called Assistant Director Hans Vigo, whom Sean greatly admired.
“Hans Vigo,” the agent answered his cell phone.
“It’s Sean Rogan.” He glanced at the clock and winced. It was after eleven. “I hope it’s not too late to call.”
“I was awake.”
Sean sat down at his desk. “The FBI denied Lucy’s application.”
When Hans didn’t respond, Sean asked, “Did you know?”
“No, but I thought she might have an uphill battle.”
“Uphill? It’s done . She’s out.”
“She can appeal.”
“Appeal? How?”
“She gets one shot to request a different panel. But Lucy knows that.”
Why hadn’t she said anything to Sean about appealing? “She’s really torn up about this. I don’t think she’s considered her options.”
“Did she tell you anything about the interview? If she felt that someone was unduly biased, or if there were questions that seemed odd to her?”
“No—she thought it went well. She was jazzed afterward. Can you find out who was on the panel? Find out what their problem with her is?”
“I don’t know that you, or Lucy, would like the answers.”
“What aren’t you telling me?”
“Nothing you don’t already know. Lucy isn’t a typical recruit. The Bureau looks closely at anyone they think may have a hidden agenda.”
“They can’t blame her for what happened with WCF! Dammit—”
“They can look at anything and everything. WCF is only one factor. There is also the fact that she killed two people.”
Sean’s blood ran cold. “Was she supposed to die instead?”
“Look at the bigger picture, Sean. They probably assessed that she was too high profile. That’s my guess, not because I know anything specific. I don’t even know who’s on the hiring panel right now, but it’s not secret and I’ll find out.”
Sean latched on to Hans’s first statement. “What do you mean Lucy’s too ‘high profile.’ Is it because she was raped? That is just
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