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Authors: Jessica Andersen
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prevent al-Jihad from launching the terror attack that Fax seemed convinced was on the horizon?
Or conversely, what if none of that existed and he was just using her for some other purpose? Horror spurted through her veins at the sudden thought that he could be somehow using her to plan the very terror attack he was claiming to want to foil.
But how could she know which was the truth when there was nobody she could ask?
“Chelsea?” Sara leaned forward in her desk chair, looking concerned. “Are you sure you should be here? Your color’s off.”
To be honest, she was dizzy and on the brink of nausea, but she wasn’t going to admit that to her boss, who would send her home, or, worse, to the hospital. That was probably where she should be, only she couldn’t bring herself to believe she’d been suckered. She had to believe what Fax had told her, not the least because his explanation fit perfectly with her rescue from the cave. Surely that was evidence that Fax and Jane Doe were real?
Maybe, maybe not. But if what he’d told her was true, then it was her responsibility to help, even though her inner wimp wanted to run and hide.
She took a deep breath and forced her voice steady when she said, “I’m fine, really. What’s on the docket for today?”
Sara gave her a long up-and-down look, but eventually nodded, seeming to accept her decision. She ran down the day’s pending autopsies, all of which sounded fairly routine.
Chelsea frowned. “What about Jerry and the guards?”
The very thought of cutting into a friend made the nausea spike hard, but she didn’t want to be shut out of the investigation because Sara and the others thought she couldn’t handle it. She’d find a way to deal.
“They’re being taken care of,” Sara said tightly, her expression a mix of irritation and sorrow.
“They were turfed somewhere else?” Chelsea supposed it made sense, given that the Bear Claw ME’s office was directly involved in the crime. She could see that the decision had wounded Sara, though her friend’s expression made her suspect there was more to it than just the autopsies being sent elsewhere.
Something bad was going on behind the scenes. But what? Chelsea wondered. Did Sara know something more about Rickey’s involvement? Was she somehow involved in—
Stop it, Chelsea told herself sternly. Just stop it now. There was no way Sara was involved with terrorists. Absolutely not.
“The bodies were kicked up a level to the feds,” Sara said with a grimace. “The good news is that Seth got permission to sit in on the autopsies, so we’ll have some information flow.”
FBI evidence specialist Seth Varitek was married to another of Bear Claw’s finest, forensic evidence specialist Cassie Dumont-Varitek. Although Chelsea wasn’t as close to the couple as she was to Alyssa and Tucker, she knew and trusted Seth. That meant she could add another name to the list of trusted people who were involved in the investigation.
Which got her wondering whether Fax would take her word on that and let her involve a few other people in his investigation. He’d have to believe that there wouldn’t be any leaks, but added cops would spread out the work and the risk, and exponentially increase their chances of success.
It would also mean she wouldn’t have to lie to her closest friends.
Chelsea decided she’d talk to Fax about the idea that night. Which, she realized, meant that she’d fully committed inwardly to meeting him and sneaking him into the office, despite her myriad misgivings.
Not wishing to examine that decision—or the reasons behind it—too closely, Chelsea said, “How is the acting mayor handling the situation?”
Sara made a face. “About how you’d expect. Proudfoot is launching a media blitz designed to convince the locals and tourists that it’s safe to come to Bear Claw for the big party on Sunday.”
Chelsea frowned. “Party? What’s—Oh, right. The parade.” Each year, Bear
Or conversely, what if none of that existed and he was just using her for some other purpose? Horror spurted through her veins at the sudden thought that he could be somehow using her to plan the very terror attack he was claiming to want to foil.
But how could she know which was the truth when there was nobody she could ask?
“Chelsea?” Sara leaned forward in her desk chair, looking concerned. “Are you sure you should be here? Your color’s off.”
To be honest, she was dizzy and on the brink of nausea, but she wasn’t going to admit that to her boss, who would send her home, or, worse, to the hospital. That was probably where she should be, only she couldn’t bring herself to believe she’d been suckered. She had to believe what Fax had told her, not the least because his explanation fit perfectly with her rescue from the cave. Surely that was evidence that Fax and Jane Doe were real?
Maybe, maybe not. But if what he’d told her was true, then it was her responsibility to help, even though her inner wimp wanted to run and hide.
She took a deep breath and forced her voice steady when she said, “I’m fine, really. What’s on the docket for today?”
Sara gave her a long up-and-down look, but eventually nodded, seeming to accept her decision. She ran down the day’s pending autopsies, all of which sounded fairly routine.
Chelsea frowned. “What about Jerry and the guards?”
The very thought of cutting into a friend made the nausea spike hard, but she didn’t want to be shut out of the investigation because Sara and the others thought she couldn’t handle it. She’d find a way to deal.
“They’re being taken care of,” Sara said tightly, her expression a mix of irritation and sorrow.
“They were turfed somewhere else?” Chelsea supposed it made sense, given that the Bear Claw ME’s office was directly involved in the crime. She could see that the decision had wounded Sara, though her friend’s expression made her suspect there was more to it than just the autopsies being sent elsewhere.
Something bad was going on behind the scenes. But what? Chelsea wondered. Did Sara know something more about Rickey’s involvement? Was she somehow involved in—
Stop it, Chelsea told herself sternly. Just stop it now. There was no way Sara was involved with terrorists. Absolutely not.
“The bodies were kicked up a level to the feds,” Sara said with a grimace. “The good news is that Seth got permission to sit in on the autopsies, so we’ll have some information flow.”
FBI evidence specialist Seth Varitek was married to another of Bear Claw’s finest, forensic evidence specialist Cassie Dumont-Varitek. Although Chelsea wasn’t as close to the couple as she was to Alyssa and Tucker, she knew and trusted Seth. That meant she could add another name to the list of trusted people who were involved in the investigation.
Which got her wondering whether Fax would take her word on that and let her involve a few other people in his investigation. He’d have to believe that there wouldn’t be any leaks, but added cops would spread out the work and the risk, and exponentially increase their chances of success.
It would also mean she wouldn’t have to lie to her closest friends.
Chelsea decided she’d talk to Fax about the idea that night. Which, she realized, meant that she’d fully committed inwardly to meeting him and sneaking him into the office, despite her myriad misgivings.
Not wishing to examine that decision—or the reasons behind it—too closely, Chelsea said, “How is the acting mayor handling the situation?”
Sara made a face. “About how you’d expect. Proudfoot is launching a media blitz designed to convince the locals and tourists that it’s safe to come to Bear Claw for the big party on Sunday.”
Chelsea frowned. “Party? What’s—Oh, right. The parade.” Each year, Bear
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