Read Online Material Witness by Lisa Mondello, L. A. Mondello - Free Book Online Page B

Providence is out of the question. I’ve been to the safe
house in Virginia. It’s very pleasant and she’ll be comfortable there.”
    “Try convincing her of that.” Jake
stood. “Are we done here?”
    “Just one more thing,” Radcowski
said, glancing at Jake’s report. “You said you didn’t see anyone. Does that
mean Fagnelio never mention anything about Agent Novak?”
    “He knew him as Junior Canfield,”
Jake said. “That’s all in my notes.”
    Radcowski nodded. “And you didn’t
suspect there was a problem when Mr. Fagnelio didn’t show for the meeting?”
    “I did. I was about to leave with Ms.
Alvarez when the shooting happened.”
    Charley grabbed the report and
quickly scanned it. “That was nearly a half hour after the time you were
supposed to meet Angel.”
    “A little less, actually.”
    “Did you recognize Ms. Alvarez as
Cassie Lang, the author?” Charley asked.
    Jake shook his head. “I didn’t know
who she was at the time.”
    Charley lifted an eyebrow. “Her
statement says she was doing research, dressed up like a hooker. You were
soliciting?”
    Captain Russo rolled his eyes. “He
was on the job. She looked out of place and he tried to get her out of there.”
    Charley looked directly at Jake. “I’d
like Jake to answer this.”
    “I could tell she wasn’t a hooker
within five seconds of meeting her. As soon as you see her, you’ll know why.”
    Charley gave him a hard look. “Okay,
where is she?”
    * * *
    Watching Cassie with Charley now,
Jake had to admire the power of Cassie's will going up against the Federal
Bureau of Investigation as if she were talking to the PTA. The people in this room
could protect her life, but they could also make it a living hell if they were
so inclined. And Cassie seemed unaffected by that.
    It was clear right from the onset of
their meeting that Charlotte Tate wasn't in any mood to negotiate, but Cassie
insisted on having her say. Even something like Charley's impenetrable
personality Cassie seemed to win over with a mix of police know-how and
undeniable charm.
    Maybe it was because they were both
women and women spoke the same language. They understood it. Or so his eldest
sister, Caroline, kept telling him. In fact, she'd called it a handicap that
all men were afflicted with; the inability to speak the language of the female
race.
    Regardless, Cassie seemed to melt the
glacial stare Charley had given Jake and agreed to a conference before any
final decisions were made on Cassie's behalf. Since Charley Tate hated to be
forced from the power seat, this was a major coup for Cassie, one that perhaps
Cassie only won because of her status as a crime novelist.
    The conference room was filled with a
mix of police officers and FBI agents alike. As Cassie stood at the head of the
room and addressed them all, Charley kept herself at the sidelines, merely
listening. And Jake watched her.
    Not a thick black strand of hair in her
perfect hairstyle was out of place. She'd cut her hair since the last time he’d
seen her. Instead of waves of raven hair flowing down her back, it was now
shoulder length. She no longer wore bangs that emphasized her youth. Instead,
she combed her hair back, making her eyes appear larger, more direct.
    Jake could see how Tyler, his former
partner, had been attracted to her. Charley was a looker, no doubt about it.
    “I understand how serious this case
is and how much you want to capitalize on Angel Fagnelio's involvement with
Ritchie Trumbella by having me as a witness,” Cassie stated, tapping the eraser
end of a pencil against the table. “But it is vitally important to me that I
not be used as a pawn in the legal system.”
    The room erupted in a wave of rumbles.
    “You don't need to worry. I intend to
cooperate with both the police and the FBI,” she continued above the noise.
“And I'll go to a safe house that you feel will give me complete protection
only until Angel Fagnelio is securely behind bars.”
    “We