hear back from me.”
Riley agreed, updated his brother on what they knew so far, then hung up his phone and logged on to CNN. A small item under breaking news. No names. Barely more than a headline. Pentagon employee held in espionage probe. This was going to kill her.
While Riley talked to his brother, Callah called Jen. She trusted Riley, but after that kiss, she needed to talk to someone who wasn’t him.
The last thing she expected was Jen’s answer. “My God, Callah. What the heck’s going on?”
“What?” Callah tried to hold her panic at bay. Jen couldn’t know anything yet.
“I’ve had no less than five phone calls from reporters asking me for an off-the-record confirmation of your location, and a federal agent stopped by the condo thirty minutes ago asking me strange questions about you. He gave me his card and told me to call if you checked in.” She whispered the last part of this as if that mattered. Callah didn’t really understand the FBI, but she had a pretty good idea that whispering wouldn’t make a difference if they were listening in.
Suddenly talking about that disaster of a kiss ranked dead last on her list of priorities.
Turning around she saw the anger and frustration on Riley’s face as he clicked from one news screen to another, and she could tell he knew. Whatever had the reporters calling Jen, the FBI stopping by, he knew the answers.
“Listen, Jen, I can’t really answer your questions right now. Just be careful.” She didn’t know why that last was so important. Jen was her friend. She hadn’t even liked Charlie. Surely she was safe.
“Be careful? Callah, are you okay? Do I need to call the police? I saw on the news that they can trace cell phone locations now.”
Callah almost said yes. If she said yes, it would all end. The California authorities would get involved and this would all be over. Riley’s photos of the dog walker showed local police. California police would be okay.
Only she didn’t know that. Charlie was dead, so was that other Callah Crenshaw, and the dog walker was in Burkette and she couldn’t reach her dad.
But with Riley, she suddenly realized, she felt safe. Secure.
Crazy.
He was reporter and she was the better shot, but here in his closed up lake house alone with him and his computer she felt safe.
“No, don’t call anyone.” She wasn’t sure it mattered now anyway. She’d have to tell Riley about the FBI. “I’ll call you later, Jen.”
She hung up the phone and took a deep breath. “What’s going on, Riley?” When she walked to his side, he moved to the Google screen.
“Was your dad involved in military intelligence, anything like that?”
Maybe she should just tell him now. Tell him what Jen said. But he was so focused on the question she decided to answer him first. “I don’t think he was. He was a teacher. Why? What’s going on with my dad?”
He typed her father’s name into the search field and pressed enter. Colonel Matthew Crenshaw. Retired Air Force.
No unusual returns. Just page after page about her father’s distinguished military career. But there was nothing normal about the look on Riley’s face.
“Riley? Tell me what’s going on. Tell me right now. Jen said reporters are calling her. An FBI agent stopped by her apartment. They’re looking for me.”
For him to pause now after everything else, she couldn’t imagine what his brother had said. Suddenly she didn’t want to know, but it was too late to take back the demand.
“Your dad’s been arrested on espionage charges. Rand says it will hit the news any minute.”
Disbelief hit Callah followed quickly by anger. “No. No that doesn’t make sense. Your brother’s wrong.”
He didn’t argue, just pulled up CNN and she read the headline.
“It can’t be true. Riley, my dad would never…” Her voice trailed off as she realized she didn’t know anything about the man she’d called her father.
“Oh my God.”
She
Riley agreed, updated his brother on what they knew so far, then hung up his phone and logged on to CNN. A small item under breaking news. No names. Barely more than a headline. Pentagon employee held in espionage probe. This was going to kill her.
While Riley talked to his brother, Callah called Jen. She trusted Riley, but after that kiss, she needed to talk to someone who wasn’t him.
The last thing she expected was Jen’s answer. “My God, Callah. What the heck’s going on?”
“What?” Callah tried to hold her panic at bay. Jen couldn’t know anything yet.
“I’ve had no less than five phone calls from reporters asking me for an off-the-record confirmation of your location, and a federal agent stopped by the condo thirty minutes ago asking me strange questions about you. He gave me his card and told me to call if you checked in.” She whispered the last part of this as if that mattered. Callah didn’t really understand the FBI, but she had a pretty good idea that whispering wouldn’t make a difference if they were listening in.
Suddenly talking about that disaster of a kiss ranked dead last on her list of priorities.
Turning around she saw the anger and frustration on Riley’s face as he clicked from one news screen to another, and she could tell he knew. Whatever had the reporters calling Jen, the FBI stopping by, he knew the answers.
“Listen, Jen, I can’t really answer your questions right now. Just be careful.” She didn’t know why that last was so important. Jen was her friend. She hadn’t even liked Charlie. Surely she was safe.
“Be careful? Callah, are you okay? Do I need to call the police? I saw on the news that they can trace cell phone locations now.”
Callah almost said yes. If she said yes, it would all end. The California authorities would get involved and this would all be over. Riley’s photos of the dog walker showed local police. California police would be okay.
Only she didn’t know that. Charlie was dead, so was that other Callah Crenshaw, and the dog walker was in Burkette and she couldn’t reach her dad.
But with Riley, she suddenly realized, she felt safe. Secure.
Crazy.
He was reporter and she was the better shot, but here in his closed up lake house alone with him and his computer she felt safe.
“No, don’t call anyone.” She wasn’t sure it mattered now anyway. She’d have to tell Riley about the FBI. “I’ll call you later, Jen.”
She hung up the phone and took a deep breath. “What’s going on, Riley?” When she walked to his side, he moved to the Google screen.
“Was your dad involved in military intelligence, anything like that?”
Maybe she should just tell him now. Tell him what Jen said. But he was so focused on the question she decided to answer him first. “I don’t think he was. He was a teacher. Why? What’s going on with my dad?”
He typed her father’s name into the search field and pressed enter. Colonel Matthew Crenshaw. Retired Air Force.
No unusual returns. Just page after page about her father’s distinguished military career. But there was nothing normal about the look on Riley’s face.
“Riley? Tell me what’s going on. Tell me right now. Jen said reporters are calling her. An FBI agent stopped by her apartment. They’re looking for me.”
For him to pause now after everything else, she couldn’t imagine what his brother had said. Suddenly she didn’t want to know, but it was too late to take back the demand.
“Your dad’s been arrested on espionage charges. Rand says it will hit the news any minute.”
Disbelief hit Callah followed quickly by anger. “No. No that doesn’t make sense. Your brother’s wrong.”
He didn’t argue, just pulled up CNN and she read the headline.
“It can’t be true. Riley, my dad would never…” Her voice trailed off as she realized she didn’t know anything about the man she’d called her father.
“Oh my God.”
She
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