Read Online The Memory Agent & Fool Me Once by Joany Kane - Free Book Online Page B

dressed in the jeans and tee shirt she had gotten
him.   She also can see the
heartbreak in his eyes even though he's trying to mask it.
    She turns to the dresser and notices that her bracelet is in a different
position.   She's bright, she knows what has caused the change in Duke.
    “Are we ready to go?”   She
asks.
    “Yeah. I’m ready to go.”
    Claire walks right past the bracelet, purposely leaving it on the
dresser.   Duke notices. Claire
leaves the room.   Duke follows.
    Claire drives while Duke sits silently in the passenger seat looking out
the window.  
    Duke's discovery of the tracking device hangs between them and even
though Claire purposefully left it behind to demonstrate her true feelings for
Duke, the trust has been broken.   Not
too mention the heart.
    “I have a pretty good idea what you're thinking.”   Claire says breaking the silence.  
    “I’m not so sure about that.”   Duke quips. That one sentence laced with so many different emotions.
    “Two people are dead, a newlywed and a mother.   Your brother killed them in cold blood.   And he left you in the alley to
die.   That's twice now he's left
you holding the bag and I don't think that's a coincidence. There's some motive
behind his actions that only you can discover.   Justice needs to be served, Duke.”
    “Then why did you leave the tracking device back at the motel?”
    “Because you have somehow become more important to me than anything
else.”  
    Duke stares out the window, expressionless.
    Back at the motel the SUV pulls into the parking lot and drives to the
room where Duke and Claire stayed.   Whitmore hops out of the vehicle and hurries into the room, the door is
wide open.
    Whitmore looks around.   He
sees Claire's bracelet on the dresser.   “Shit!”
    He makes a call.   “This is
Whitmore.   I need helicopter
reconnaissance asap for a
thirty to fifty mile radius west, north and east of mile marker four hundred
and seven on interstate five.”
    The Jaguar drives along a lonely, secluded, winding road.    The awkward silence is so thick
in the car a butter knife could slice it.
    Until Claire slams on the brakes, burning rubber to a complete stop in
the middle of the road, the back end of the car fishtailing to a halt.   There are no other cars around, but
that could change at any second.
    “What the hell are you doing ?!?” Duke hollers.
    “The moment I knew that I had completely crossed the line and that there
was turning back was the moment you could see again.   From that moment on, every single moment between us was
real.   I felt it.   I know you felt it and hopefully still
feel it.   I know I do.”
    Duke doesn't respond.   His
expression is blank.
    “Your brother is a killer, Duke.   Without any back-up I'm walking into a death
trap.   The hero ball is in your
court.   What
you’ve done in the past is over , you can’t change it .   But you have complete control over your
future.   It’s up to you.”
    Claire shifts gears and guns the car into drive like a drag racer
seconds before a log truck comes barreling up behind her.

 
    *****

 
    The jaguar pulls up and parks behind the jeep parked next to Haley and
Riker’s cabin.
    As Duke and Claire get out of the car, Haley and Riker appear on the
deck, guns cocked, aimed and pointed at Duke and Claire.
    “Some welcoming committee,” Duke quips.
    “Baby brother, welcome back from the dead.   Who's your friend?”
    “She's a cop.   I seen her at
the Last Chance, she's the one that busted Moose, ”   Haley informs Riker.
    “Is that right?   You a
cop?”   Riker asks Claire as he
leers at her with menace.
    “No I'm not,” She answers confidently.   “I'm special agent Claire Gray with the Federal Bureau of
Investigation, northwest branch.”
    Everyone looks stunned that she had the balls to answer so honestly.
    “My shield is in the glove compartment if you want to see it,” Claire
continues.
    “Well, ain't you got