Part 10 (2/2)
”You promise me the moon until you feel you're safe. Then you run to whoever your supervisor is and start clearing your conscience about how close you came to making a pact with the devil. It will most probably land you a commendation or two and a big promotion.”
”What makes you think I won't do just that?”
Cain started unb.u.t.toning her coat and chose to sit next to Shelby this time. ”You have guts, Shelby. That'll get you commendations enough. To answer your question, though, you could do that, which will get us to retaliate in some way, even if it's from a jail cell. Something like dropping by on Mr. Daniels and seeing how he and your mom are enjoying retirement. I mean, what's one more indictment in the realm of all things?”
”You're a monster.”
”Maybe so, but like I said, little girl, know the game, its rules, but most importantly, the penalties that come from playing with the big dogs.”
”What do you want?”
”Goodwill toward men.”
Shelby looked at the serious face and tried not to laugh. Considering her situation, humor should have been the last thing she felt. The woman trying to make her feel better had, after all, just threatened her parents. But when Cain winked, the stress broke something inside her and she started laughing, though it quickly turned to tears.
”Shelby, I don't want to hurt you, and I'd like to leave your old man to build more of his model boats. This isn't why we're here. I want you, as a favor to me, to go home and forget about tonight. If you have to give a location, say it was Biloxi for a card game. Unless you're good and were able to send up smoke signals before you left town, no one with your team even knows you're gone.”
”You don't have any respect for authority, do you?”
”Give yourself time, and with time comes skill. When you get to that level and you start to worry me, that I'll respect. As for the people you work with, none whatsoever.”
”My career's over, so it doesn't matter, does it? I didn't do all this to become a mole or a puppet right out of the gate.”
”Darlin', you need to work on those cliches, and why don't you listen to the rest of what I've got to say before you go hanging up your spurs.”
She laughed again and started to protest the blatant use of cliches.
Cain grinned. ”I couldn't resist.”
”I forget about tonight, and what else?”
”Somewhere down the line you'll get a phone call, and the caller will bring to light a different avenue to investigate. All I'm asking is that you do your job and look into what you'll be told.”
”Trying to put some of your compet.i.tion out of work?”
”It's not what you think, so no info on any less-than-reputable citizens, I promise.
She was skeptical. The job and her scruples were important to her. ”That's it?”
”That's it.” Cain held out her hand. ”Shake and you've got a binding contract and also a promise you'll get home safe to Coots tonight.”
”You know my cat's name?” Shelby was thinking the government would do well to fire Barry and hire Cain to teach a few cla.s.ses.
”It's the turtle's name I haven't been able to get yet.”
”I don't have a pet turtle.”
Cain snapped her fingers. ”That would explain it, then.”
”Why couldn't you be a nice accountant I could bring home and introduce to my mother?” She gripped Cain's arm again, only this time she felt like caressing it.
”You wouldn't find me this interesting if I crunched numbers for a living. Admit it.”
”True, but as one of the senior agents in the New Orleans office is fond of saying, dating you wouldn't be a career-advancing move.”
”But think of the fun you'd have if you took a walk with the devil in the moonlight. What do you say, Agent Daniels. Do we have a deal?”
”There's nothing like being painted into a corner.” She laughed, then reached over and ran her fingers along Cain's jawline. ”Sorry, I couldn't resist. I get to live out the night?”
”You have my word.”
”Then yes, we've got a deal. I never really thought my fieldwork would end so quickly.”
Cain looked confused as to why she would say that. ”Do you think I'm going to post your picture on the gangster Web page?”
”The thought does seem reasonable, you have to agree.”
”Shelby, I wouldn't recommend you take any other plane trips with Vincent to plant these babies.” Cain dropped the minute listening devices into her palm and pressed her hand closed. ”And I'll have a hard time forgetting such a pretty face, but the only way someone else will blow your cover is to do their homework like I did. It won't be because I sold you out. Despite my less-than-reputable ways, I understand you have a job to do. You've worked hard to get here, and I'm not about to mess that up for you.”
”You're something else, Cain Casey.” As their time together drew to a close, Shelby felt like she had run up a mountain carrying a boulder on her shoulders. ”Thank you for not recommending he just toss me out.”
”You're welcome, and you be careful from now on. The world's full of big bad wolves waiting for pretty sheep to come along.”
”I'm a trained agent, Cain, hardly sheep material.”
”Uh-huh. Does the term 'fish food' hold any meaning for you?”
Shelby laughed and thanked the heavens Cain had asked for so little in return. Gazing into the beautiful blue eyes any longer would have made it easy to forget which side she was on. ”Point taken.”
”Good, and good night.” Cain reached for her coat and started to get ready to leave. The deal had taken longer than she thought, and she would be pus.h.i.+ng it to get back before the good citizens of Haywood were awake and witness material. It was a safe bet to say helicopters dropping off outlaws at the feed store weren't normal occurrences in the small farming town.
”Cain, I hope I get to see you again under better circ.u.mstances, but I do want to thank you. I had no idea you two had made me.”
”Rookie mistake, Shelby. You'll get better, I promise. I was impressed when I read your jacket, but don't believe Barry when he says all of us are idiots.”
”How did you know?”
”I have a few tricks of my own.” Cain smiled once more and moved to the door.
Shelby stopped her and pulled her down for a thank-you kiss. It was out of character for her, but at the moment she felt like celebrating life. ”I won't forget what you did tonight.”
Cain nodded, and they both made their way back to Vincent.
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