Part 22 (2/2)
”Relax, Chapman. I said no. We're tracking down a lead.”
”What lead?”
”I'd rather not say. It's based on a rumor, and it's highly personal. Politically sensitive information.”
”Oh, I see. You wouldn't want the Secret Service to hear something like that.” Sarcasm practically dripped from the phone.
”Glad you agree.” As much as he enjoyed jerking Chapman's chain, he couldn't blame the man for being angry. No one was as privy to the private lives of politicians, and as discrete about it, as the Secret Service. Grudgingly, Drew threw him a bone.
”If it turns out to be true, you'll be the first to know. I just want to check it out.”
A few seconds of silence followed, during which Chapman was probably seething and kicking puppies. Drew's gaze was distracted by Lauren as she exited the ladies' room and walked toward him. Long, shapely legs moved in a provocative rhythm, and her hips swayed sensuously beneath her new sundress. Allowing Lauren time to change into her new clothes had been well worth the delay.
He kissed her cheek and lifted a finger.
”Chapman? You still there?”
”Yeah,” the gruff voice rumbled. ”Listen, Creighton. We found that bank employee who deposited the bribe money.”
It could be the break they were looking for. ”Excellent! Did he tell you who put him up to it?”
”He couldn't. We fished him out of the Potomac last night. Took a bullet to the head, execution style.”
He tried not to let Lauren see the panic that twisted his gut into knots. ”s.h.i.+t.”
”Yeah. These guys aren't playing nice and you're out there taking too many chances. Just tell me where you are.”
”You know where we are. You followed us.”
”The h.e.l.l I did. How important do you think you are, Creighton?”
Despite the warm sun, an icy tendril wormed its way down Drew's spine. Keeping his voice calm, he asked, ”You didn't have anyone follow us to the hotel and the airport?”
”What? The airport? h.e.l.l, no. I can't spare agents to follow some dumba.s.s civilian when I've got a U.S. senator missing and possibly in danger. Are you telling me you left Was.h.i.+ngton?”
Drew sucked in a deep breath, and let it out slowly. ”We're in Florida. Two men were watching our car in the hotel parking lot. I thought they were your boys.”
The anger was suddenly gone, and Chapman's tone was clipped and professional. ”How do you know someone was watching your car?”
”I didn't go down and ask them, but two guys sat in a black Ford for a couple hours this morning with a clear view of our car.”
”Your car. That would be the Volvo?”
Drew thought he detected a bit of taunting behind the question. ”Yeah, congratulations, you caught me. Forget the car. Who were the two guys, Chapman?”
”Did you get a plate?”
”No.” d.a.m.n. ”I didn't think I had to. The guy at the front desk said they flashed Secret Service ID.”
Drew listened to a couple seconds of silence before Chapman responded. ”I don't know, but I'll look into it.”
It was all he was going to get for now. ”Make it quick,” Drew said, then broke the connection and shoved the phone in his pocket. Having an unidentified tail in addition to the blond guy was worrisome. And if the two guys were were Secret Service, wouldn't Chapman know about it? Secret Service, wouldn't Chapman know about it?
”What's wrong?” Lauren asked.
”Nothing. Agent Chapman doesn't know who was watching us at the hotel. It's probably just a couple of low-level agents his boss sicced on us without telling him. He's going to find out, just to put my mind at ease.” He downplayed it, satisfied that he wasn't lying.
She watched him closely. ”You wouldn't be one of those guys who'd keep stuff from the little lady as part of some misguided protective instinct, would you?”
Drew smiled. He didn't want her to worry, but he liked that she read him so well. ”Yes, I would.”
”That's sweet. Don't do it, okay?”
He considered carefully before nodding. ”Okay.”
”Is there anything else you're not telling me for my own good?”
He hesitated, then said it. ”They found the bank employee. Dead.”
She swallowed, then nodded. ”Anything else?”
”No.”
”Is the car ready?”
Drew tossed her the keys. ”Red, like you wanted. It's over there.”
She turned, the first hint of a smile returning to her face. It might be forced, but he was glad to see it.
He hadn't wanted to tell her about the murdered bank employee. He hadn't wanted to cause those worry lines on her forehead as she steered the car onto Daniels Parkway. But he respected her need to know the truth. The Mustang convertible couldn't take away the worry, but for a short time he could at least pretend they were carefree. He relaxed in the pa.s.senger seat, enjoying his view of Lauren as much as he enjoyed the hot Florida sun on his bare arms.
An hour later they were on Sanibel, cruising slowly past Senator McNabb's front gates for the third time. With a security fence and heavy vegetation screening the house, they couldn't see much more than the garage. But at least no one in the house could see the red Mustang prowling back and forth either.
A man they a.s.sumed to be the senator's husband had loaded up golf clubs and driven off earlier. Ideally, they should talk to Senator McNabb while her husband was gone, but she still wasn't alone. For the past hour, two teenage boys had been hanging out near the open garage, was.h.i.+ng a Jeep Cherokee and cleaning its interior.
Lauren smacked her hand on the steering wheel. ”Why didn't we think of this? I pictured her being alone down here. Naturally, her family would be here, this is their home. home. How can we talk to her while they're around?” How can we talk to her while they're around?”
”Awkward.” Drew agreed. ”'h.e.l.lo, Mr. McNabb. Is your wife at home? We'd like to speak with her about her marital infidelities. Won't take but a minute.' That would put him off his golf game for sure.”
”d.a.m.n, those boys are meticulous. Must be picking up a couple girls,” Drew added, admiring the clean Jeep as the boys finally started the SUV.
”Well, I hope they get out of here it's soon. We can't keep cruising around like this. Someone's going to get suspicious.”
”We can say we're checking out property, considering buying a vacation condo.”
”In my dreams.”
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