Page 59 of Girl Betrayed

He pulled out his notepad and flipped to a new page. “Different how?”

Claire perked up. “You’ll help me find him?”

“Unofficially,” he warned. “Now tell me what you know.”

When Claire finished her lengthy description, Jake snapped his notebook shut. “I’ll make sure this gets into the right hands.”

“Wait, you’re not going to look for him?”

“Claire, I can’t, and neither can you. If the DOJ catches us poking around, things could get a whole lot worse.”

“How? We didn’t do anything wrong.”

“A US Congressman was murdered. The DOJ is out for blood, they don’t necessarily care whose. In cases like these it’s guilt by association and the whole party goes down. That’s why I’m doing everything I can to keep you as far away from their investigation as possible.”

Claire crossed her arms, her frustration clear.

“I know you’re worried about your friend, but I need you to trust me. I’ve got some contacts who can look into Max discreetly.” Jake stood up and walked over to his desk. He came back after rummaging around in his drawers. “Here, I know you lost yours in the fire,” he said, handing Claire a burner. “I’ve got the number. If I hear anything, I promise, you’ll be my first call.”

Claire powered on the phone. “Can I call Betty in case she’s heard anything about Max?”

“Yeah. You can use conference room B down the hall if you want some privacy.”

“Thanks.”

Claire left the room and Dana stood, ready to follow, but Jake stopped her. “Let’s give her a minute.”

“I don’t think that’s the best idea. Betty might not be the best influence based on what I saw at St. Ann’s today.”

“I took the necessary precautions,” Jake said, holding up his phone. “That phone has an app that transmits location and conversations directly to me.”

Dana’s eyes widened. “Did you do that to my phone, too?”

He grinned and grabbed her hips, pulling her closer. “That would certainly make my life easier, wouldn’t it?”

Dana leaned into his touch, letting her fingers glide over his cheek. “I didn’t know you were going to shave.”

Jake rubbed his smooth jawline. “The Bureau might actually be worse than the Army when it comes to keeping up appearances.”

“That’s a shame,” she admitted. “I liked the beard.”

“Roger that,” Jake grinned, tipping her lips up to meet his.

“Jake …” she pulled away. “We talked about this.”

He exhaled, letting his forehead fall to Dana’s momentarily while he collected himself. “Right. It’s just been a day.”

“Still nothing on your father?” she asked.

Jake shook his head. “It’s like tracking a ghost.”

“Well, now you’re talking about my area of expertise,” she offered. “Want some help?”

“Thanks, but I’ve got some calls into my old contacts. It’s a Hail Mary, but that’s where I’m at right now.”

Dana slipped her hand into his. “Don’t lose hope.”

“I think I needed to hear that.” He squeezed her hand. “Thank you for being here. It means more than you know.”

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