Page 81 of Girl Betrayed

He shrugged. “Maybe we’re just old news. You still want air?” he asked, changing the subject.

Accusation hung between them, and Claire wasn’t sure how to respond. She peered around him, to see Dana sitting at her desk, lamp light glowing in the predawn hours. It seemed no one had gotten any sleep.

“Maybe later,” Claire finally answered, beginning to close the door but Jake’s boot stopped her.

“We need to talk,” he said, handing her a jacket. “I think it’s best if we get some air.”

They stood on Dana’s back porch. It was smaller than the brownstone’s ornate street facing facade with all its imposing stone and columns, but the narrow overhang sheltered Claire and Jake from the dampness that hung in the chill spring air.

There was no furniture on the back porch, just a few potted plants in need of attention. Claire leaned up against the house, arms wrapped tightly around the borrowed peacoat she wore. She had her own jacket in her room, but Jake hadn’t offered her the chance to grab it.

He stood there silently watching her with his intimidating ‘Special Agent’ stare. He was waiting for her to talk first, but she wasn’t going to. If he wanted to accuse her of something, he could, but she wasn’t foolish enough to divulge information he was only guessing at.

Jake exhaled loudly, ending their silent stalemate. “You’re going to make me ask, aren’t you?”

“Ask what?”

“For the truth.”

Claire did her best to calm her breathing, but it was hard with Jake looking at her like that. She’d seen him look at criminals that way. It hurt more than she liked to admit. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Give it a rest, Claire. I know you didn’t slip out the window for ‘some air,’” he said, his fingers making mocking air quotes.

“What do you want from me, Jake?”

“Let’s start with the truth.”

69

Jake could dothis all day—he hated it—but he would do it.Hadto do it.

He considered Claire family, but the moment he caught her in a lie, something shifted. This was him giving her the chance to shift it back.

He was hoping like hell she’d just admit the truth so they could go back to the way they were meant to be—him, Dana, and Claire—on the right side of justice.

Jake wasn’t sure what was going on with Claire, but he knew they needed to work together before this case tore them apart.

He hated being suspicious of her, especially after chastising Dana for the same thing. Granted he had proof Claire was keeping things from them, whereas Dana had just been buying into Dvita’s propaganda. But that did little to assuage the sting of betrayal he felt staring into Claire’s unblinking blue eyes.

The fact remained; she was hiding something. And it was Jake’s duty to get to the bottom of it. “Tell me where you really went.”

She didn’t answer.

“Really, you’re gonna plead the fifth?” He pulled out his phone. “You know, I can just see for myself.” It was true, but Jake hoped the threat would be enough.

As expected, Claire cracked, her icy exterior faltering the moment Jake pulled out his phone. “Did you tap my phone? That’s illegal.”

“It’s my phone,” Jake replied. “You just borrowed it.”

Claire pulled her phone from her pocket, staring at it like it might bite her.

“Let’s try this again. Where did you go and why?”

“I thought you already knew everything,” she shot back defiantly.

Jake closed the distance between them. Towering over Claire he went into interrogation mode and didn’t hold back. “What I know is that you snuck out after I told you not to, you lied about using the window, you went to a coffee shop in midtown to meet Betty. Then you walked a few blocks over, where you met, I’m going to guess, Max. Which means you know where he’s hiding. How’d I do?”

Claire was trembling, back pressed against the wall as she stared up at him. “What is this, the Federal Bureau of Intimidation? You don’t even have a badge. What right do you have to interrogate me?”

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