Page 27 of Elling & Jackie

Chapter 11

Jackie jolted uprightand threw the cover off her. She remembered where she'd seen Mr. Campbell.

Grabbing her phone, she called her oldest brother.

"Jackie?" answered Jett.

"When I was in high school, there was a Federal Agent who talked to you and Chief." She rubbed her eyes, trying to make sense of the thoughts that had come to her while she tried to sleep. "He had short brown hair, cut in a crewcut because it looks like he's going bald."

"How long ago?"

"I don't know, eight years ago, maybe," she said.

"Sis, there's been a lot of agents walking into my life over the years."

She rubbed the tension out of her brows. "It was...I think Thorn was...away. He wasn't there. It was you and Chief. I'm not sure where Olin was, but he wasn't there either."

They never spoke of anyone's prison sentence because there were always children involved. It was better to say they were away. That way, the kids knew their dad was coming home.

"Do you need an answer now?" Jett paused. "It's two o'clock in the morning."

"It's important."

"Why?"

"There's a man at the hotel who looks familiar. I had chalked it up to seeing hundreds of guests come through the door, but tonight, something reminded me of the agent that came to the clubhouse, and I swear, it's this guy." She reached over for the bottle of water beside her bed and stuck the container between her thighs and undid the cap one-handed. "I could give you the name, but I'd like you to say it first. If I'm wrong, well, there's the whole privacy act about keeping the information of the guests secure."

"Jackie..." Jett scoffed. "Since when does that matter when it comes to Brikken?"

"Don't start." She drank from the water bottle.

Several seconds passed with Jett not saying anything. She knew he would only speak when he wanted, and since she was up, she had all night to find the answer to her question. Once she'd finally gone to bed, she ran through the conversation between Elling and Mr. Campbell. Something stood out to her, but she couldn't pinpoint what until she realized the way they spoke was similar to how Jett and Chief had spoken to every Federal Agent that contacted them when she was around.

She could remember at least three times that had happened. There were probably many more times she wasn't even aware of. But the Brikken men had a way of not saying anything and barely acknowledging an agent when questioned.

"This is going on memory since I'm at home and not at the clubhouse," said Jett.

"That's fine."

"There were a couple. Ravena and Campbell. Half the time, though, they use aliases. The Feds don't like to give out their real names."

Her pulse accelerated, and she set down the bottle. "No...that's good. Thanks."

"Wait the hell up." Jett growled over the phone. "Are you saying there's an agent staying at the hotel?"

"I'm not saying anything." She stilled, putting all her energy into what she told him next. "I would never jeopardize the family."

"I don't like this," he muttered. "Is he watching you?"

"No." She was sure that Campbell was here for another reason. "So, hey, I'm driving up Friday night. I should arrive home around one o'clock in the morning."

"You're not driving alone that late. I'll send someone down to following you."

"It's okay. I already told mom I was coming." She sat back down on the bed.

"Johanna doesn't make the rules." Jett yawned. "Is that all?"

"Yep, I'm good. I'll let you go now. Sorry about waking you."

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