Page 114 of Elusive Promise

"I'm coming with you."

"You can't, Jared." She saw the continued worry in his eyes. "I have to do this by myself. I need to hear what they've learned. I still have a job as an FBI agent, and I can't be scared of the people I work with. It sounds like they've figured out who was involved."

"Or they've found a scapegoat. You can't trust Vincent Rowland."

"No, I can't. But I need to play this out."

"Well, I'm coming with you—at least as far as the lobby." He put his hands on her hips. "I know you're a strong, independent, tough woman, but you're going to have to get used to the idea that I'm not going to be too far away."

"Until you have to be…when you eventually go back to work. We still have a lot to figure out, including whether we can find a place where we can both do our jobs."

He frowned. "I have some thoughts about that."

"What kind of thoughts?"

"Ones that are too long to get into now. You have a meeting to make."

* * *

Damon was waiting for her in a conference room with Deputy Director Peter Hunt and Vincent Rowland. Peter Hunt was in his early fifties with short, pepper-gray hair and brown eyes. She knew him only by reputation.

She drew in a hard breath as she shook their hands. She wasn't sure what was coming, but she was very interested to hear what they had to say.

"Agent Maxwell," Peter said, as they sat down at the table. "As you know, we've been trying to find the leak in the bureau since you were attacked early Saturday morning at our safe house."

"Have you done that?"

"We have," he indicated with a nod of his head. "It was an analyst by the name of Fatima Doyen. She grew up in Mumbai. She went to school with Isaac Naru."

"Really?" she asked, surprised by the revelation, and the very strong connection between Fatima and Isaac. "How did you find that out?"

Peter looked at Vincent. "Do you want to explain?"

"Yes," Vincent said. "First of all, I'd like to say that I'm very sorry you've been dealing with all this, Parisa, especially in the middle of everything going on with Jasmine. I'm very impressed with how you've handled yourself."

"Thank you. But I'm more interested in this analyst."

"I worked with Fatima's father many years ago. He was an FBI asset, who operated mostly out of Mumbai. But we also worked together in DC, when I was stationed there. I actually helped Fatima get her job when she joined the bureau three years ago."

"How do you know she's the one who was leaking information to Isaac?"

"I thought she was acting oddly, so I asked Peter to assign someone to tail her and get her phone and bank records. We found several large cash deposits in her account over the last two weeks, and she called Mr. Naru's cell phone two times in the past three days."

"That's damning. What does she have to say? Where is she? I want to talk to her."

"Unfortunately, that's not possible," Vincent said.

She frowned at his words. "Why not?"

"Because she killed herself early this morning. We went to her apartment to bring her in, and she was deceased, overdosed on pain pills. She left a note."

Peter pushed a file folder across the table to her. She opened it up and pulled out what appeared to be a photocopy.

The note was short and to the point:I can no longer live with myself after what I've done. I've betrayed the bureau and my country. Please know that I did what I did under duress and to protect friends that I have in Bezikstan. The only way I can bring honor back to my family is to no longer be alive to shame them. Fatima.

"May I see it?" Damon asked.

She pushed the note over to him, as she gazed back at Peter and Vincent. "Has the handwriting been analyzed?"

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