Page 41 of Critical Doubt

"I wanted to be a sniper like my dad. Before my mom died, he used to take me to the range to shoot. It was the one thing we did together, and I was really good at it."

He smiled at her candor. He'd liked how direct she'd been the first time they'd met. She hadn't played games. She'd made it clear she wanted him as much as he wanted her.

"But I'm happy with what I'm doing now," she added.

"And there isn't a small part of you that still wants your dad's love and respect?"

"Maybe a small part. He's my father. He's the only parent I have left. And I hate that I can't change his mind about me. But I also can't live my life for him. He certainly doesn't live his life for me."

"How was he with your mother?"

"He was loving and attentive. He wasn't overly affectionate, because that's not his style, but he supported her. He listened to her. He really adored her."

"I can't see your father adoring anyone. Was he closer to you when she was alive?"

"Not really. For a long time, I thought he was, but when I look back now, I realize my mom brought him into our world, but he was there for her, not for me. If he came to anything of mine, it was because she wanted him there."

"What was your mom like?"

"She was very creative. She liked to knit, crochet, and make quilts. She was into decorating. Our house was filled with pillows and paintings and cute knickknacks that she would find at craft fairs. She was sweet and generous. She volunteered at school. She made cookies with me. We had a lot of fun together. She loved me unconditionally. She was my biggest supporter."

Hearing the pain in her voice, he felt the need to apologize. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have brought her up. It makes you sad to talk about her."

"Actually, I'm glad you brought her up. No one else does. I haven't spoken about her in a long time and that makes me even more sad. I don't want to ever forget her. But as the years pass, sometimes my memories are hazy."

"You'll always remember the love."

"I will remember that." She met his gaze, then grabbed her phone as it began to vibrate. "It's a text from one of the techs on my team. I sent them the photo of the footprint. It came from a hiking boot, size twelve, male."

"That doesn't tell us a lot."

"No, but it's a piece of the puzzle that may make more sense at some point."

"How big is your team?"

"At the moment, we have eight agents, two analysts, a cyber expert and forensic specialist as well as an admin. It's a small enough team to be agile but big enough to cover more complex cases. Our specialty involves cases that usually have an undercover element."

"That sounds fun. What have you gone undercover as?"

"A lot of things. I've been an art dealer, an exporter, a chemist—that one was a little tricky—and I was also pretending to be pregnant at the time, which actually helped. I had a lot of morning sickness whenever I had to do something scientific. I've also been a pharmaceutical sales rep, and one of my favorite covers was as a flight attendant."

"What case required you to be a flight attendant?"

"Smuggling of classified corporate information. I worked on a private jet. It was very posh. Only the best champagne."

He gave her a thoughtful look. "It's funny that you left the military to be yourself, but in your current job, you're a lot of people."

"But not to please anyone. There's a difference. And since I've had a lot of practice being what people want me to be, I'm very good at blending in."

"That surprises me, because I think you stand out in any crowd."

She flushed a little at his comment. "That's a nice thing to say. But I can be very unnoticeable."

"Maybe if you put a bag over your head."

"I have put on some very ugly makeup on occasion. I do whatever it takes to get the job done. Fortunately, I have a great team that helps me make that happen."

"That's important." The pride in her voice reminded him of how he used to feel. "I had a good team, too. We were invincible. We never failed, until the last mission. Before that, our record was unbelievable. I guess we were due for a fall."

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