Page 100 of Fatal Betrayal

"I would hate to think that, especially if she's really Hannah, but she was at the store and she made the drop to Kristine. We have to consider that she's part of the operation. But when this is all over, we need to figure out who she really is, and whether she was forced into this." She paused. "Have you spoken to Neil and Claire?"

"Yes. They were shocked, horrified, and felt betrayed by Kristine and Daniel. Neil would like to talk to Cooper. At some point, he should give him a call."

"He will. What about Burnett?"

"It looks like Burnett had another identity with a bank account, social security number, the works. He moved significant amounts of money through that account. It's going to take some time to put it all together, but it looks like he was dirty."

"Was Burnett working with anyone else at the bureau?"

"Damon is investigating that. What's your next move? Or do you feel that you can't trust me enough to tell me?" he asked.

"I don't honestly know, Flynn. I'm thinking about everything I've learned. I heard two women speaking Russian at the boutique, and I know Kristine was from Belarus. I'm thinking this could be some kind of international baby trafficking ring."

"But why kidnap a high-profile baby like Elisa?"

"Maybe Kristine was planted with the Benedicts in order to get access to Elisa, or maybe she was just bribed to look the other way?"

"But why Elisa?" Flynn persisted. "Her parents and grandparents are well-connected. They have money, a level of celebrity, and public interest. Why not go after a child who would draw less attention?"

"That's what we have to figure out."

"We're going to keep working on our end. Are you safe for now?"

"I think so," she said.

"You can trust me, Andi. You can trust your team. I realize that some facts are pointing to the contrary, but we have your back."

"I believe you, Flynn, but my gut tells me that for now, it's better if I just trust myself."

"What about Bradford?" Flynn challenged. "Are you sure you can trust him? Maybe he's the one feeding your location to people. He hates law enforcement. He had a run-in with Burnett a few weeks ago. Don't forget that."

At Flynn's words, she locked eyes with Cooper. He gazed back at her as he leaned against the counter, folding his arms across his broad chest.

"I haven't forgotten anything. I'll check in with you later, Flynn." She ended the call, her gaze still on Cooper.

"Did Flynn plant a seed of doubt in your mind?" he asked, giving her a sharp look.

CHAPTERTWENTY-THREE

"No,"Andi said firmly. "If I didn't trust you, Cooper, I wouldn't be here with you. And we've been through the same barrage of fire. But I do wonder why you're sticking with me, because you could be on a plane to Bora Bora right now and far, far away from this mess."

A smile lifted his lips. "Bora Bora sounds sweet. You and me on a beach with some fancy drinks. I could get behind that."

She had to admit she liked that picture, too. "We're a long way from any beach."

"Maybe we go after all this."

That was a future she couldn't contemplate right now. "Maybe," she said with a noncommittal shrug. "I can't think that far ahead. I'm going upstairs. Since we're here, I might as well check my boxes."

"The pizzas will be ready in twenty minutes."

"Good. After that, we should leave and find another location. In the meantime, let's try not to announce our presence here."

"I wasn't planning on throwing a party and we have another hour or two of daylight, so we don't need to turn anything on. Most of the blinds were closed already, so unless someone saw us drive in here, I think we're good."

His logic was sound, but without knowing how they were being tracked so easily, she didn't want to relax too much. But it was nice to take a little breather and regroup and the smell of the pizza cooking was making her hungry. Getting to her feet, she left the kitchen and moved down the hall.

There were a lot of things that were different in the house. The floral wallpaper and family photographs that had once been up in the hall were gone, replaced by more white paint and minimalistic art. A peek into the living room and dining room revealed the same sensibility. The rooms felt very different now. Her father certainly hadn't put up any reminders of the family he'd once had, the daughter he supposedly loved. She was nowhere in this house, except maybe in some boxes he wanted to get rid of. That seemed sadly ironic.

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