Page 85 of Morally Gray Daddies

There was another picture in the folder, too, separate from the rest. It showed a group of people, but only one of them was circled. A young woman who was not Sonja Delgado. Sandy-blonde hair, gray eyes almost blue, a freckled face turned slightly to the left… I took in all those things, but it wasn’t her physical features that held my attention. There was no questioning she was attractive, but what kept me focused on her was her stance, where she was looking. While the other people in the picture gazed forward toward the lens, her face was turned toward an older man at the edge of the group. He was tall, with graying beard and temples, distinguished-looking in a professorial way. The way she was looking at him, though; that was what I keyed in on. Where everyone else was concentrating on the camera, her gaze was fixed on him, the tiniest trace of a smile curling up the corners of her lips.

“This other girl…”

“Aubrey Taryn.”

“Who’s she?”

“A friend of the daughter’s from school. She’s staying at their home over break. When Mr. Delgado leaves for the weekend, she’ll remain behind with Sonja.”

“So, I’ll have two of them to contend with.”

“Are you really going to suggest you can’t deal with two twenty-three-year-old women at the same time?”

“Did I say that? I simply stated a fact.”

Colbie sighed. “Yes, Ric, you’ll have two of them to handle.”

Colbie was right; unless one of them had hidden skills I was unaware of, managing them wasn’t going to be an issue. And of the two of them, Sonja Delgado was the one I should be most concerned with, considering who her father was. However, it was the second girl who continued to hold my attention.

“So, this Aubrey… is she off-limits?”

“Not at all. She’s of no importance to the Agency. Consider her collateral damage, nothing more.”

Collateral damage.

“And how exactly do you want this message delivered?”

“I want Mr. Delgado to believe the Sinacola cartel has found out he’s been cooperating with the CIA, and that they’re displeased he’s chosen to do so. This displeasure must appear to originate with them rather than us. The particulars of how to accomplish that I leave in your capable hands. You know what’s desired; how you go about it I leave to your discretion.”

“And afterward… once I’ve delivered your message, is Sonja Delgado expendable?”

“No,” Colbie replied firmly. “We want the message delivered, but without bloodshed to his family. I want to be perfectly clear on that.”

“Okay. And Aubrey Taryn?”

“Expendable? I mean, if you feel it’s the appropriate thing to do, then that’s fine. She’s of no value to us.”

“Nooo,” I shook my head, “that’s where you’re wrong. She’s not only valuable; she’s a bonus.”

“A bonus?”

“Yes,” I replied with a tight smile.

“And one I intend to collect on.”

Chapter Four

Aubrey

“Such a waste.”

I looked over to find out what Sonja was complaining about now. Since her father had denied her idea of having a party over the weekend, there’d been a litany of things that were wrong.

“What now?”

“This!” She swept her hand the length of her bikini-clad body. “Me!”

“What are you talking about?”

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