Page 32 of Wired Strong

Marcella pulled herself together and chose a booth at the back. Highly unlikely that anyone from either of their cases would show up to listen in on this conversation, but it was better that the restaurant was empty.

Marcella was sipping a glass of iced tea when Sophie came in. Her friend’s bright brown eyes found Marcella’s across the room—and then her gaze dimmed, as Sophie was slammed by the same memory Marcella’d had.

Maybe this café had not been a good choice after all.

Sophie walked over and sat down across from Marcella. Her beautiful scarred face had settled into a familiar neutral mask. “It’s been a long time since I had these noodles.” Sophie picked up the slightly greasy laminated menu, but Marcella could tell she wasn’t reading it.

Marcella reached a hand across the table to take Sophie’s.

“I’m sorry that I brought you here. I forgot that the last time we ate here, Jake was with us.”

Sophie nodded, but she didn’t look up. Her glass had beaded with moisture and a wedge of lemon floated on top. She picked it up and took a sip. “Thank you for ordering me fresh water.”

Marcella let go of Sophie’s hand. “I wasn’t sure if you’d be having caffeine.”

“I can’t do without my morning cup of tea, but I’m cutting down the rest of the day.” Sophie set the menu aside as the cook came over.

“Nice to see you ladies again. Been a while. You going up against any interesting contenders, Sophie?”

Another thing Marcella had forgotten—the cook followed Sophie’s amateur MMA fighting.

Sophie shook her head. “Those days are over for me. I’m having a baby.”

The man’s face broke into a wide grin. “Sweet! Your noodles are on the house.” He switched his attention to Marcella. “Yours, however, are not.”

Marcella laughed. “I’ll remember that when I’m pregnant,” she teased, shaking a finger at him. “You know what I like. The everything-on-it saimin bowl.”

“And I’ll have the Thai curry noodles,” Sophie said.

“Uh-huh, the usual.” He made a note on his pad, and bustled off.

Marcella took a fortifying sip of her iced tea. “How are you doing?”

“I’m glad to have a new case to keep me from obsessing too much on things that cannot be changed.” Sophie shrugged. “I won’t bore you with the forensic accounting details. You?”

“We’ve got cases rolling around the office, but then we always do. I want to talk to you about my current investigation. That’s why I asked for this get-together.” Marcella took another sip of her tea, and met Sophie’s eyes. “I’m on the task force that is trying to bring in Connor, Pim Wat, and the Master.”

Sophie froze, her eyes widening. “I presume you have a reason for that.”

“I’ve made no secret of believing Connor is a dangerous criminal who has the capacity to derail your life. His activities have already caused you stress, and the risk of being caught up in the manhunt for him is dangerous. I’m doing this because I love you and want you to be safe.”

Sophie frowned. “We agreed to disagree about my relationship with him. I thought you trusted my judgment.”

“I do trust your judgment. But he’s in deep with your mother, whom neither of us trust, and the Master—God only knows whathisagenda is.” Marcella drew a breath and mustered her thoughts. “Even if Connor has good intentions toward you, and I believe that, based on how he rescued you and Jake when no one else could—I just think he’s in too deep with those other two, and they are dangerous as hell.” Marcella took a sip of iced tea, holding up a hand to pause Sophie’s response. “I’ll cut to the chase, because I don’t want this talk to degenerate into an argument. I would like to see if you can turn Connor to help us. Have him capture Pim Wat for the task force. The Master, too, though honestly, the team has little or no proof of wrongdoing against that man, though they suspect he’s behind several government coups. They would be content with capturing Pim Wat. I have a green light to negotiate immunity for Connor, if he can bring her in.” Marcella met Sophie’s eyes. “Connor could be a free man. Reinstated in the United States under his real identity—whatever that is.”

Sophie’s gaze was intense. “You realize you’re asking me to betray my mother, and the equivalent of my stepfather.”

“That woman snatched your newborn infant and killed six men who were trying to rescue her!” Marcella exclaimed; her voice raised enough that other guests who had begun filling the restaurant looked in their direction. Marcella pulled herself together and leaned forward across the table. “You told me that she and the Master came to Phi Ni to ask your forgiveness and make peace. But do you really think she meant it? Do you really think that the baby you carry is safe from her?”

“No,” Sophie whispered. Her tawny skin had paled as the conversation progressed. One of her hands slid down protectively over her abdomen. “No. I don’t trust my mother to have my best interests at heart.”

“As long as that woman breathes air on this planet, you and those you love are in danger,” Marcella said. “I’m speaking hard truths today, Soph. Pim Wat is a cancer that needs to be cut out.”

“I know that,” Sophie said. “I wanted to believe that she meant her words on the island. But there was something . . . something not right about it. I do know one thing. She will not be taken alive. She tried to kill herself when I captured her before, by throwing herself down a flight of stairs. That’s what ruined her face.”

“And this is not just about you and your children. Didn’t Pim Wat swear that she’d kill Armita, too?”

“Yes.” Sophie’s nanny had been Pim Wat’s handmaid for close to twenty years. She’d taken Momi from Pim Wat and returned the baby to Sophie, an act Pim Wat considered betrayal.

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