Page 43 of Operation: Sharp Angel

“Jackson and I can go get it right now,” Tessman said. “Give the dealership a call back and let them know I’ll be picking it up.”

“So, am I basically confined to this building?” Becca asked.

“More or less, yes,” Tessman replied.

“It’s easier for us to protect you this way,” Jackson interjected. “Why risk it if you absolutely don’t need to go anywhere? And the dealership to pick up your car? That’s something we can easily do for you.”

“I get it,” Becca said. “I’m just used to handling my affairs myself.”

“We know you are,” Tessman said. “This is temporary.”

“Okay,” Becca relented. “Hey, did you get any information from your field-trip to Well-Life?”

“Not really,” Tessman said. “We have a few things to run by you, which we’ll do when we get back with your car.”

“Okay. I’ll call the dealership now.”

“We’ll be back soon,” Tessman said. And then he and Jackson retreated back down the hallway towards the elevator and stairwell.

“I’ve added you to my phone,” Briana told Becca. “I’ll be in touch after eight and let you know how my conversation goes with the client.”

“Will you actually be talking with her?”

“No, texting. She doesn’t risk talking on the phone with her husband in the house. She has a burner she keeps hidden. I’ve emailed with her and text messaged, and actually spoken with her once,” Briana volunteered.

“Please ask her if there are any other terms she wants in the divorce papers. I’m assuming sole custody with supervised visitation and the standard financial terms she’s entitled to after twelve years of marriage. But if there’s anything else, I’d like to include it in the first draft that he will be served with.”

“And you’ll remain as her divorce attorney throughout?” Briana again asked. It had been discussed in Shepherd’s office.

“Yes.” She paused and then smiled at Angel. “I guess I’m going to be this client’s divorce attorney. I’ll trust Colonel Shepherd with the payment for my services as he asked me to.”

Angel smiled. “You can trust Shepherd,” she guaranteed. “And these clients really need someone like you who cares and will represent them well.”

“I have to study case law more in depth, not sure this is really the best time for me to take this on.”

“I’ve always believed that where our lives lead us, when unplanned, is divine intervention,” Angel said with a smile.

“Ah, you’re an eternal optimist,” Becca teased her.

“I am,” Angel confirmed. “I’ll tell you why sometime, over a glass of wine.”

“I’ll hold you to that!” Becca said.

Lima

Becca turned the speed on the machine up a couple of notches and settled into a comfortable yet challenging rhythm, running on the treadmill. Beside her, Briana ran at full speed on the one she used. After Carter and Jackson returned from the dealership, Carter helped her go through the contents of the boxes, most of it taken from the office at her sister’s house.

The time she spent with him was always easy. She appreciated how laid back he was. Unfortunately, the attraction she felt for him only increased as she spent more time with him. She knew that the last thing that should be on her mind right now was a man, a man who does a dangerous job.

They scrutinized every item, every document, every scrap of paper, and nothing. Nothing that looked suspicious, certainly nothing that anyone would kill an entire family over. Becca was starting to think that Nick and/or Nicole left no clues behind. Whoever searched for it had to be under the mistaken belief that they had.

Tessman told her about the visit to Well-Life. She couldn’t believe that the woman from HR had said Nick didn’t get her mother’s vacated position because he was abrasive. No, that was categorically a lie! The supervisor was the one telling the truth between the two of them. Then Carter was called into a meeting in Colonel Shepherd’s office, and she was left with nothing more to go through. That was when Briana came into the rec room, asking Becca if she wanted to go to the gym to work out with her. The gym was in the basement of the building.

Becca immediately took her up on it. Becca had some clothes that would work to exercise in. Briana went to the apartment on the ninth floor with her and waited while she changed. Then they took the elevator to the second sub-basement level and Briana showed her the well-appointed private gym for agency personnel and the amazing woman’s locker room, complete with all the toiletries she’d need. When Becca saw the hot tub, she wished she would have brought a bathing suit.

“Shepherd provides only the best for his people,” Briana had said.

That was when Becca learned how Briana had been offered a position at the agency only four months earlier. While they warmed up on the treadmills, Briana had also told her about her boyfriend, Sebastian, who worked for the agency, and how he’d been part of a team who was investigating Briana’s brother when they met. Her brother was cleared of any wrongdoing and he too worked for the agency now as a member of the Digital Team.

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