Page 15 of Fearless
Leanna had six siblings at one point in time, but being part of a family of firefighters has unintended consequences. Her oldest sister, Isabella, died fighting a fire in Afghanistan, and Isabella’s twin sister, Callidora, works for Shining Knight as a forensic arson expert.
“And that’s a bad thing?” I ask, more casually than I feel at the moment.
“Less exciting for sure, but not bad—per se. I just know that when I duked it out with my brothers or sisters,we were closer after the dust settled and the bruises healed.”
“I, for one, am grateful that Harper won’t be having to ice a black eye tonight,” I say.
The waitress, Heather, comes over and takes our order. We ask for a round of ice waters and specialty drinks for the ladies. Heather scrunches her nose and says in a condescending tone, “We don’t have a kids’ menu here. Our drinks are pre-made with alcohol.”
Leanna wipes her mouth with the napkin and goes into full paramedic mode. “Then make them according to your customer’s wishes. A dash of juice here, a little blend of ice there. Not everyone enjoys losing their inhibitions and going hog wild like they’re on spring break. Also, did you know that there are people who can have an allergic reaction to alcohol that can turn deadly? Man, can you imagine the lawsuit on something like that? Woo wee!”
“I’ll see what the bartenders can do,” Heather replies and spins on her heels.
“What did we miss?” Harper asks as she and Jessie join us. Elijah and I immediately stand to pull out their seats.
“Nothing much,” I say nonchalantly. “A little posturing, nothing more.”
Harper’s back becomes rigid. “Posturing?” she asks.
“Yeah. The waitress was giving us grief about ordering non-alcoholic drinks,” I reply. Harper’s and Jessie’s shoulders both relax a fraction until Carter speaks up.
“Don’t worry. We weren’t taking on bets about who would win the brawl we thought was sure to happen between the two of you,” he says.
“Or trying to get video,” Leanna amends.
Jessie and Harper both chuckle, but Jessie speaks up first. “I’m willing to go toe-to-toe with Harper and see what she’s got, but…”
Harper doesn’t back down. “Tomorrow morning, bright and early, on the beach in front of our cabana. The first one to tap out buys drinks.”
“The resort is all-inclusive, Harper. The drinks are free,” Jessie says with a grin.
Harper nudges me. “Tell them your theory about my parents.”
Now that Jessie and Harper have re-engaged their communication devices, we can talk just above a whisper and not be overheard. The piano playing behind us is muted, even though I’m really enjoying the music.
“Are you sure? You didn’t seem to agree with me earlier,” I ask Harper.
“I’m sure. I’m too close to this situation to be fully objective,” she says.
I take the next few minutes to lay out my rationale for Robert Finnegan using his real name when booking this resort. I leave out the fact that Eloise is a prior agent and an active asset.
Carter steeples his fingers under his chin, and his brows furrow deep in thought. “I can see where you might think that, but then I have to wonder why he didn’t bring agents with him. It’s pretty risky to try and draw out criminals without any backup.”
I nod in agreement. “That’s a valid point.Even if Robert didn’t have any backup staying on the premises, he would have had them close by. Can you coordinate with Jerry and have him search the FBI database to see what cases Robert was involved in? Have him narrow down the search parameters to anything in the last three months.”
Harper gasps. “You can’t just go poking around in the FBI database all willy-nilly because you want information. There are appropriate channels we need to go through.”
“You mean like getting explicit permission from Director Marshall Whitman? I believe he gave it to us when he authorized us to join in the investigation. You didn’t leave him much choice, Harper,” I say, slightly exasperated. I’ve done things by the book for two decades, but I have found that asking forgiveness often works out better than asking for permission, especially when the end results work out in everyone’s favor. “Even if we were to access the servers through a back door, anything we find would have to be turned over to the FBI. However, in this case, we aren’t circumnavigating any procedural guidance and have permission to access the database.”
Harper’s shoulders relax only a little. “I’m sorry. It just sounded like you were suggesting that Jerry hack the FBI servers.”
I was, in a way. I don’t really care if we have permission or not when it comes to finding my friend, but Jerry knows how to cover his tracks if push comes to shove.
“We also need Patrick to search for any other hotel check-ins within a five-mile radius. Specifically check-ins with Maryland, Virginia, or Delawareidentifications? If Robert had agents here, they would have been close by. He should start with hotels in Key West and then expand outward, going no further than Big Coppitt Key.”
Jessie sips from her giant pineapple filled with fruit juice and grenadine. “Why those states in particular?”
“Because they surround FBI headquarters in DC. Most agents commute in. I know I did because the cost of living was too high, and the crime rate practically guaranteed your home being broken into at some point. Do we know if Robert and Eloise flew commercial?”
