Page 16 of Special Agent Isabella

Any girl who’d chew on her nails when faced with a problem had to suffer some uncertainties. And rather than making her seem weaker, in his mind, it made her more likable and approachable.

Go figure, Miss Hoity-toity Isabella Mendez would be flawed in any way. Guess now he wouldn’t be so worried about his own imperfections because heaven knows, it would be difficult to keep up the act. Rather than share his worries, he’d assumed he’d have to appear strong and in control.

Shaking off these unwanted doubts, he made sure of Stacy’s immediate safety in her home office and then went to the other table nearby so he could get online and connect with his co-workers at the Bureau. He wanted to see everything they’d found out about the car and driver in their exhaustive search.

Calling in to an assistant, a specialist for Criminal Justice who owed him a favor, he explained how little they had to go on. Though they’d been able to pick up the image of the vehicle on the various street cams, at no time were they able to see the license plate or get a number.

Bella had given him the same information that she’d called in earlier. Their search was for an older, beige-colored, sedan-like Toyota, probably a Camry. It had a slight scrape on the right-side front passenger door. And no hubcaps on the rims.

Frustrated, he decided to question Stacy’s chauffeurs that worked with her during the course of a day. He approached the man outside in the driveway in the back of the house. He’d just finished washing their car and held a chamois ready to start drying it.

Holding out his hand, he stopped the man by standing in his way. “Hey there, I’m Special Agent Tanner Coleman working with the governor for the next while. I’m sure you’re probably aware that the danger to her and Abbie has recently increased.”

The other man took the offered hand in a firm grasp. “Hi, I’m Collin O’Brian, ex-military. I drive the family around when the govn’or refuses her official motorcade. Although, this morning, another agent took Abbie to school.”

“Right. That’s Agent Isabella Mendez. She’s going to be watching over Abbie from now on until the danger has been removed. If you have a moment, I’d like to ask you a few questions.”

“Fire away, mate. I’ve nothing to hide.”

Tanner picked up on the strong Irish accent and grinned. “Good. Okay. This morning, Bella ran into a bit of trouble. It seems there’s a woman driving an older beige Toyota who tried to force them off the road. Have you had any difficulties with this person in the past?”

The middle-aged man, who carried his fifty-plus years well, appeared a bit on the thin side but still strong and fit. He shook his bald head, his attitude suddenly becoming serious. The manicured beard gave him the appearance of a biker gang member, but his twinkling eyes revealed a caring personality.

“Hmm. Now that you mention it, there’ve bin some weird happenings. The last time I drove Miss Abbie to school, something upset the poor cailín. I didn’t notice meself, but she told me that a lady was staring at her. And when she waved, the old bat gave her a mean look… no smile. It upset the wee lass… bugged me too. Why people have to be so miserable is beyond me. Hell, if a little kiddo took the time to wave at me, it would make my day… it truly would.”

“That’s because you’re normal. I have a feeling the people out to make trouble for the Governor and her family aren’t thinking straight. All those crazy conspiracy theories floating around are bound to push some folks over the edge. When their thinking is already skewed, hearing such nonsense can make anything happen.”

“You got that right. Half me family aren’t talking to the other half nowadays, and it’s all about the crazy politics in the country. Just wish we could go back to the way things were, when people counted more than controversy. When it didn’t matter if you were right or left but rather if you were right or wrong.”

Before Tanner could carry on the conversation, Stacy appeared. “I guess we need to go into the office after all, Tanner.” Her white face made him stiffen, and when he heard what else she had to say, his trepidation swelled.

“There’s been a bombing.” Her voice faltered, and she bowed her head as if she couldn’t take much more.

“Then we stay here where it’s safe.”

“No. I have to be where my people are. They need me. It’s confusion and chaos. I can help.”

“You’d be vulnerable. It’s better to stay here where I can protect you.”

Stacy stomped her foot, her voice brooking no argument. “Tanner, I have a duty to the people of this state. I have to show up, or I’ll be as ineffectual as their condemnations about me. Either you take me, or I’ll call the motorcade.”

“Fine. But you have to promise you’ll do as I say… when I say.”

Seeming to shrink now that she’d gotten her way, she meekly agreed. “I will.”

Collin’s Irish accent sharpened. “Lord Jesus, it never ends, does it?” He stepped close to Stacy as if to guard her with his body. “If you need backup, I’m your fellow. As a younger man, I trained to be a bodyguard, and extra protection for the lady might come in handy… know what I mean?”

Tanner glanced to the front of the house where more folks had joined the crowd. Wildly waving their placards and signs, paying no attention to the officers who were trying to get them to stay away from the house, their voices yelled obscenities and crude views of their misguided beliefs.

Then and there he decided maybe having Collin along might not be such a bad idea. “Fine. But we take my car, and you’ll sit in the back with Stacy.”

He turned to Stacy and added, “You’ll stay down so no one sees you.”

ChapterFourteen

Before they left the house, Stacy asked Tanner for time to change from her jeans to a more formal outfit. When she reappeared a few minutes later, he saw her adding a gun holster under her jacket and questioned it. “Have you got a license for that thing?”

“Of course I do. You know I was trained in Quantico. I bought this after things became hypersensitive, and we lost Hank. I thought the atmosphere was bad then, but it was a piece of cake compared to now.”

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