I have
the job?"
"I'd rather you not rub elbows with
dangerous people. But I know. You'll argue your
outstanding talents in martial arts."
"She is a black belt, Johnny," Crevan
said. "And look at her. She could pass in the
neighborhood. We can put a wire on her and stay at a discreet
distance. If anything goes wrong out there, it's not like we
–"
I couldn't believe it. Crevan Conall
was pleading my case, and clawing his way to the top of the heap of
my esteem of others.
"I won't allow anything to go wrong.
I'm going along for these trips to the shelter and local
businesses," Orion said.
"You can't do that! There's no
conceivable reason for you, Johnny Orion security guy el
jefe supremo , to be involved in another police
investigation," I protested a little too strongly from the grins on
three faces. "This isn't funny!"
"You're right, Doc. It's freakin'
hilarious."
"Go to hell."
"Helen, it's not like you'll be out there
flashing a badge either," Crevan pointed out. "That's kind of
the point of working undercover. People don't know who you
really are."
"No. I would've never imagined."
"Don't get snotty," Johnny said. "It's
a rough part of town. I'm a private security guy. Let's
just establish right now that you and I are old friends from high
school. You came to me for help when Preacher fell off your
radar. I'm only helping as a friend."
I gritted my teeth. How would I ditch
Orion and slip away to find Seleeby?
"Johnny, I don't think that's really
necessary. If Helen wears a wire, we'll be able to hear
everything that happens. She's gonna need these guys to open
up to her. How will that happen if she's got some hulking
bodyguard lurking around?"
Seriously wanted to kiss Crevan Conall right
about now. I held my tongue, my breath, crossed my fingers
and toes for luck.
Orion growled, "Then I'm in the surveillance
van with you guys, or it's off."
"And if someone sees you consorting with
cops?" Crevan was like a dog with a bone. "Didn't Chris
explain why you can't be hands on with this case, Johnny? Or
is maintaining your cover no longer important to you? Do you
want Datello to realize that the state's top cop is watching him,
or do you want him to think you're just a nuisance?"
"Dammit," Orion muttered under his
breath.
"Then we're agreed," Briscoe was only
missing the gavel to put an end to the case against Johnny Orion
butting into their investigation. "We'll watch Eriksson's
back while she looks for guys that might be willing to talk about
Jake and you'll be in charge of making sure Helen's shadow stays
out of our way for good, Johnny." His bushy gray eyebrows
stitched together tightly.
I opened my mouth to protest, but the con
finally dawned on me. They were in it together, conspiring to
occupy me with official business while Johnny pulled all the
strings he could to get rid of Seleeby.
"That's really not necessary." Or
possible. But what would they know about it?
"It is necessary, Helen," Crevan said.
"We've made every concession you requested. It's your
turn."
"And mine is non-negotiable," Johnny
said. "You let me handle the FBI and keep David Levine out of
this."
"When did the three of you put this little
plan together?" I slid Briscoe's dirty money back across the
table.
He grinned. "You won that fair and
square, sweetheart. Not to piss on Johnny's opinion of you,
but you look like somethin' the cat dragged in, and I ain't talkin'
about a live mouse."
"Keep your money. I don't need
it."
"Doc, we're worried about you, about this
Seleeby guy and what he's doing cozying up to Datello. How
can we even be sure he's really interested in Marcos? Was he
making progress with –"
"Don't ask me that. In the first
place, I don't know. I wasn't privy to anything that went on
between the FBI and my ex-husband. In the second place, you
can't accuse the FBI of corruption simply because you don't like
one of the agents
the job?"
"I'd rather you not rub elbows with
dangerous people. But I know. You'll argue your
outstanding talents in martial arts."
"She is a black belt, Johnny," Crevan
said. "And look at her. She could pass in the
neighborhood. We can put a wire on her and stay at a discreet
distance. If anything goes wrong out there, it's not like we
–"
I couldn't believe it. Crevan Conall
was pleading my case, and clawing his way to the top of the heap of
my esteem of others.
"I won't allow anything to go wrong.
I'm going along for these trips to the shelter and local
businesses," Orion said.
"You can't do that! There's no
conceivable reason for you, Johnny Orion security guy el
jefe supremo , to be involved in another police
investigation," I protested a little too strongly from the grins on
three faces. "This isn't funny!"
"You're right, Doc. It's freakin'
hilarious."
"Go to hell."
"Helen, it's not like you'll be out there
flashing a badge either," Crevan pointed out. "That's kind of
the point of working undercover. People don't know who you
really are."
"No. I would've never imagined."
"Don't get snotty," Johnny said. "It's
a rough part of town. I'm a private security guy. Let's
just establish right now that you and I are old friends from high
school. You came to me for help when Preacher fell off your
radar. I'm only helping as a friend."
I gritted my teeth. How would I ditch
Orion and slip away to find Seleeby?
"Johnny, I don't think that's really
necessary. If Helen wears a wire, we'll be able to hear
everything that happens. She's gonna need these guys to open
up to her. How will that happen if she's got some hulking
bodyguard lurking around?"
Seriously wanted to kiss Crevan Conall right
about now. I held my tongue, my breath, crossed my fingers
and toes for luck.
Orion growled, "Then I'm in the surveillance
van with you guys, or it's off."
"And if someone sees you consorting with
cops?" Crevan was like a dog with a bone. "Didn't Chris
explain why you can't be hands on with this case, Johnny? Or
is maintaining your cover no longer important to you? Do you
want Datello to realize that the state's top cop is watching him,
or do you want him to think you're just a nuisance?"
"Dammit," Orion muttered under his
breath.
"Then we're agreed," Briscoe was only
missing the gavel to put an end to the case against Johnny Orion
butting into their investigation. "We'll watch Eriksson's
back while she looks for guys that might be willing to talk about
Jake and you'll be in charge of making sure Helen's shadow stays
out of our way for good, Johnny." His bushy gray eyebrows
stitched together tightly.
I opened my mouth to protest, but the con
finally dawned on me. They were in it together, conspiring to
occupy me with official business while Johnny pulled all the
strings he could to get rid of Seleeby.
"That's really not necessary." Or
possible. But what would they know about it?
"It is necessary, Helen," Crevan said.
"We've made every concession you requested. It's your
turn."
"And mine is non-negotiable," Johnny
said. "You let me handle the FBI and keep David Levine out of
this."
"When did the three of you put this little
plan together?" I slid Briscoe's dirty money back across the
table.
He grinned. "You won that fair and
square, sweetheart. Not to piss on Johnny's opinion of you,
but you look like somethin' the cat dragged in, and I ain't talkin'
about a live mouse."
"Keep your money. I don't need
it."
"Doc, we're worried about you, about this
Seleeby guy and what he's doing cozying up to Datello. How
can we even be sure he's really interested in Marcos? Was he
making progress with –"
"Don't ask me that. In the first
place, I don't know. I wasn't privy to anything that went on
between the FBI and my ex-husband. In the second place, you
can't accuse the FBI of corruption simply because you don't like
one of the agents
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