Hard Truth by Mariah Stewart Page A

couldn’t have asked someone? Maybe called your father or you at home and asked where the files were?”
    “She was just concerned, what with all the papers calling and everyone talking about how you were bailing Billie out and that sort of thing. She didn’t know what to do, okay? He’d have gotten his reports if he’d come back this morning. He didn’t have to call in the fucking FBI.”
    “Look, I’m sorry if you feel this puts you in an awkward position, but . . .” She held her hands out in front of her but he jumped in.
    “Awkward position?” He snorted. “I’d say it’s awkward. It’s not enough that you’re hiring someone to check to see if we dotted our
i
’s and crossed our
t
’s, but now we’re going to have the fucking FBI looking over our shoulder.”
    They stood and glared at each other for a long moment. Dotting
i
’s and crossing
t
’s was the least of it, but Brad wasn’t going to want to hear that.
    Finally, she said, “So, did you fax over the reports?”
    “Yes, we faxed over the reports,” he singsonged back at her.
    “Okay, then. Asked and answered.” She turned and left the office, closing the door quietly behind her.
    She dialed T. J. Dawson’s number on her cell phone as soon as she got into her car and found his business card in her wallet.
    He answered on the third ring.
    “What were you thinking, getting the FBI involved in this? What was the point of that?” she said without identifying herself.
    “Well, hello, Lorna. Nice to hear from you.”
    “Why did you feel it necessary to call in the FBI?”
    “First of all, I did not ‘call in the FBI.’ I called a friend to request some documents because the local police department was not cooperating, and I had every right to see those reports. The receptionist wouldn’t even show them to me, and when she called the chief of police on the phone, he told her to put me off, not to show me anything. It pissed me off.”
    “Couldn’t you have waited one more day to get copies of those police reports? Did you have to call out the troops immediately?”
    “I thought if I was going to be working this case, I’d be better off establishing right up front that the local cops were not going to push me around.”
    “But we hadn’t decided if you’d be handling this case, remember?” She blew out a long breath, then said, “Officer Walker didn’t mention that Mrs. Rusk had called his father.”
    “Gee, that comes as a big surprise.”
    “I understand that you felt you were being stonewalled, but I wish you’d called me instead of your friend at the FBI. You’ve put me in a very awkward position here.”
    He was silent for a moment, then said, “I apologize if I’ve made things awkward or uncomfortable for you. I thought I was expediting things. It never occurred to me that it would have repercussions. I wanted to get the facts as soon as possible, so that you could decide what you wanted to do sooner rather than later. Again, I am sorry.”
    She was still trying to decide how to respond when he said, “Mitch faxed over the reports an hour ago. I found them quite interesting. How ’bout I drop them off to you, point out the things I think you might want to take a closer look at, and I’ll just be on my way.”
    “That would be fine, thank you.”
    “Mrs. Eagan still in prison?”
    “She’s supposed to get out this afternoon. I took care of the bail this morning. At least, I think she’s supposed to get out this afternoon.” She sighed heavily. “That’s what I was stopping at the police department to find out. How do I know when she’s going to be released? I don’t suppose they’ll provide transportation for her, so I thought I’d pick her up. But I don’t know where or when.”
    “Call the warden at the prison and ask.”
    “They’ll tell me? And I can just pick her up?”
    “Unless she’s made other arrangements.”
    “I don’t know if she has any other friends or relatives around here. I