Sage Advice to Cover Up a Murder! (Outer Banks Baker Mystery Series Book 2) by Phoebe T. Eggli Page A

noticed as a frightened look came over his mother’s face as she stumbled a step before continuing to follow the detective. By the time they reached the other room, she fully recovered herself with no signs of further distress.
     
    Back in the chief’s office, the FBI agent also noted the exchange between the lawyer and Mrs. Hawkins. Mr. Andrews’ confrontational demeanor changed. After a moment or two, he requested that he be allowed to talk with his client in private for a few minutes. Neither the chief nor Agent Young understood the alteration. They hoped it meant someone was about to come clean and this whole mystery would be solved. Knowing Mr. Johnson, the chief was not optimistic.
     
    The attorney and Mr. Johnson spoke in hushed tones while the others waited outside the office. At his desk a few yards away, Jason would have given anything to be a fly on the wall in that room right then. It didn’t take long for the attorney to stick his head out the office door to reconvene the meeting. As Chief Monroe and the FBI agent re-entered the room, Mr. Johnson held his head high with a stern, but determined look.  The chief knew that whatever information the tycoon was about to give them came at a huge price. Mr. Andrews began the conversation by requesting, no demanding, full immunity be given to his client. “Full immunity from what exactly?” Agent Young asked. However, Chief Monroe interjected that only the district attorney’s office had the authority to make deals. Peter Andrews corrected the chief. For the information that his client could deliver would require a higher level of authority, such as only the FBI or the Department of Justice wielded. The chief groaned. This negotiation was going to take a long time.  
     
     

 

Chapter 18
     
    The precinct waited on pins and needles to find out what was going on in Chief Monroe’s office. Mrs. Hawkins became more and more agitated as she waited in the conference room down the hall. She picked her fingernails and shifted uncomfortably in her seat. It seemed everything had reached a standstill. It was so quiet in the department that a number of people jumped when the silence was penetrated by the shrill ring of the phone on Detective Payne’s desk.
     
    Melissa was on the line and in a panic. She explained that she was on her way to the emergency room with Emily. Although she didn’t know the specifics, she told him that the two teenagers had gone back to the Hawkins’ residence. At some point, Emily started experiencing severe heart palpitations. Logan called his aunt for advice. Her assistant, Maddie, drove her over to the house to check on the girl. Minutes before her arrival, Emily passed out. Thankfully, Logan knew enough to call 911 first. The ambulance pulled up just as Melissa got out of Maddie’s car. She didn’t know anything about the girl’s condition, but needed Jason to track down Emily’s father. He heard the fear in her voice. He wished more than anything he was there to put his arms around her to reassure her. He promised to bring Joey to the hospital himself.
     
    Jason burst into the conference room where Joey sat trying to reason with his mother to simply tell the cops everything so they could get justice for his father. The detective didn’t know how to put the news into soothing words, so he blurted out that Emily was on her way to the hospital. Both Joey and Sophie Hawkins jumped up. Jason offered to take them both over in his own car. Shaken, they accepted. On the way out, Jason informed his partner about Emily’s plight.
     
    After they left the precinct, Cory rushed back to the forensics laboratory. He requested that they put a rush on the cremains testing before Mrs. Hawkins changed her mind and demanded them back. Almost as an afterthought, he decided to take one of the technicians with him to the hospital. Before leaving, he knocked on the chief’s door. Cory requested that he speak with Agent Young for a moment. He