in.”
Faith didn’t say anything. She just stared at him, like he had just made an unwanted pass at her.
Lee cocked his head at her. “I tell you what. I’m the detective, okay? I’ll make some deductions and you tell me if I’m right or not, how’s that?” When Faith still said nothing, he continued. “The cameras I saw were only in the living room. And the table, chairs, coffee and stuff were set up in the living room only. Now, I tripped the laser or whatever it was going in. That apparently set off the cameras.”
“I guess that would make sense,” Faith said.
“No, it doesn’t. I had the access code to the alarm system,” said Lee.
“So?”
“So I put in the code and disarmed the security system. So why have the trip device still operating? The way it was set up, even when the guy you were with disarmed the security system, he would still have engaged the cameras. Why would he want to record himself?”
Faith looked deeply confused. “I don’t know.”
“Hello, so they’d have you on film without you knowing it. Now the out-of-the-way place with the CIA-level security in place, the Feds, the cameras and taping equipment, all point to one thing.” Lee paused as he thought about exactly how he was going to phrase this. “They brought you there to interrogate you. But maybe they’re not sure of your level of cooperation, or they think somebody might try to pop you, so they film the interrogations just in case you turn up missing later on.”
Faith looked at him with a resigned smile. “Terribly prescient of them, don’t you think? The ‘turning up missing’ thing.”
Lee stood and stared out the window as he thought things through. Something very important had just occurred to him. Something that he should have thought about a lot sooner. And even though he didn’t know the woman, he was feeling kind of crappy about what he had to say. “I’ve got some bad news for you.”
Faith looked startled. “What do you mean?”
“You’re under interrogation by the FBI. Presumably you’re also in their protective custody. One of their guys gets popped protecting you and I probably wounded the guy who killed him. The Feds have my face on their tape.” He paused for a moment. “I’ve got to turn you in.”
Faith jumped up. “You can’t do that! You can’t! You said you’d help me.”
“If I don’t, then I’m looking at some serious time in a place where guys get way too friendly with other guys. At the very least I lose my PI license. I’m sure if I knew you better I’d feel even worse about doing this, but at the end of the day I’m not sure even my grandma would be worth that much trouble.” He slipped on his jacket. “Who’s your principal handler?”
“I don’t know his name,” Faith said coldly.
“Do you have a phone number?”
“It wouldn’t do any good. I doubt he’d be able to take the call now.”
Lee eyed her dubiously. “Are you telling me the dead guy back there is your only contact?”
“That’s it.” Faith told this lie with a completely straight face.
“The guy was your handler and he never bothered to tell you his name? That’s not exactly textbook FBI.”
“Sorry, that’s all I know.”
“Is that right? Well, let me tell you what I know. I saw you at that cottage three other times with a woman. A tall brunette. What, did you sit around calling her Agent X?” He leaned right into her face. “Bullshit Rule Number One: Make damn sure the person you’re lying to can’t prove same.” He hooked an arm around hers. “Let’s go.”
“You know, Mr. Adams,
you
have a problem you may not have thought about.”
“Is that right? Care to share it?”
“What exactly are you going to tell the FBI when you bring me in?”
“I don’t know, how about the truth?”
“Okay. Let’s look at the truth. You were following me because someone you don’t know and can’t identify instructed you to. Which means we only have your word for that.
Faith didn’t say anything. She just stared at him, like he had just made an unwanted pass at her.
Lee cocked his head at her. “I tell you what. I’m the detective, okay? I’ll make some deductions and you tell me if I’m right or not, how’s that?” When Faith still said nothing, he continued. “The cameras I saw were only in the living room. And the table, chairs, coffee and stuff were set up in the living room only. Now, I tripped the laser or whatever it was going in. That apparently set off the cameras.”
“I guess that would make sense,” Faith said.
“No, it doesn’t. I had the access code to the alarm system,” said Lee.
“So?”
“So I put in the code and disarmed the security system. So why have the trip device still operating? The way it was set up, even when the guy you were with disarmed the security system, he would still have engaged the cameras. Why would he want to record himself?”
Faith looked deeply confused. “I don’t know.”
“Hello, so they’d have you on film without you knowing it. Now the out-of-the-way place with the CIA-level security in place, the Feds, the cameras and taping equipment, all point to one thing.” Lee paused as he thought about exactly how he was going to phrase this. “They brought you there to interrogate you. But maybe they’re not sure of your level of cooperation, or they think somebody might try to pop you, so they film the interrogations just in case you turn up missing later on.”
Faith looked at him with a resigned smile. “Terribly prescient of them, don’t you think? The ‘turning up missing’ thing.”
Lee stood and stared out the window as he thought things through. Something very important had just occurred to him. Something that he should have thought about a lot sooner. And even though he didn’t know the woman, he was feeling kind of crappy about what he had to say. “I’ve got some bad news for you.”
Faith looked startled. “What do you mean?”
“You’re under interrogation by the FBI. Presumably you’re also in their protective custody. One of their guys gets popped protecting you and I probably wounded the guy who killed him. The Feds have my face on their tape.” He paused for a moment. “I’ve got to turn you in.”
Faith jumped up. “You can’t do that! You can’t! You said you’d help me.”
“If I don’t, then I’m looking at some serious time in a place where guys get way too friendly with other guys. At the very least I lose my PI license. I’m sure if I knew you better I’d feel even worse about doing this, but at the end of the day I’m not sure even my grandma would be worth that much trouble.” He slipped on his jacket. “Who’s your principal handler?”
“I don’t know his name,” Faith said coldly.
“Do you have a phone number?”
“It wouldn’t do any good. I doubt he’d be able to take the call now.”
Lee eyed her dubiously. “Are you telling me the dead guy back there is your only contact?”
“That’s it.” Faith told this lie with a completely straight face.
“The guy was your handler and he never bothered to tell you his name? That’s not exactly textbook FBI.”
“Sorry, that’s all I know.”
“Is that right? Well, let me tell you what I know. I saw you at that cottage three other times with a woman. A tall brunette. What, did you sit around calling her Agent X?” He leaned right into her face. “Bullshit Rule Number One: Make damn sure the person you’re lying to can’t prove same.” He hooked an arm around hers. “Let’s go.”
“You know, Mr. Adams,
you
have a problem you may not have thought about.”
“Is that right? Care to share it?”
“What exactly are you going to tell the FBI when you bring me in?”
“I don’t know, how about the truth?”
“Okay. Let’s look at the truth. You were following me because someone you don’t know and can’t identify instructed you to. Which means we only have your word for that.
Similar Books
