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“I don’t know. Some rich people feel guilty about being rich and then try to make up for it by doing philanthropic stuff.” He jerked his thumb at her laptop on the bedside table. “Like fund-raisers and running off to dangerous countries to try to make a difference.”
Hailey bit her bottom lip, her face still flushed.
“I’m sorry. That was rude.” He took a turn around the bedroom. “I don’t care what your motives are and they’re none of my business anyway. You’re obviously generous with your money and your time and willing to take risks to make a difference. That’s more than most people do. I respect that.”
“I didn’t take offense.” She flicked her ponytail back over her shoulder. “Crazy rich people and their money. But I really was serious about wanting to help. Why wouldn’t I? Marten has been murdered. Andrew is in danger. What next?”
Joe clenched his jaw. He didn’t want to scare her any more than she already was, but she just might be next. “Maybe the FBI can tell you when you talk to them tomorrow. I guess I should be going.”
He didn’t want to leave her, but he couldn’t exactly invite himself to spend the night. She’d be safe here with her tricked-out alarm system and cameras.
“Should I—should I tell you what happens after I talk to them?”
“If you don’t mind. I’m going to try to look into Andrew Reese on my own—at least find out what he told the army about Denver and if he had a change of heart lately.”
Joe started backing out of the room, waiting for one sign from Hailey that she wanted him to stay.
“I’ll call you tomorrow. Thanks so much for showing up tonight. That video creeped me out.”
“It would creep anyone out. Do you feel okay now? Safe?”
“I do. I’m fine.”
They said goodbye for the second time that night, and Joe assured Hailey that he’d call for a car when he got to the bottom of her steps.
Instead, once he hit the sidewalk, he rubbed his hands together and huddled into his jacket. He loped across the street and stationed himself on a bench bordering a small park with a view of the bay...and Hailey’s house.
Hell, morning wasn’t far off anyway, and if he couldn’t be guarding Hailey from inside the place, he’d guard her from outside. Either way, she did need guarding. And he’d just appointed himself the man for the job.
* * *
THE NEXT MORNING Hailey woke with a start. She sat up, her heart pounding in her chest. Marten. Andrew.
She threw off the bedcovers and padded to the window. As she peeked through a crack in the drapes, she saw a man with reddish hair ducking into the back seat of a car.
She curled her fingers around the material of the drapes as the car sped off. Then she blinked. That was Joe in the car. Had he tried coming over this morning?
She spun around and grabbed her laptop, plopping back down on the messy covers of the bed. She’d better get used to accessing her security footage, anyway.
She brought up the video of her front porch and scanned back through the previous half hour—nothing, nobody. If Joe hadn’t been at her front door, what had he been doing on her block?
She fell back on her bed, the computer still resting on her thighs. What did Joe hope to accomplish? If someone embedded in the army or the government, as Joe had implied, wanted to paint Major Rex Denver as a traitor, the words of some lowly aid worker were not going to stop that train.
Huffing out a breath, she draped an arm over her forehead. Joe burned to do the right thing. She could understand that sentiment. She had the same fire.
She showered and dressed and then turned on the TV news when she got downstairs. Marten’s body still hadn’t been found in the bay, and authorities were beginning to question whether anyone actually went overboard or if a few passengers had overactive imaginations.
But she had Marten’s hat. Her gaze darted to his familiar headgear still perched on top of the coffee table. She planned to tell the FBI everything today.
After breakfast, she placed a call to one of the agents who’d interviewed her when she returned from Syria and left a message. Avoiding the email with the video of Andrew, she returned to the work she’d planned to get done on the fund-raiser last night. When her phone rang, she jumped.
