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“I remember what you liked from yesterday, Mr. Brown.”
“Thanks, Liz. After that dinner Jerome made last night, I’m not sure I’m up for a full breakfast.”
She put the plate down in front of him, overflowing with eggs, bacon and home fries. A basket of Jerome’s biscuits were already steaming on the table. “Give it a try.”
When Liz disappeared back into the kitchen, Correll chuckled. “You’ll get used to it, Mitch.”
“Sir?”
“Getting waited on.” He winked. “You might even learn to enjoy it.”
Had the man been reading his mind?
The doorbell chimed deep within the house and Lori jerked her head up.
Correll patted her hand. “You still nervous, too? You and my stepdaughter need to learn to relax.”
Mike concentrated on his plate and stabbed a blob of scrambled egg. Correll had a very odd attitude toward an obvious terrorist attack in front of his own place of residence.
He seemed to be expecting the visitor as he excused himself and left the room.
Mike swallowed and took a sip of coffee. “Are you looking forward to the trip? That must be a nice perk working for a family like this.”
“It is, but Claire isn’t one to take her son all over the world. I think she’d planned to raise him in Florida...before she decided to get involved in the investigation of her husband’s murder. Then when she...well, had some problems, she ended up staying here.”
“Were you here when Claire had her problems?” Lori’s brown eyes rounded, taking up half of her heart-shaped face.
“Oh, no. When Claire got better, she wouldn’t have that woman—Andrea—anywhere near Ethan.”
Any more probing came to an end when Correll entered the dining room again with two men in suits following him.
Not that Mike wanted to go behind Claire’s back and question Lori about her breakdown. If he had questions, he’d ask Claire straight-up.
Correll gestured to the suits. “These men are from the FBI, and they’d like to talk to Claire before she takes Ethan to the airport. Do you want to get her?”
“Sure.” He glanced at the older man. “I’m assuming this is about what happened the other night.”
The older agent adjusted his glasses while the younger one answered. “It is, and you are?”
Mike thrust out his hand. “Mitchell Brown, Ms. Chadwick’s fiancé.”
He shook hands with both agents, confident that his cover would stick even with the FBI. “I’ll get Claire.”
Lori got up from the table. “I’ll come with you to stay with Ethan.”
Mike took the stairs two at a time, leaving Lori in his dust. He tapped on Ethan’s door as he pushed it open.
Two faces looked up from the bed where Claire had Ethan in her lap with a book in front of them.
“Hate to interrupt your story, but a couple of men are downstairs and want to talk to you.”
“Really?” Claire tossed her blond hair over one shoulder. “What kind of men?”
“I’ll tell you on the way downstairs.”
As Claire slid off the bed, Lori joined them. “I’ll keep an eye on Ethan, Claire. Is he ready to go?”
“Yes, are you?”
“All packed.”
Claire handed her a book with a bull sitting in a field of flowers on the cover. “We’re right in the middle.”
“I’ll finish reading the story for you, Ethan.” Lori took Claire’s place on the bed.
When they were in the hallway, Mike shut Ethan’s door. “They’re two FBI agents.”
“About the car bomb?”
“That’s what they said.”
She put her hand on his arm and lowered her voice. “Are we not admitting we were witnesses?”
“Nothing to be gained by it at this point, and I don’t want to draw attention to myself.”
“Got it.” She squared her shoulders and walked downstairs, graceful on a pair of high-heeled boots, her slim hips swaying hypnotically.
He blinked and shook his head. Snap out of it, Becker.
When they reached the bottom of the staircase, the agents were waiting for them.
They introduced themselves to Claire as Agents Finnegan and Glotz.
Glotz, the younger agent, asked, “Is there someplace we can talk privately, Mrs. Chadwick? Senator Correll suggested the small office off the foyer.”
