Page 149 of Oddly Fine

“It’ll be enough to convince a judge,” Mariah said with a firm nod, and smiled as she wrote something on her notepad. Maybe it was the years on the job, or the sheer number of crimes against humanity the two agents had witnessed, but it was clear these two agents’ attitudes couldn’t possibly be any different.

Calvin snorted, shaking his head. “If the Mounties want to waste their time and resources chasing ghosts, then knock yourself out,” he said dismissively.

To her credit, Mariah didn’t look in the least offended by his dismissal. She simply shrugged as if his opinion was irrelevant. She took one last sip from her cappuccino and collected her notes.

“We’ll be in touch as soon as the lab gets back to us,” she confirmed as she rose from her seat. She extended her hand to each of them.

Hayes shook her hand, giving her a quick nod of gratitude.

But Beckett held onto her hand and said, “If you do get a warrant, I want in on it.”

“As I said, I’ll let you know and—”

Beckett shook his head to interrupt her.

“I want in on the search. I want to see this place for myself,” he insisted.

She hesitated, uncertain as to what she had the ability and authority to promise. Technically, Beckett and Hayes were neither with the FBI nor part of the Canadian operations. They were simply two guys who’d sniffed out a bomb, more or less.

“I’ll see what I can do,” she said instead of making empty promises about something she had little control over. Her response was less than ideal, but it would have to do for now.

They were walking out of the café after the meeting when Hayes heard his phone start ringing.

“Monroe,” he responded quickly and then pulled it away from his ear to press the speaker icon.

“My uncle called an emergency meeting. My brothers are flying into Montreal as we speak. We’re all expected to attend—where are you?” Matthew sounded panicky. It was the first time Beckett could recall hearing him sound this worried.

“We’ll be at the condo in 15,” Hayes assured him.

“Make it 10,” Matthew demanded sharply and then hung up.

“Well, yes, of course, master,” Beckett mocked, rolling his eyes as he shoved his hands into his pockets and walked faster to keep up with Hayes’ lengthy strides.

“We did agree to play bodyguard,” Hayes reminded him.

“Did we? I think I vaguely remember a conversation about where we’d hide his body, but everything after that seems really fuzzy. Like a bad dream.”

“Is that going to be your legal defence?” Hayes asked, stopping on the driver’s side of the car, placing one hand on the door handle and the other on the roof. “Your Honor, I just—I can’t really remember!”

“They’d need a body to convict me. With my plan, they’d never find it.”

“Is there a plan for hiding my body? I’m curious,” Hayes said, sounding perfectly sincere.

Beckett gave him a crooked grin, then hopped into the passenger seat. He made him wait until they’d fastened their seatbelts before answering.

“I’d never kill you,” Beckett said, turning to gaze into his partner’s eyes, hoping he’d see how much he cared for him. “You’d simply drive yourself off a bridge, and I’d be inconsolable in my grief.”

Hayes couldn’t control his smile. It stretched lazily across his handsome face and Beckett nearly swooned at the sight.

“What a brilliant psycho you are,” Hayes crooned approvingly.

Beckett merely shrugged—too humble to gloat, as Hayes put the car in drive.

Chapter 28

Matthew was pacing back and forth when they pulled into the underground parking garage. He looked equal parts annoyed and worried. His normally smooth, slicked back hair was now a tangled mess from the number of times he’d run his hands through it.

He yanked open the door to the back seat and jumped in before Hayes could even put the car in park. He buckled his seatbelt, clutching the door handle tightly as he waited for Hayes to take off again. Beckett turned in his seat to eye him from head to toe, taking in the tension and anxiety showing in every line of his body.