Page 48 of Keel

The general nodded. “So who the hell was the target?”

“We’ll do a deep dive into the passengers. It could just be random terrorism. Have we figured out who placed the bomb?”

A lieutenant at the back of the room approached the table. “We think we have the identity confirmed, but we’re checking on it. There is a video. We believe the person who placed the bomb might be a guy who works in baggage. His ex-wife was on the plane.”

“So some idiot blew up a plane to kill his ex?” The general sounded flabbergasted.

“It’s just the latest working theory,” the lieutenant said.

Keel wasn’t shocked by the theory. After seeing what Forest did to Frankie, he could see a deranged guy doing something like that to an ex. It was sad that he wasn’t surprised by the guy’s actions.

“We don’t know for sure what happened. We’ll watch the video and do an analysis,” Chase said.

“We should keep going through the information, check out everyone else on that plane until it’s confirmed,” Scott said.

“You’re right,” the general agreed.

They kept looking, but there weren’t any other good candidates. Then another video from a security feed came in, showing the guy arriving for work with an extra bag. Keel was pissed that some idiot with a grudge had killed so many.

And more confirmation was given when the baggage guy was found dead by suicide. That pissed them all off so much that a few of the men walked away from the table.

Two of the women in the room exchanged looks, then rolled their eyes and shook their heads. They’d probably both dealt with awful breakups. Sadly killing an ex was becoming more common. The anger he felt inside grew as Keel thought about Frankie. He vowed to help her, even if she decided she didn’t want to be with him. He couldn’t solve all her problems, but he could keep her safe, at least he hoped he could.

Chapter 27

Frankie sipped her coffee in Ansley’s kitchen, her brain still fogged from sleep. There was a nap waiting for her in the near future.

Garnet stepped into the kitchen, yawning. “I so need coffee.”

“We were up too late last night.”

“Totally,” Garnet said.

Ansley stepped into the kitchen. “Good morning. You’re both awake.” Her voice was way too bright and happy for such a late night.

Frankie turned to stare at Ansley. “You’re a morning person.”

Ansley laughed. “I am. I love mornings.”

Garnet yawned again. “We were up until almost two in the morning.”

Ansley smiled as she pulled eggs from the refrigerator. “That was fun. Thank you for coming over.”

“Thank you for inviting me.” Frankie was glad she had two great friends in these ladies. They helped her feel better about everything. “And thank you both for being understanding about my worries.”

“Hey, there are loads of people who would take advantage of your position,” Ansley said.

Garnet nodded. “Yeah, money is one of those things people get upset over. When you start looking for charities, it might be good to have someone like a lawyer help you figure out where to give.”

Frankie nodded. She’d told them some of what she knew about the money, just not everything, like the amount. “Yes. After talking to you, I know I need to get a lawyer involved.”

“I do like the charity idea,” Ansley said.

Frankie laughed. “I don’t know about fully funding one.”

Ansley shrugged. “Well, you can at least help a lot.”

“It’s cool that you want to help and not just pocket the money. You know, you could create a lifestyle and ignore everything,” Garnet said.