Page 123 of Her Defiant Warrior

“Yes, she did, Agent Ackerson.” Janice’s head jerked up, and she glared over to Lainey’s desk. “How can I assist you?”

“This is just a routine check. I need to set up a meeting with someone in your department to go over some of the new AML reporting standards.”

She frowned. “Why would you need to do that? If there is some new reporting standard, won’t that just come through the FBI portal? Or is there something specific that our bank has done that has brought attention to the FBI?”

Janice was darn near shooting daggers at her with her eyes.

“No, it’s nothing like that. Your bank was one of the twenty lucky banks in the Mid-Atlantic region that won this special attention,” he chuckled. He had a friendly laugh.

“Oh, okay.”

“I can’t make it over there until late. I have an appointment in Richmond, then I’ll be coming your way, but I’ll have to make my way through DC traffic. What time do you leave?”

“I leave at six.”

“I should be able to get there before then.”

“I look forward to meeting you.”

“Same.”

He hung up and so did she.

“Who was that?” Janice demanded to know.

“An agent from the FBI.”

“Why are you handling somebody from the FBI? If Mr. Pine isn’t available, then I usually handle the Feds.”

“I don’t know what to tell you, the call came to me. Agent Ackerson didn’t leave his number. He said he would arrive late. You’ll probably have to stay late to meet him.”

“Oh, hell to the no.” Janice pointed one of her red talons in the air. “I have a date tonight, and I’m expecting good things from this guy. Like appetizers and everything.”

“Well then, I guess I’ll be handling the FBI.”

“Well, don’t blow it. The last thing Mr. Pine is going to want when he gets back is to have the Feds breathing down our neck.”

“Thanks for the advice.” Lainey looked back at her computer and the nightmare that was the cryptocurrency files. Would these ever end?

Mateo kind of felt like shit, just a little bit. Knowing that Cliff Ackerson would never show up for a meeting with a good Southern girl, Lainey Simpson. He’d been living in Virginia for almost ten years now, but he didn’t think he’d ever heard such a sweet, honeyed Southern accent like Lainey’s.

“Do you have what I need?” he growled at Gideon.

“I have almost everything. You’ll be getting a download in fifteen minutes.”

“Seems to me like this is coming eight hours too late.”

“Quit busting Gideon’s balls,” Jada groused. Apparently, Gideon had his phone on speaker. “I’m the one who did the background check on MacLaine. I’m the one who missed that MacLaine was a woman. Seriously, who names their girls Bennett and MacLaine anyway?”

“Bennett?” Mateo asked.

“Yeah, that’s her sister’s name. Apparently, it’s a deep South thing to give the girls first names that are family surnames. I’m going to have everything for you soon. Including her driver’s license, all of her financials, her address, and her dress size.”

“Will it include the make and model of her car?” he asked.

“Yep.”

“Why do you want to know that?” Gideon asked.