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“On a mission for
Easton.”
“That’s what I think, too. What about him and her?”
Locke said, “Maybe she tried to escape, and he had to chase after her.”
“Is that what you really think?”
“Hell, no.”
“Easton’s got balls. Gotta give him that. Would you have the nerve to pull something like he’s doing?”
“No.”
“I admire the guy.”
“Don’t let Rudkowski overhear that.”
“What an asshole. Even after what we now know about Easton and his team, I would choose them over that guy to lead the charge or cover my back.”
“Easton called him a blowhard. That description doesn’t come close.”
“How’d he make it into the FBI and manage to stay on?”
“Must’ve been a nephew,” Locke said. “I’ll get the search warrant for him, but, between you and me, I think it’s a waste of time.”
“How’s that?”
“If Jasper Ford is Easton’s guy, and he’s as canny as Easton says, he wouldn’t have left anything incriminating behind. He never has before.”
“Maybe he did, and the investigators missed it.”
“But Easton wouldn’t have.” Following Menundez’s unintelligible agreement, Locke said, “We’d better rejoin Rudkowski.”
“Do we really have to eat with the guy?”
“We’re his ride.”
Menundez continued to mouth about it. Their voices faded as they left the room.
Tension ebbed out of Talia. “Close one,” Drex whispered.
“I’m not cut out for adventures like this.”
“Me neither. I’m too tall. I’m getting a crick in my neck.” He’d had to keep his head lowered in order to fit beneath the ceiling.
“How’s the bump?”
“I’ll live.” He’d banged his head as they’d squeezed into the small space. “You could have warned me about the low ceiling.”
“There wasn’t time.”
“Sure there was. We had maybe a second and a half to spare.”
Inside the enclosure, it was pitch black dark. He couldn’t see her, but he felt the silent laugh that caused her breasts to shift against his chest, then resettle in the hollow between his ribs. They were soft, unbound, and enduring this forced alignment with them had been both agony and bliss.
Except for pressing his finger against Talia’s lips, he hadn’t dared to move. He estimated that two hours had elapsed since her offer of unconditional help had launched him into action. Through the back porch screen he’d seen his partners marching up the stairs to the apartment, the two young patrolmen trailing them.
