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“Why wouldn’t I be?” Lavender countered, narrowing his eyes at Sage. “There’s nothing for him to find and the sooner we have a clean resolution to this situation with Leary, the better. I’ll just have to keep a close eye on Beesley because he’s very much like Paul in that he’ll go his own way if he thinks it’s the right thing to do.”
“I already like him,” Sage decided, his shoulders bouncing. “You should invite him to dinner.”
Lavender gave his head a quick shake, shunning the idea. “Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that. I’m sure Agent Beesley would be a delightful dinner guest but I’m hoping he’ll go back to Chicago and observe us from afar once Leary’s in prison. One federal agent in Lake Cliff is enough.” He didn’t like the way Sage smirked or the calculating gleam in his eyes.
“We’ll see… Kat’s single and lives in Chicago and I know a few guys who’d want his number. And I get the feeling Agent Beesley would love an excuse to hang around.”
“God help me, Sage. If you—”
“If I what?” Sage asked, then kissed Lavender so he couldn’t object, successfully ending the argument.
“I’m not sure.”
“Would you be more sure if we went upstairs?”
“Probably not but it’s worth a try.”
ChapterSix
“We were able to identifysixmoles within the bureau, thanks to your ‘Heist Scenario’—as the bureau is calling it—and we’ll have all we need to charge Frank Leary for a laundry list of crimes without ever breathing your name,” Agent Beesley reassured Speed.
Agent Beesley…
It sounded like a nasally sneer in his head but Speed kept a placid smile on his face and nodded along. But even the agent’s name offended Speed. Sloan might have hand-picked him but Agent Beesley couldn’t have been more of a stuck-up do-gooder. And he was just a little too slick with his easy grins and his sleek suit.
I know a smooth motherfucker in a hand-made Daniel George suit when I see one.
Which made Speed wonder. “Brilliant. Tell me,Agent Beesley, how did someone like you end up as an FBI agent? Seems like a waste of talent if you ask me.”
“Are you offering me a job?” Beesley asked with a wink but Speed raised his right shoulder.
“Wouldn’t be the first time we’ve poached from the FBI. We’re always on the lookout for a bright, creative mind that isn’t afraid of thinking outside of the box.”
“That’s almost exactly what the FBI said when they were recruiting me.” Beesley had a hint of a Chicago accent and Speed suspected that that was also why he was recruited. The FBI cast a wide net and sought out agents from all walks of life and Beesley would have been an ideal candidate because he was bright, incredibly fit, charismatic, and had grown up in one of the wildest cities in the country. Like New York, you could make it anywhere if you could make it in Chicago. “My mom was an accountant and my dad taught high school history until they both retired a few years ago. The FBI recruited me right out of law school and my parents were not happy about it.” Beesley gave his head a slow shake and raised his brows at Blake, making him laugh.
“I can’t imagine that was comfortable.” Blake sat forward so he could top off Agent Beesley’s ice water but he put a hand over his glass.
“I need to get going soon,” he said, then grinned as he went back to his story. “I was convinced I’d made a mistake and that I wasn’t a good fit for the FBI but then Paul Sloan took me under his wing. My parents got over it after I moved back to Chicago and took over the field office.”
“We could use good people in Chicago,” Speed said but Beesley laughed it off.
“No thanks. I’m afraid I’m the boring kind of good and I like my job.” He became serious and tapped his knuckle on the table. “We’re close, Speed. I don’t need you to make a case against Leary, but I need your help to find him and bring him in.”
Speed twisted his lips thoughtfully before he beat his knuckle on the table, mimicking Beesley. “Call me when you’re sure you’re ready and I’ll help you find him.”
“All I need is that phone number. You won’t have anything else to do with this once I’ve got it. We can keep an eye out for Leary and pick him up as soon as we’re ready to press charges.”
Blake gasped as he turned to Speed. “This is perfect!”
“No, it’s not!” Speed laughed. He sat back and hugged his chest with his good arm. “The quickest way for all of this to get blown to shit is foroneperson to decide it’s worth riskingmy lifeto move things along a little faster or to help them get ahead. All it takes is foroneperson to lose that number or share it with someone else and Francis knows I stabbed him in the fucking back.”
“I understand!” Beesley insisted. “But let’s be honest here, Speed. This is about control for you more than it is about trust. You’re not going to like any plan that you didn’t build. And you want to say goodbye to Francis when you’re ready.”
“Don’t call him that.” Speed pointed at Beesley and shook his head. He didn’t know how to explain why it was blasphemous to hear someone, especially a federal agent, calling him Francis.
“It’s time to let him go,” Beesley said gently.
“I know. Come back when you’re sure you’ve got a case.” With that, Speed pushed back his chair and stood. “I’m feeling tired. I think I’ll go lay down.”
