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Bridger teed up a clever, cutting response, but the buzzing of his phone ruined the moment. He glanced at the screen. A text from Paige Penderson, the former cyber-expert on their team.
No leads on J-man yet. He’s gone deep for sure. Usual Consortium channels quiet. No one else on team reporting contact. I’ll monitor situation. Call if you need further assistance. ATAW, Paige.
Even without her sign off assurance,Any Time Any Where, Bridger knew he could count on her. Like the rest of the team, he’d always known she was only a call away.
Bravo Zulu. Bridger responded with Navy slang for well done and deleted the conversation.
Tai sipped an iced tea, watching him quietly.
Bridger exchanged a long look with him. Tai nodded almost imperceptibly before shifting his attention to the massive backbar with its silvered mirror.
Jane was picking at her food. “Why would the blackmailer want the pastor dead?”
Bridger stared down the mournful elk on the wall behind her. “The sheriff showed us a note. Something about the pastor being a sinner and needing to die. Any idea what that’s about?”
Shock widened her eyes. “No. I can’t imagine. Pastor’s been here six years. I’ve never heard a word about any scandal. Do you think he’s referring to the stealing?”
“Maybe.” But probably not. Embezzlement on the scale the pastor perpetrated didn’t generally inflame people to murder. Especially not ten years later.
Her gaze flitted between the two of them. “I have no idea what Pastor Zack could have done to make someone so angry.”
Tai downed another slug of tea. “Maybe he hasn’t done anything. Crazy doesn’t need a reason.”
“I don’t know anybody in town who’d fit that description,” Jane said, but the fear on her face told Bridger she wasn’t completely convinced.
He eyed the elk again. It stared back, glass eyes offering nothing in the way of insight. Bridger sighed. He wanted to get the pastor safe and move on to helping Jay.
Jane sat quietly. Processing, no doubt. This wasn’t her wheelhouse, for sure. For a minute, he thought she might need to hurl. He and Tai studied the other tables, giving her what space they could while the elk kept watch.
After a minute, she puffed out her cheeks, then let out a huge breath. “Is it possible the bomb was meant for me?”
“No way.” He and Tai answered at the same time.
“The note targeted your pastor specifically. No mistaking that.”
Tai turned his glass one way, then the other. “Even without the note, no way the IED was meant for you. It took time to set up. A demolitions expert could do it in about five minutes, assuming they had a propane tank, a timer, and a detonator handy, but an amateur....” He shook his head.
“An amateur would need a lot longer,” Bridger added. “No one knew you were heading to the church that morning, right?”
She laughed ruefully. “I didn’t even know until I woke up.”
“So they couldn’t have expected you there ahead of time. And again, unless we’re dealing with an expert, even if the guy followed you to the church, there’s no way they would have had time to slip into the pastor’s place, construct the bomb and sneak away.”
Tai made a noise. “Even J-man would have had trouble getting that done, and he’s the best of the best.”
She relaxed visibly. “Right. That makes sense.”
Unless there was something she wasn’t telling them. “Anything you want to confess?” he asked. “Is there a stalker we need to know about? An ex-boyfriend or an angry business partner?”
Tai shot him a puzzled look.
Yeah. Not a smooth delivery. He’d own it. But her question shot off all kinds of alarm bells. Could she be the target? He didn’t see how, but the idea terrified him.
“No!” She looked confused.
Well he was confused, too. Heading out to the church on her own was a bone-headed thing to do, but he’d worked with lots of operatives—professionals—who’d done dumb things. He may or may not have done a few himself. But he’d never gotten this angry about it before.
She shrugged helplessly. “I just thought, maybe the pastor would be more forthcoming with someone he knew…”
