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“Not if we barricade the door,” he whispered.
“TJ, let her work. You know this is all about you,” hismother pointed out. “She’s trying to figure out who’s after you. Give her someroom.”
“She doesn’t need room,” TJ shot back. “Go on, baby. Tellthem what you’ve found.”
“Well, the photo is real,” she announced.
“But I didn’t meet with an arms dealer,” TJ insisted. “I metwith my team leader and a couple of my Army buddies.”
Lou managed to get the picture in question on the screen.“I’ve verified this photograph, but it proves nothing. I’d like to know who theman with him is.”
“It’s Zach,” Erin said, squinting. “I bought him that jacketfor Christmas. I got his name for Secret Santa.”
TJ’s head came up, and he was suddenly interested insomething other than how her nipples felt. “It’s a nondescript black jacket.How can you tell?”
His mom’s red hair shook. “Because this is what I do. I lookat details and search for patterns. Do you honestly not remember walking aroundBerlin with this guy?”
TJ sighed. “No. I don’t remember every second of every day.I probably had a couple of beers. It’s what we do in our off time. It’sfreaking Germany. Do you remember every second of every day?”
Theo shook his head like that was a mistake.
“Yes,” TJ’s mom replied.
“Well, some of us have normal memories. Now, what I doremember is that Zach wasn’t in Berlin at the time.” TJ stepped back, and Lourealized she kind of liked having an emotional support soldier while sheworked. She was a little cold now.
“It’s not Zach. He’s not tall enough.” Lou had already gonethrough these scenarios. “Although he was in Europe. We all were, but inPrague.”
“And there’s a high-speed rail that could get him fromPrague to Berlin in four hours,” Big Tag pointed out and held up a hand. “Notthat I’m saying it’s him. I believe you on the height. But that is anondescript jacket, and they’ve done what they could to hide their face.”
“Are we thinking this is a setup?” Theo asked.
“It’s obviously a setup.” Lou clicked a couple of keys thatbrought up the receipts for the bank account with TJ’s name on it.
TJ’s eyes went wide. “What is that? I don’t have an accountlike that. I barely have a regular account.”
“Well, this one was set up right before The Jester closed asale of small arms in Bulgaria. Sofia, to be precise, and while the arms weresmall, the shipment was not,” Lou pointed out. “The payment was made incrypto.”
Erin snorted. “Like he knows how to deal with crypto.Whoever did this didn’t think the plan through.”
“I assure you this kind of proof will work on agencies thatdon’t know him.” Big Tag had gotten serious. “Someone has been setting TJ upfor quite a while. I wonder who that could be.”
TJ shrugged. “I have no idea. I kind of thought most peopleliked me.”
“Sure. All the people you screwed over to get Lou probablythink you’re a great guy,” Big Tag said.
Erin winced. “I hadn’t thought of that, but how would theybe able to track him around Europe?”
Lou had some theories, but she didn’t want to put them outthere yet since they led back to the person who set this all up using TJ toscrew over someone else. She needed proof before making that accusation sinceit could hurt one of the Taggart sisters. “I don’t think this is someone who isso angry they lost my love that they’re willing to hack into classifiedsystems.”
“I would,” TJ assured her. “I mean I would totally have Kalado it, but I would be super upset if I had you and lost you. What’s thatprofessor doing?”
She barely managed to not roll her eyes. “The last I heardhe was getting married, so he’s probably not trying to figure out how to screwyou over. Besides, you said you didn’t do anything to him.”
TJ nodded way too fast. “That’s right. Because he seemedlike he would be good for you. But what about Dennis? He’s back in your lifenow.”
Again with the need to roll her eyes. “Sure. He’s sodesperate he’s coming after you over ten years later.”
“The best revenge is served cold and years after anyonewould be looking for it,” Theo said. “What does this guy do?”
