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Cameron leaned back in her desk chair, having returned to the reality of the advertising world. She dialed Nathan’s private line at Department of Justice. When he answered, she said, “For once I listened to you and we played it smart. Detective Barrington of the LAPD has everything we know now, and if all goes right, Barbara Shady will be in custody by this evening. Oh, and by the way, two thugs from the Rojas Cartel forced their way into my house last night and threatened us. I managed to call Barrington for help, but Garrett persuaded them to leave before the cops got here.”
“Damn it, Cami. That’s what I mean. You keep putting yourself in danger. Does Barrington plan to bring in the DEA?”
“Not yet. Later.”
Nathan was not happy they hadn’t brought in the DEA, but she explained that it was better to have an undercover detective bring Barbara in so as not spook her if she spotted too many questionable people when she approached the ship. She added, the DEA would have the opportunity to become involved once Barbara was out of operation, but she reminded him there were several counts of homicide and that was Barrington’s turf. Then she assured him that Barrington wasn’t a glory hunter, but rather a dedicated public servant who had been a big help to them.
Nathan said, “Well, give a big thanks to your teammates. Maybe we can meet them next time Kim and I are in LA. This has been a greater help than you know, although I hate involving civilians.”
“Aw, come on. Kate and I aren’t just civilians—we’re family. And, we’ve solved crimes before. You know that. Plus, Danny is former FBI, and we couldn’t have done it without his friend and co-author Margaret. Kim has met the Colonel and his dog Clarence, and she loves that old guy and the pooch. He’s military right down to his arthritic knees. As for our actor friend, he got to experience a real investigation although he kept coming up with crazy scenarios that could happen on TV or in the movies. This was a dose of reality for him.”
The Attorney General answered with a chuckle. “Love ya, Cami. You always have a justification or a spin ready. That’s why you’re a great ad woman. I’m hoping this will be a real crack in the case against those deceptive doctors and their network. It’s a pretty sure bet she’ll give up all of their names in exchange for some leniency. I know I would if I was in her position. So many of them operate under the radar as respectable citizens that they are able to maintain a great cover. By the way, give my regards to your Mom.”
“Will do. Kate says she has to go back to San Francisco, but she’ll be making more trips to LA. She signed the contracts for the TV series based on her life and Kim and I are covered as advisors. Wonder who will play you in the Ripoff episode. Anyway, if you can take some time off, we might be seeing you here soon. And, oh yeah, here’s a little gossip to share with Kim. I think Matt’s mouth is watering to land a role on the series, Danny is completely taken with Kate and I’d bet money that they will get together. The Colonel has had a great adventure, too. Let me know if you need anything else. Would you believe I have to go back to designing a killer campaign for sexy disposable underwear for incontinent seniors? Not very exciting, I’m afraid.”
She pressed the disconnect button and took in her wonderful view with a self-satisfied smile. It was fun to get back into investigating, and Danny and Margaret had been a great addition. Now, if all went well, revenge against Barbara for robbing the HOA would be complete by late that afternoon. Nothing quite as satisfying as catching an embezzler who also turned out to be a killer. She had every confidence that the HOA money would be recovered.
Kate left early that morning to meet with a new client before going home. It was impossible to delay tackling Sexy Seniors any longer. If she knew how to whistle in this happy mood, she would, but she always sounded like a teakettle when she tried.