‘Well? Is it her?’ Nathan stood and looked as if he was ready to make a move.
‘I don’t know. Before I could get a good look, I made a noise and he closed the curtains.’
‘Jesus, Maggie. I think we need to call it in and deal with what may come. We can’t risk it; if it is Kate, any mistake on our part could have devastating consequences.’ Nathan reached for his radio.
‘Hang on, boss. I have an idea. Hear me out.’ Maggie collected her thoughts and continued. ‘What if we can get someone inside? Come up with an excuse, see how he reacts?’
‘No. I don’t like that. What if he panics? We could just be pushing him to take action.’
‘Wait. Please. We can get Julie to knock on his door. Say she’s doing a story on forensics and was given his name. Maybe along the lines of the work they are doing on the recent murders and how important his role is? That would feed into his ego; he may let his guard down.’
Nathan was pacing the coffee shop’s floor. Maggie waited for his response and motioned for Julie to jump in and add something that would sway the argument.
‘I’m totally up for that …’ Julie’s enthusiasm was obvious.
‘Stand by, Ms Noble. I’ve not agreed to anything yet. You do realize that you could be placing yourself at risk too.’ He looked at his watch. ‘It could take time to get a team here to wire you up. I don’t like this at all.’ Nathan’s face creased. Maggie could tell he was having an argument with himself inside that head of his.
‘We don’t have time to wait. I’ll leave my mobile phone linked to Maggie. You can listen in and record what he says. He may not even let me in, but if I could get a glimpse of the woman and confirm it’s Kate – you could be close by. We could think of a word or something that will signal if it is Kate.’ Julie looked from Nathan to Maggie.
Maggie pleaded with her boss. As much as she hated to beg, she knew this opportunity needed to be acted on fast.
‘If the shit hits the fan, I’m holding you responsible. Do you understand?’ He pointed his finger at Maggie.
‘Absolutely. How about if Julie says something simple like asking him for a tissue if she sees Kate. If we hear that, we’ll enter the property and make the arrest.’
‘If it is Kate, do you really think he is going to invite a reporter inside?’ Nathan was getting flustered.
‘We can try, boss.’
Nathan nodded. ‘OK. Julie, link your mobile with Maggie’s now. I’ll update the team and make my way to the property with Maggie about five minutes after you leave. That way, if he looks around, he won’t see us. We’ll find a spot close to the property and move in if you confirm it’s Kate. But for the record, I don’t like any of this one bit.’
Julie took out her phone and followed Nathan’s instructions. She started walking to the door.
‘Wait.’ Maggie rushed over and grabbed Julie’s arm. ‘Are you sure you want to do this?’ Maggie realized the enormity of the task at hand. She was placing Julie at risk and, as much as it bothered her to admit, she didn’t want to put anyone else in harm’s way.
‘My. My. My, is that concern etched on your face, DC Jamieson? I’m touched. I’ll be fine. This isn’t the first time I’ve put myself in danger, you know. Remember, I survived your wrath.’ Julie winked and Maggie couldn’t help but smile.
‘Are you two done? Let’s get a move on, please,’ Nathan interrupted, and Maggie cleared her throat.
‘Right, boss. Julie, we’ll be right behind you. Don’t do or say anything that will put you in harm’s way.’
Julie spoke into her pocket. ‘I promise I won’t. But I expect something in return, DC Jamieson. We’ll chat when this is over.’
Maggie hoped no one else heard the comment, but her stomach did a flip. There was a definite flirtatious tone to Julie’s words and Maggie wasn’t sure how she felt about that.
Nathan motioned for Maggie to follow and the pair headed towards the identified property. Nathan crept along the left side of the property and Maggie the right. As soon as they were in place, he gave Julie a thumbs up and she rang the doorbell.
Maggie held her breath as she waited for the door to be opened. Although it was only seconds, it seemed like hours had passed, and then she heard the locks click and a voice she recognized.
‘What the hell are you doing here?’