Chapter 56

 

LILIA WIGGLED HER finger in her ear as they got into the waiting car in Kentucky. Flying always made her ears pop. She tried sweets and bubble gum, she’d even resorted to ear plugs but no, they still popped. She’d be hearing herself ten decibels louder for hours.

“No team?” Lilia asked, fighting the urge to waggle her finger in her ear again. It was itching now.

“No. The only reason I’m not launching this officially is I want to make sure Renee is fine.” Fleming fiddled with her wedding band as she drove them down the highway.

“She’s not.”

Fleming glanced at her. “What do you mean?”

“What I said.” Lilia looked out at the Kentucky landscape. Part of her wanted to take an RV, Eli, and the girls and explore. Maybe he’d go for it when they retired?

“You don’t look at all concerned.”

She smiled at the comment. “Years of practice.”

“So you’re not at all curious why they irritated one of the most powerful judges in the state?” Fleming tucked her hair behind her ears. She used to wear it down more around Renee. Lilia supposed that had been for her. Perhaps Martin preferred it up.

“No.”

Fleming tapped the wheel. “Well, I am.”

“No, you’re curious as to why Renee didn’t come back and marry you or offer an explanation.” If Fleming thought she was fooling anyone she was mistaken. “You want a confrontation so you can demand answers.”

Fleming tapped the wheel again.

“Won’t make you feel less guilty for marrying him.” Lilia ignored the glare. “You’re happy. You have children. Let it go.”

“My personal feelings have nothing to do with this.” Fleming’s voice disagreed. “I have an agent who is meant to be MIA, a lead agent, who ismissing but is supposed to be on vacation, and another agent who is actually an ex-convict.”

Lilia frowned at the term.

“If you think I hadn’t copied the pages you shredded, you’re not as wily as I’d assumed.” Fleming met her eyes for a moment. “How am I doing so far?”

Far too well but then Lilia would have been disappointed at anything less. “Wrongly convicted. Her record is expunged.”

Fleming blew out a breath. “No, it’ll be that way when they convict the man arrested. Don’t think I haven’t seen the defense case.” She frowned. “And for the record, it looks like they have a great way of dragging her back into it.”

“They do. Sam has money.” Lilia couldn’t say much else to that. Sam had a way of convincing most people and his lawyer, one of the brightest in her field, had succumbed to Sam’s charm. She was convinced he was innocent and had been framed.

“For the record. I think he’s lying through his teeth and she’s a hero.” Fleming let a small smile through. “Lilia, I don’t know what is going on. I’m hurt but I know if you’re shredding files and putting your liberty on the line, there’s a very good reason.”

Fleming would have made an incredible card player. Lilia couldn’t help but smile at that. Most people would have blurted out exactly what Fleming wanted.

“Serious charges,” she said instead. “It’ll be interesting to see how worthwhile his complaint is, hmmm?”

She could see Fleming’s jaw flex. She could see the thought pattern. Ah yes, she had scheduled a plane, dragged a lead agent from base, and was charging in to listen to a judge who, by the sound of it, needed less ego and more humility. Expensive knee-jerk reaction to finding out her ex-fiancé was still alive.

“Nice try.” Fleming eased the speed up. “I’m not buying it.”

“You don’t have to.” She smiled a pleasant smile as they reached the ridiculously oversized mansion. “I think he did.”

 

LILIA SMILED AS the judge sat nursing his drink. It hadn’t been his first by the ruddiness of his cheeks.

“So you called in the FBI because someone filled your tank for you?” Fleming raised her head to glare at him. She’d taken notes, diligently.

“She tried to damage my tank. She told me it was a fake.” He let out a “hah.”

“But your car is a genuine car and your tank is filled with the right fuel, yes?” Fleming’s tone was icy at best. Lilia fought the urge to smile. It was one way to delay her from finding Frei was missing that was for certain.

“She said it wasn’t. I had to call out a mechanic.” He folded his arms.

“But the man at the station told you it was the right fuel.” She rubbed her nose. “In any case, no offense was actually committed was it?”

The judge waved it off.

Fleming got to her feet. “You reported a federal agent to the IA for no reason.” She narrowed her eyes. “You’ll be waving from a cell in a minute.”

He fixed her with a stare. “I reported the plates. The police called you in.”

“But your version of the plates wasn’t the same as the man at the station and your description doesn’t match his.” She read down the list. “You said the second woman was overly tall and muscular when he said she was no taller than him and skinny.” She folded her arms. “So one of you is either blind or lying.”

“You take his version over mine?”

“His didn’t involve an investigation into why someone filled your tank for you.” Fleming met Lilia’s eyes.

“I reported a crime. It was a crime. If I’d driven away, my car would have been ruined.” He narrowed his eyes. “It costs more than you make.”

“But not as much as the fine I’m going to issue you.” Fleming looked like she may smack him with her handbag.

“Was either woman in trouble of any kind,” Lilia said, keeping every bit of amusement out of her voice. “Did they threaten you in any way?”

He shook his head.

“So as I see it, no crime was committed, no agents are unscrupulously filling judges’ cars and we are wasting our time here.” Lilia motioned to a seething Fleming. “Therefore, I propose you drop your accusations against both the man at the station and these very rude gas tank fillers.” She held up her hand before either could argue. “In return, we won’t fine you more than your house is worth and we can wipe this messy little incident off the record.”

She met them both with her best mother’s stare. “Hmmm?”

The judge nodded. Fleming sighed and did the same.

“Lovely. Well, we best be on our way.” She motioned to Fleming, knowing a hint of the laughter inside might just be twinkling through her eyes.

“The man was a buffoon,” Fleming snapped as they got into the car.

Lilia stared out the window.

“Don’t think I don’t know he was telling the truth.”

She turned to raise an eyebrow at Fleming.

“I may not have known the true nature of her job but I knew Renee.” She smiled. “And the woman I knew would have done exactly what he said she did.”

Renee did have a spark or two in her. “May we call off the alert on them now? It wouldn’t be pleasant to spoil their vacation.”

“I’ll have to—” Fleming’s phone buzzed. She pulled over and answered it. “A what?”

Lilia tensed.

“We’re on our way.” Fleming hung up. She turned to meet Lilia’s eyes. “Reports of gunfire, oddly the same number plate.”

“Ever thought someone may just have similar plates.”

Fleming smiled. “How many women over six foot do you know?”

Ah. “Actually quite a few.”

Fleming started the car. Her phone rang again. “Fleming.”

Lilia tensed once more. 

“Cincinnati . . . say that again . . .” Fleming frowned. “It’s at the airfield . . . we’ll head there, schedule the plane.” Fleming hung up and stared at her. “Anything you want to say?”

“I am intrigued.”

“A woman in,” she waved her hand, “some small town just reported that a woman over six foot went into the drugstore she worked at and left one hundred thousand dollars, in bills, in her bag.” She folded her arms. “The man in the airfield reported that three women, in the same car, saved his wife’s life by,” she held her hand up as Lilia opened her mouth, “telling her that she had broken vertebrae in her neck.”

Lilia felt the glow of pride but kept her mouth firmly closed.

“They were bickering apparently and two of the women were well over—”

“Six foot,” Lilia said.

“Yes.” Fleming started the car. “Any ideas?”

Lilia shook her head. “Still, it’s best we stop these unscrupulous people before they help anyone else.”

“They stole drugs from the store,” Fleming shot back.

Lilia smiled. “I’d say they more than covered it, don’t you think?”

Fleming said nothing.

Lilia looked up at the stars, hoping that they were closer to finding Frei. She prayed they could get to her. Frei needed them.