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“FBI?” I shook each of their hands. As a long-time detective at the NYPD, I wasn’t sure why he’d arrived with FBI agents.
He winked. “I’ve told you before, Bale. People owe me favors all over the place.” He nodded toward the three agents standing at attention. “Agent Young is an old friend of mine. He’s the agent I told you I’ve been working with on your case. He informed me Gates and Hyatt have been investigating your pops-in-law for a while now. They got wind of your situation and thought they’d check it out for themselves.”
Jesus. Did this guy know every-freaking-body?
“Yeah, well, good luck with that,” I muttered. “Fucker’s like the wind.”
“With all due respect, Mr. Bale,” interrupted the small female agent named Hyatt, “sometimes the FBI can find links local enforcement miss. Not because they’re incompetent, but because we’ve been studying Daniel Dalton for years.”
“We’ll take any help we can get.” I glanced at Phoebe, who stared blankly at me from underneath the blanket.
“Do you mind if we take a look around?” Hyatt asked, already taking notes.
I dismissed her with a wave. “Go wherever you want.” If it helped them find Iris, they could demolish the house for all I cared. She nodded as the three of them disappeared.
Jaxon slapped me on the back. “We need to find this supposed woman who dressed up as Phoebe’s friend.”
After hours of stressing over the same thing, I laughed at the simplicity of his statement. “Easier said than done, Hough.”
“Didn’t you say she had a key?”
“Yeah.”
“Security system?”
“Dismantled,” I replied flatly.
He leaned in, lowering his voice. “Sounds like someone’s playing the friend. Maybe a family member or a co-worker?”
“Oh my god, the memory book.” Every head turned toward Phoebe. She’d remained silent up until now. Since our argument, she’d simply rocked herself in the recliner, hugging Iris’s blanket against her chest. It shocked me to finally hear her speak.
I kept my voice steady. “Memory book?”
She nodded vigorously. “Faith was making a memory book for our wedding. When Blogosphere Daily scooped the details, she figured out her assistant’s intern stole the book and sold the intimates to BD. By the time Faith went to confront her, she was gone. No one’s seen her since.”
My blood boiled. “You didn’t think this information was important yesterday?”
Her voice softened. “I didn’t remember it until now.”
“I’m sure Iris will appreciate the sentiment.” Her eyes widened, and once again, I regretted my words.
What was happening to us? If there was a time to pull together and unite, it was now. But all we’d done was tear each other to shreds since I walked through the door.
“It doesn’t matter now,” Hough broke in. “We need to contact Faith and find this woman’s name. She’s our key.
Zane pushed away from his designated corner. “I’ll call her again. Maybe this time, she’ll fucking answer.” He walked out of the room, refusing to look at me.
Great. Offend my best friend?
Check.
Hough turned back to me. “Then we need to find this McKellan guy. He’s obviously in on it. Or dead,” he added with a grim face. “Either ending sucks for him.” He shrugged as he scrolled through his phone.
Within minutes, people scattered. Hough took charge, assigning people jobs or tasks, and a flurry of activity commenced. Even the lead detective in charge of the investigation heeled under his command. It was bizarre.
Overwhelmed, I braced both hands against the wall. Everything hit me at once: lack of sleep, jet lag, adrenaline crash, and nightmares on the plane.
I failed her.
