Page 30 of Targeted at Christmas

Mitzi nodded. “Gretchen Blanchett filled me in on the allegations against Horace,” she said of the assistant director of inspections. “I don’t know what this has to do with me?”

Hopefully nothing, Cooper thought, but wasn’t in the business of making assumptions. He squared his jaw. “We need to know if anyone has offered you money, gifts or anything else of value—in order to cut corners, expedite permits, look the other way or some other means of receiving favorable treatment in your role as a building inspector in charge of the approval process in compliance with building codes and the like.”

Mitzi batted her eyes. “No one has tried to bribe me,” she asserted. “If so, I would have turned them down.”

Frank leaned toward Mitzi and, furrowing his brow, said toughly, “We’re aware that you have a sick daughter. And that you’re struggling to deal with the bills not covered by your insurance. I suspect that it didn’t take much for whoever had Eckhart on the take to learn about your predicament—and offer you a way out—so long as you played ball. If this is the case, now would be the time to come clean and let us help you—”

“It isn’t the case!” Mitzi raised her voice an octave. “I haven’t been contacted by anyone to take Horace’s place—if that’s what you’re getting at. Yes, my daughter is very ill, and it’s been tough on me to deal with. But I swear to you that I would never commit a crime to pay for her treatment with money I didn’t earn or borrow through legitimate means. I have no wish to go to jail—or end up dead like Horace—and not be there for my daughter when she most needs me. If there is someone else in our department accepting bribes, you’ll need to look elsewhere.”

Cooper saw no indication of wavering in her tone or expression. He couldn’t help but imagine the gut-wrenching pain of having an ill child. Who wouldn’t do anything to help that child? But there were always other ways to deal with such than violating the public trust in committing a crime.

Beyond that, Cooper regretted that he and Melanie never got the opportunity to bring children into the world. Maybe with Lexi the possibility was there and their children would enjoy all the wonderful things that might come their way.

Cooper handed Mitzi his card. “If anyone should approach you with an offer for money or anything else of value in exchange for your cooperating on a building project, let us know.”

“I will,” she promised, before they ended the questioning.

Outside the hospital, Frank shrugged. “If nothing else, she’ll think twice—in case desperation and opportunity mixes like the ingredients in a dirty martini—before she decides to do something stupid and takes a bribe and the consequences that goes with it.”

“You’re right about that,” Cooper concurred. “Doesn’t mean that whoever corrupted Eckhart won’t try the same with another building inspector. If someone else isn’t already on the take.”

“Yeah, there’s always that to consider in the scheme of things.” Frank scratched his chin. “Some developers and their associates are clearly willing to stoop to any level to gain the upper hand on the competition.”

Cooper sighed thoughtfully. “That includes murder,” he stated, knowing that the two men who offed Eckhart were still on the loose. And had to be regarded as armed and dangerous.

LEXI WAS GLAD that Pamela volunteered to give her a lift home when Cooper got a call and had to leave the ground-breaking ceremony abruptly. Duty called, and Lexi needed to get used to this if they wanted to be successful as a couple. Just as he would need to adjust to the demands that her profession could put on a relationship.

On her covered patio, Lexi sat with Pamela on teakwood upholstered Adirondack chairs. Both were holding goblets with white wine.

Pamela peered over her wineglass and asked inquisitively, “So, what is it you’re not telling me about Cooper Reid—other than the obvious, that you like him?”

“You’re right about liking him,” Lexi confirmed, knowing this moment was coming. “We’ve been seeing each other for a short while.” It somehow seemed longer to her. Did it to him, too? “Aside from that, Cooper’s an FBI special agent,” she told her flatly.

Pamela cocked a brow. “Seriously?”

“Yes.” Lexi tasted the wine. “In fact, Cooper’s investigating the death of the building inspector, Horace Eckhart—and whether or not it involved Horace’s suspected venture into public corruption.” She eyed her friend. “That’s actually how we met. Cooper questioned me about Horace and anything I knew or didn’t know.”

“I see.” Pamela sipped her wine. “So, I take it you passed the innocent-of-any-wrongdoing test with flying colors?”

Lexi chuckled. “I suppose you could say that.” Not that she was ever worried to the contrary. Wasn’t it Franklin D. Roosevelt who coined the phrase, nothing to fear but fear itself? She was sure that Cooper could see right from the start that there was not a bribery-involved bone in her body.

“Figured as much.” Pamela laughed. “But apart from his investigation—what a great get-to-know-you starter.”

Lexi grinned. “It turned out that way.”

Pamela cast her eyes on her in earnest. “Just so you know, Lexi, I’m happy for you and hope this works out. You’ve been on your own way too long. You deserve to have someone in your life again.”

“Thanks.” Lexi appreciated the support from her friend, who had been there in both good times and bad. And vice versa. “You deserve the same thing,” she pointed out sincerely.

“Yeah, well, about that—” Pamela gazed down into her nearly empty goblet. “Actually, I’ve started seeing someone too.”

“Really?” Lexi looked at her with curiosity. “Who? Anyone I know?”

“Yes—sort of.” She finished off her wine and met Lexi’s gaze. “It’s Jarrod Inzunza.”

“The managing partner at Wolftyn Senmoore Developments?” Lexi asked, as if she had misheard the name. Or it had been someone other than the married man who was twenty years Pamela’s senior.

“Yes,” Pamela confirmed, coloring. “I know what you’re thinking. Why an older, married man with a lovely wife and three children?” She drew a breath. “It just happened—notwithstanding those factors—significant as they are… Like with you and Cooper, Jarrod and I just struck up a conversation one day and found that we had more in common than architecture. I know it sounds crazy, but we made a connection.”