“How?” Agent Sanderson asked.
Ava licked her lips. She couldn’t give up Raven. She had to explain this another way. “Well, I suspected Miranda Vale right away based on her behavior. I noticed she has a tattoo on her wrist. A Bishop.”
“Go on,” Agent Sanderson prodded.
“The Bancrofts have similar tattoos, all in the same location with different chess pieces. I surmised.”
“That’s a pretty good deduction, Ms. Collins.”
“Thank you. As you said, I’m smart.” She grinned at them.
“Are you receiving any outside help in tracking members of The Board?” Agent Sullivan asked.
“No,” Ava said before she tilted her head. “Well, that’s not entirely true. We have friends in from New Orleans. They’ve been helping us make some connections. But they have nothing to do with any of this.”
“The Harringtons?” Agent Sanderson asked.
“That’s right, yes. Grant happened to know Theodore Bancroft and said he’d make an introduction. Other than that, they’re enjoying a beach vacation.”
“Beach vacation? Is that why Dr. Kyle Carter checked you into a hotel as his wife?”
Ava shifted in her seat, glancing down at the metal table. “Like I said, Alex and I don’t have the most traditional relationship.”
Agent Sanderson snorted a laugh. “Are you saying you and Dr. Carter had a fling?”
“I’m saying Dr. Carter checked me into a hotel room. He’s a sweet kid. I like him a lot.”
Agent Sanderson leaned forward again, her voice lowering. The room seemed to shrink, the pressure mounting. “I think you’re lying, Ms. Collins. I think you know a lot more than you’re saying, and I want to know how you know it.”
Despite her racing heart, Ava worked to keep your expression neutral. “I wish I did. Alex and I are furious about what happened at StoneCorp.”
“As you should be. That money was likely used to create tragedy.” Agent Sanderson tapped on her folder. “But we are the only ones who can take these people down.”
“Yet you need my help.”
“We want your help, yes. You pursued avenues we couldn’t. And you did it with help. Who helped you?”
“No one. I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Agent Sanderson’s eyes widened in fake surprise. “Really? Because you’ve been up to a lot of naughty things, Ms. Collins.”
She opened the folder, tossing out pictures of Ava in various compromising positions as she retrieved Board information for Raven.
“Who gave you the orders to carry out these missions?”
“Missions?” Ava said with a laugh. “You’re reaching.”
“We have you breaking and entering multiple times, Ava. But we can help you.”
“Really?” she retorted. “How?”
“Full immunity for both you and your husband from anything you’ve done in the name of tracking The Board. All you need to do is give us your contact and a full debriefing on everything you’ve done with them.”
Ava sucked in a breath. “And I suppose you’ll detain me here until I see things your way?”
“No, not at all.” Agent Sanderson collected the pictures, stuffing them back in her folder. “Go home, sleep on it. Talk to your husband about it. Talk to Dr. Carter about it.”
Ava scoffed at the statement.
