Pause.
Quicker keystrokes.
Heavy sigh.
“I have a feeling Dagmar wasn’t the person telling your secrets, Sean. The other guy you mentioned, Claus Wagner, is more problematic. His brother-in-law is Martin Dale, the leader of the Defenders of the Faithful.
“Dale’s got a jacket for making threats against liberal politicians, though the charges never seem to stick. Something’s always been wrong with the police work, and Dale’s walked out of jail, free and clear. Now, he’s leading a religious men’s group that looks very much like the hate group that’s after you. I’d say if you think someone is betraying you, it’s not Dagmar Volt.”
I inhaled a huge breath and slowly let it out. “Are you telling me that Claus ratted me out to a crazy brother-in-law?” I wanted to puke on the floor of my own dining room.
“We can’t rule it out, Sean.”
My heart dropped into my shoes.
“Good morning, Mrs. Lambert.” I walked into the office on Friday morning, ready to get back to work.
I dumped all the briefing books on the table in the corner of her office and turned to the woman whose expression wasn’t one of concern. It was one of anger. “Mr. Fitzpatrick, it’s good to have you back in the office. I’ve been trying to rearrange your schedule every day, and some Congress members aren’t very happy with you not keeping prearranged appointments. I’ve done my best to pacify them, but I’m afraid you’ll have a tough time trying to get on their calendars henceforth.”
It was as though I’d just been scolded by the teacher. “I understand, Mrs. Lambert. It was an emergency, but I should have kept you in the loop. I apologize.”
Mrs. Lambert stood, pulling a manila envelope from her desk drawer. “This was left for you with the guard on Tuesday.”
I picked it up and nodded. “Thank you. I’ll just review the inbox.”
Her gaze stayed fixed on me as if she were assessing my mental acuity. “You look as though you could use a cup of coffee. Black, right?”
I exhaled. “Yes, please. Thank you.”
Mrs. Lambert left her desk, and I went into my office. I had two things on my mind, but one had nudged the possible threats to the side.
Austin was driving up to Jeri’s farm in Davidsonville to get the stuff I forgot when I was leaving with Wallis and Ben. I didn’t have Jericho’s business card because it was in my wallet, and he had no way to call me.
I wondered if he’d even given me a second thought since I’d left, but then again, why would he? We’d only pretended to be boyfriends because it was easier than trying to explain my crazy life to his mother. She’d worry about him, and she had enough on her plate.
I tossed the envelope on my desk and dropped my messenger bag on one of the visitor chairs. I sat behind my desk, picking up the call sheet from the center of my blotter as Mrs. Lambert bustled in with my coffee, placing it on a coaster to my right.
“Thank you very much. Do you mind closing the door and taking a seat?” As much as I hated the idea, I needed to alert her to any potential threats that could come her way due to her position as my executive assistant.
“I’ll get my pad. Excuse me.” She stepped out to her desk and returned with her coffee, a pen, and a dictation pad a moment later.
Mrs. Lambert was old school when it came to writing down instructions. She was a pro at the squiggles that were called shorthand. It was the best damn code I’d ever seen, and unless one knew it, no way could you decipher it.
Once she was settled in the chair, her coffee resting on a coaster on the edge of my desk, she nodded. “Does this have anything to do with the police warrant served last week?”
I exhaled, wishing I’d skipped wearing my contacts that morning. I was still waiting for my new glasses, which should come any day now. “I was out of town because of a perceived threat to my safety. You see, my former assistant was found in the trunk of my—”
“I’m aware. The police were interested in whether you and Mr. Haight were still in touch. I told them not to my knowledge. They insisted on confiscating your business laptop. I ordered a new one which should be delivered soon. They also took the red-well file, where copies of your online calendar are kept. I refused to give them anything else not detailed in the search warrant, and I only answered perfunctory questions regarding our office processes.”
“Of course, Mrs. Lambert. I didn’t doubt you for a minute. Did the police explain what’s going on?” I asked.
“They said they were investigating the murder of your former assistant. They didn’t give me any information regarding how you fit into their investigation. Officer Mathers asked me if I knew anything about your personal life, and I was able to honestly answer that our relationship wasn’t personal. We kept things on a professional level.” I detected a bit of smugness in her comment.
“Just as you informed me on your first day. I understand your position, now more than ever. Thank you. I’m hopeful the aggressors will be caught sooner rather than later. If you’d prefer to take time off until this mess is sorted out, I’ll understand,” I offered as an option.
Mrs. Lambert glanced at her closed pad for a moment. “The gentleman in the lobby is your personal protection, correct? Darren Horne has received inquiries this morning from other staff. I told him I’d clarify with him as soon as I had a chance to speak to you.”
I chuckled. I needed to get everyone together for a quick meeting to explain as much as I was able. “Could you send out an email for everyone to meet in the conference room at four, please? Include the mailroom and office assistant pool. I want everyone to become hyper-vigilant about deliveries and their surroundings. I don’t want any of you to be in danger, and if it weren’t just before the July break, I’d have everyone work from home with only a skeleton crew in the office.
