“Judging by the cousin’s reaction when we asked her to leave the phone line in place? Zero to none,” Chrissaid.
She nodded once. “Find out what hospital Sarah Perry is in and see if you can get in to talk to her. Maybe she can provide some background information on Eddie that we don’t have. It might give us an idea of where he’d go—who he’d reach out to for help. And keep an eye on thekids.”
“Full-time surveillance?” Philasked.
“No, but talk to the cousin. Get her cooperation. If Eddie Perry wants his kids, he’ll go after them. All we have to do iswait.”
Chris held in the breath he wanted to blow out. That was easier said than done. Maybe Jase and Bree would be willing to run interference forhim.
The director stood and smoothed down her skirt. “Thank you for the update, agents. Keep me informed of anychanges.”
He and Phil murmured their assent as she left the conferenceroom.
Special Agent Dickson shook his hand and clapped him on the shoulder. “Goodjob.”
Chris nodded. “Thank you.” He shut down the computer and gathered up hisnotes.
Phil waited for him in the doorway. “Where’d you get the information that the family was trying to keep the kids away fromEddie?”
He looked over his shoulder and led the way to their shared cubicle. Setting the files down, he loosened his tie. “Remember the woman I was seeing before I wentundercover?”
“Vaguely, yeah.” He leaned against Chris’s desk and crossed one ankle over theother.
Leaning back in his chair, Chris laced his fingers together over his stomach. “She’s Sarah Perry’scousin.”
“You’rejoking?”
He shook his head slowly. “She’s also the designated guardian of Sarah Perry’s children for…after.”
Phil’s head dropped down, then rose again. “Jesus, man. Are youserious?”
“Yeah.”
“Are you still seeingher?”
“No. Disappearing without a word kind of put the kibosh on that wholesituation.”
“The note you asked about,” he said with agrimace.
“Yeah.”
“Shit, man, I’msorry.”
Chris shrugged, trying for a level of indifference he in no way felt. “Shithappens.”
“You get this complicates things, right? Even if you aren’t seeing heranymore.”
“Yeah, Phil. I get it.” He sure as hell didn’t need it rubbedin.
Phil scrubbed a hand over his face. “Do you know what hospital Sarah’sin?”
“Cape Fear Cancer Center.” Jase had shared thatinformation.
Phil sat at his desk and typed sharply on his keyboard, then snatched up the phone handset and punched at the numbers. Chris knew his partner well enough to know he was upset Chris had kept this information from him. He wouldn’t have done anything differently. He wasn’t going to be pulled off this investigation. Cradle to grave and he was going to see it to the end of the Southern Anarchists. Andrew and Teresa had been murdered while undercover investigating theses fuckers and their families deserved thatmuch.
He picked up his phone from the desk and unlocked it, opening it to the photo app. The only picture in the gallery was one he’d managed to retrieve from his back-up after getting a new phone. He’d snuck the photo of Denise while she’d slept. Half on her stomach, clutching a pillow with one leg bent and out of the sheet that seemed to hang precariously onto her lower back, it was the most relaxed he’d ever seen her. It had made him realize she was always on guard, even in sleep a small frown tugged at the corners of hermouth.
How could he get her to trust him again? Not due to the case or because he needed information, but because he needed her. He’d never needed a woman before. Never wondered what they were doing. This mission had been the first time he’d felt like he’d left something behind, something he missed and looked forward to returning to. That sure as shit didn’t go according toplan.
