She rose to follow him but turned at the sound of a man’s deep voice. Reese was staring over her shoulder, watching a big blond man with a flattop haircut walking toward them. Dressed in a dark brown suit and wingtip shoes, he strode past them, right into Reese’s office.
“Well, Special Agent Taggart,” Reese said dryly. He motioned for Kenzie to join them, then closed the door. “I hope this means you’ve found the man responsible for the Sea Titan helicopter crash.”
“You could say that. Currently, he’s lying on a slab in the morgue.”
Reese’s glance cut to her. “FBI Special Agent Quinn Taggart, meet my executive assistant, McKenzie Haines.”
Taggart dipped his chin in greeting. “Ms. Haines...”
“Special Agent.”
“Kenzie’s been involved in the investigation since the day the chopper went down, so I’d like her to sit in on our conversation.”
Taggart nodded. “That’s not a problem. This won’t take long.”
They moved to the seating area around the dark walnut coffee table. Reese offered the agent something to drink, but he declined.
“Last week,” Taggart began, “a mechanic named Louis Kroft was murdered outside a vacant warehouse in Dallas. Took two .45 caliber slugs to the chest, plus a stray bullet that ricocheted off the gravel and lodged in his abdomen. We were able to ID him, track him back to where he was living in Port Arthur. He’d only been working there a few weeks, coincidentally took the job not long after the Sea Titan helicopter went down. Turns out he was an expert on the EC135.”
Kenzie remembered the moment she’d heard about the deadly crash and felt a sudden chill.
“You think this is the guy?” Reese asked.
“Looks that way. Before the move, Kroft worked as a helicopter mechanic in Dallas. Quit his job and left town shortly after the crash. We found a couple of big deposits in his bank account, and gas receipts from a station in Galveston. We’re still investigating, but there’s a good chance it’s him.”
“So who killed him?”
“That’s the question, isn’t it? That and the reason he was murdered. Clearly he was working for someone else. That’s the person we’re looking for now.”
“Can you trace the money back to its source?”
Taggart shook his head. “Cash deposits made by Kroft himself.” He shoved his big frame up from the sofa. “I figure you’re probably still digging around. You hear anything about this guy or anything else, you let me know.”
Reese nodded. “I will.”
Taggart turned to Kenzie. “Pleasure meeting you, Ms. Haines.”
“Agent Taggart.” She didn’t say it was a pleasure meeting him, too. She’d had enough of law enforcement to last a lifetime. And now the mechanic who had sabotaged the helicopter was dead. Whichever way they turned, murder and mayhem swirled around them.
Reese followed Taggart to the door and closed it behind him. Then he turned back to Kenzie. Surprise jolted through her when he pulled her into his arms and kissed her so thoroughly her knees went weak. She was trembling when he let her go.
“Sorry. I just needed to get that out of my system. I missed you and I’ve been worried about you.”
“We...we can’t do that, Reese. I can’t concentrate on my job if I’m thinking about you instead of business.”
He nodded, a faint, unrepentant smile on his lips. “You’re right. I promise it won’t happen...often.” He actually grinned. “Now we can get to work.”
Kenzie laughed. She had never seen this side of him, relaxed and slightly playful. It only made him more attractive.
“Before we get started,” she said, “I should probably tell you Detective Ford came by to see me. He questioned me about the shooting skills my dad taught me and warned me I could be dragging you into a lot of trouble.”
Reese frowned. “Next time you don’t talk to him. You call Nathan.”
“I thought about it. Next time I will.”
“Good. Now let’s go over my schedule for the week—starting with when we’ll have time to see each other outside the office. Tonight would be a good start.”
Kenzie smiled, the anxiety she’d felt all weekend slipping away. Reese still wanted her. For now, everything was okay.
