“That’s enough,” Hernandez bellowed. To Amanda, he said, “I sure hope you’re not insinuating I had anything to do with this.”
“Not at all. We’re just here to talk. Dominique mentioned a few of her clients weren’t too happy about her moving her firm to Washington.” She phrased it this way to avoid being seen as accusing him again.
“I wasn’t, but things never stay the same. I am disappointed by her lack of loyalty though.”
It was as if he were trying to entice Amanda to mention his threat. With a man like this, though, she felt forced to say something. Hernandez could see the lack of a response as disrespect. “I can understand that.”
A sly smile spread across the man’s lips. “I like you.”
His offering did little to soothe her nerves. “I’m pleased to hear that, and as a businessman, you can appreciate that my partner and I are here because… well, if we didn’t come, our bosses might accuse us of not doing our jobs.”
“I get that. Just doing what the boss tells you. I respect that. Obedience is an admirable trait in employees.”
“If I had any, I’m sure I’d agree.”
Hernandez laughed, but it died out quickly. “Well, if that’s all…” Hernandez gestured to Bruno, indicating for him to walk them out.
Amanda stood. “Thank you for your time.”
“Yes. Just remember the courtesy I’ve shown you today, Detective Steele.”
Amanda’s back was to him when he said her name, but shivers laced down her spine. There was something in his tone, in his choice of wording, that niggled.
Bruno shut the door behind them with a thud, and Amanda and Trent didn’t say a thing until they got into the car.
“You did good in there,” Trent told her, snapping his seatbelt. “You’re very cool under pressure.”
“If that’s what you think, I should get an award for my acting skills.”
“You earned one, but I’m worried to be honest. I didn’t much care for what Hernandez said just before we left. He saidcourtesyas if he did you a favor and now you owe him.”
It took hearing Trent saying this for her to understand why it had given her chills. There was also the way Hernandez made a point of saying her name, as if he were committing it to memory.
“You all right?” he prompted when she didn’t reply.
She nodded, lying to him and herself. “I don’t think he ordered the hit on Dominique.”
“Not if Nina’s his only female soldier. She’s too petite for one thing.”
And she seems fond of her knife…
“So what now? We still have a folder of threats against Sharp, but there are people at the other end of this acquisition. We haven’t talked with them yet.”
“Well, that’s not happening today.” She pointed at the time on the dash.4:30 PM.
“Are you suggesting we clock out for five?”
“Since we clocked in around four this morning, yes, I am.” She didn’t have it in her to wade through the threats, hoping one would snatch her attention.
“I’m not going to argue with you. What do you think we should do with the financial paperwork for the sale and purchase?”
“We could look at them, not that we’ll understand them. I suggest we pass them over to Financial Crimes to have them review all of it and see if they can find anything that flags. Not sure if I mentioned this, but I thought before that someone wanted to prevent Dominique from seeing them.”
“I suppose anything’s possible, and I’m with you about passing off the financial reports. Math and I aren’t good friends.” Trent got them on the road, and Amanda sat back and shut her eyes. Though she was far from relaxed.
Meeting Hernandez was like meeting the devil, or so Amanda imagined. Charming and enticing on the surface, scheming beneath. If he saw speaking with her as a courtesy, he would turn up one day to collect a favor from her. And when she refused…
Her eyes shot open.
