“If I have my way, I’ll never get so much as a parking ticket for the rest of my life,” Lindsey said.
Marti smiled. “Okay, then.” Turning to Todd, she said, “Kurt said you have an FBI contact?”
“Her name’s Wendy Parker. Last I heard, she worked in the Salt Lake City field office. I don’t know her number, but Kurt was going to try to get in touch, let her know we’d be willing to surrender to her once we found Megan.”
The lawyer made a note in her phone. “I’ll see what I can do. That’s a full day’s drive.”
“We’ll wait as long as it takes.” Todd ignored Lindsey’s curious look. “She’s the only law enforcement officer I trust right now.”
“Does the FBI actually have jurisdiction over our case?” Lindsey asked. “I assume Todd’s boss filled you in on why we can’t go to the local police.”
“Some. I don’t know what happened after you talked to him.”
Todd gave her a quick outline of recent events, during which she managed to give away nothing of her thoughts.
“The FBI handles cases of police corruption and money laundering, so I think they can justify taking this case. Special Agent Parker is another matter, but it won’t hurt that Helena’s FBI office is a resident agency under the Salt Lake field office. I’ll let her figure that one out.”
He nodded.
“Anything else you need before I leave?”
“No, but thank you,” Lindsey said. “I’m not sure where we’d be right now without your help.”
For a moment, Marti’s mask of indifference slipped. She nodded and cleared her throat. “I’ll call you as soon as I know something.”
Once she was gone, Todd locked the door to the garage and turned to find Lindsey right behind him, holding her arms across her middle.
“Hey.” He held out his arms and she sank into his embrace. God, he’d been so afraid they wouldn’t make it to this moment.
His heart rate slowed and some of the tension melted from his neck and shoulders. Holding her had a near-magical effect on him, and he didn’t want to let go.
She shifted back just enough to trail her fingers over his brow. “So, tell me more about this FBI friend of yours.”
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
THE WAY TODD talked about the FBI agent, with a heavy dose of awe and admiration, had Lindsey wondering why he hadn’t mentioned the woman before. Especially considering that his boss and Marti already knew about her.
“We grew up next door to each other,” Todd said. “Her brother Craig was my best friend, and she was a year ahead of us in school.” He cleared his throat. “We also dated during my senior year of high school, while she went to the local community college to save for OU.”
Ah. Had he worried that Lindsey would be jealous if she knew?
“It ended when I broke up with her to join the Air Force right after graduation.”
“But you still trust her to treat you…us, fairly?” Lindsey asked.
“Absolutely. She’s a professional, and she doesn’t hold a grudge.” He frowned, getting a far away look in his eyes. “Besides, it’s beenfifteenyears. According to Facebook, she’s married and has a kid.”
There was stillsomethingthere. If not love, at least nostalgia, shared history, maybe some regrets.
He stepped closer and gently massaged her shoulders, melting some of her anxiety. “Hey, I trust her. I don’t know how things are going to turn out, I can’t make promises, but I honestly believe she’s our best shot at surviving this clusterfuck.”
“Okay.”
Todd flashed a relieved smile and gave her a quick, reassuring kiss that had her forgetting about Wendy Parker altogether. “Sit tight. I’m going to check things out.”
He scanned the house, checking all the doors and windows to ensure they were locked. Then, he began looking under table lamps and plant pots, and behind pictures. He even stood on a chair to inspect the chandelier.
“What are you doing?”
