***
God, it couldn’t be. It couldn’t. But like many years ago at his trial, the evidence overpowered any case for the defense.
His gut clenched. No thinking about lunch while his guts roiled.
He’d trusted her. Trusted her! Served him right for letting his guard down. Well, no more!
Johnson’s Jeep sat in its normal spot. Lucky paced the parking lot. He’d never been much good at waiting. With any luck, he’d confront Re… Johnson, get some answers and maybe be home before Bo wondered where he might be.
He needed those answers more than air right now.
Across the lot the elevator doors opened.
He lay back against his car, one foot raised and resting on the hubcap. Johnson threw up a hand and trotted over. “Hi, Lucky! Lisa said you wanted to see me.” She approached slowly, a brief flash of uncertainty on her face.
Lucky stepped away from the car, put his finger over his lips and held out the wand. His best glower said complying wasn’t optional. Keith mentioned missing equipment and not to trust anyone. He’d ponder the irony of heeding anything his enemy said later.
Johnson’s eyes got big, then she scowled, “What do you—”
Lucky slapped a hand over her mouth and ran the bug detector over her body. All clean… until.
Oh shit. He stepped back, glaring, and pantomimed taking off her necklace. She nodded and did as told. Lucky opened the car door, started the engine, jacked up the stereo, and slammed the door. There. That ought to make some nosey shithead lose lunch.
Achy Breaky Heartblasting at high volumes behind him, Lucky glared upward at the woman who’d better start talking. “I figured you were the leak. Things only you knew made it back to O’Donoghue. I want to know why.”
Johnson stepped back, eyes wide and palms splayed. “I swear to God, Lucky, I had no idea. Really, I wouldn’t do that to you.”
“Where did you get the necklace, then?”
She pounded a fist against the car hood. Lucky recoiled and checked for a dent. “Sonofabitch! Phillip. Phillip gave me that necklace. Told me he’d love to see it on me at work, so that even if we couldn’t tell anyone about us, we’d have this. That bastard! I played right into his hands!”
The angry tiger trapped in a woman’s body whirled and faced Lucky. “I’ll kill the little bastard, using me like that!”
So, one of O’Donoghue’s minions struck again. O’Donoghue wasn’t the only one capable of reading body language. Being used shook Loretta Johnson to the core. “Lucky, I am so, so sorry. I had no idea. Really. You gotta believe me.”
She kept her head down.
Lucky let out a deep breath. She hadn’t betrayed him. He and trust weren’t close acquaintances, but he believed her. Needed to believe. Even so, he’d sure as hell keep his eyes open. “You know what this means, right?”
“Yeah.” She clenched her fists. “That motherfucker! I’ll—”
“Do not one damned thing. If you do, he’ll know we’re onto him. This way, we can feed him whatever bullshit we want him to believe, and he’ll go skulking back to O’Donoghue.” Once Lucky’s blood pressure returned to normal, he’d let his inner redneck out to play and figure out how best to use this opportunity to his advantage. “Really, woman, you need to rethink who you hang out with.” Many folks probably said the same to her about him.
“You got that right.” Johnson let out a snort to do a bull proud. “I’m going to rip his balls off. No, first I’ll kick them so hard he’ll hear bells ring. Then I’ll… I’ll…”
Lucky flinched and backed up. Her size ten pumps could do a lot of damage if she got carried away.
Keith mentioned losing a necklace wire from his arsenal of listening devices. Looked like Lucky’d found the missing bling.
Hey! Phillip getting busted might mean… “Do you think O’Donoghue put him up to it?”
She nodded. “Yeah. Phillip isn’t the kind to act on his own. There’s a puppet master pulling his strings.” Anger flared in her eyes. “How can I be around him, act normal, knowing he did this to me? Betrayed us. He damned sure ain’t coming around my son no more.”
Lucky forced a smile. “You’re a trained undercover operator, and I remember how smoothly you lied in the classroom. I’ve seen you in action outside the SNB too. You’ve got this, Joh… Rett.” If he repeated those words often and loudly enough, he might convince himself. “But I see your point. Keep him away from your kid.”
This woman hadn’t thought twice about putting a bullet into a man she’d once loved in order to save her son. Push come to shove, she’d be a mama bear and likely kill Phillip with her bare hands.
Phillip worked against them. The thought stung. Having Rett still on his side made up for a world of hurt.
