Intersection (25 page)

“Michael…It’s good to see you,” she said. The man led her past several desks to a small office at the back of the long and narrow room. She entered and he closed the door behind them.

“I have to say, I was surprised to get your message. I would’ve expected you to call on the colonel.”

Alex sighed. John Merrow would have been her first choice were it not for the political nature of the situation. Michael Taylor was her only other resource. She did not relish the idea of turning back to her NSA roots but Taylor and Merrow were about the only people she trusted implicitly. They had earned that very unique place many years earlier and the three had an unspoken understanding and bond that Alex Toles was grateful for. “I don’t think it’s wise to involve the president.”

The man stroked his chin. “All right. You wouldn’t be here without a good reason, Alex. What’s going on?”

“I need a favor, Taylor.”

“Okay…”

“I need two backgrounds…and I need it strictly between us,” the agent explained.

“Name it.”

“Claire Brackett, FBI and Carl Edward Fisher – preliminary says he is a Stanford grad, twenty-nine, from Santa Monica and working as a photographer.”

The man looked at her curiously. “Not exactly what I would expect,” he inquired. “Can I ask what this is about….I mean other than the O’Brien case?”

Alex took a deep breath. “Taylor,” she paused. “I don’t want to say much yet. It’s a feeling…about Brackett anyway, and about this case. I’m sure there is more than one thing going on here.”

“You haven’t told me much about it, Toles,” he reminded her. “That tells me almost everything I need to know.”

Alex pinched the bridge of her nose. “Taylor…is there an open case on Congressman O’Brien?”

“Not that I’m aware of. Why?” Alex shook her head. Michael Taylor studied her expression. “Look, Toles,” he continued. “Say no more.”

Toles, Taylor and Merrow had all served in Iraq together; Merrow the colonel, Taylor her captain and Toles, at the time a lieutenant. They worked in and around Baghdad determining possible terrorist threats aimed at targeting both the troops and the states. Alex spoke seven languages; an ability attributed largely to her eidetic memory; a trait few realized she possessed. She was fluent in Arabic, Farsi and Kurdish as well as Spanish, French, Italian and Russian. The agent’s ability to remember fine details and large bodies of information with ease often meant she saw pieces in a puzzle that others missed. That ability saved the lives of the three friends many years ago. It formed an unbreakable bond of trust that continued over the years. When Taylor took a leadership role at the NSA, Alex followed. Her decision to leave the NSA and take a job at the FBI was one Taylor initially resisted. But, in the last three years their respective positions had often become an asset to the other. Cooperation between investigative agencies was often more competitive than it was collegial. The ability to tap one
another’s knowledge and resources proved highly beneficial on more than one occasion.

“Toles?” Taylor began. “These letters, I looked at the files you sent me.” Alex nodded, seeing immediately that her friend identified the same issues she had. “I’m curious, I can understand the photographer….Why the agent?”

Alex’s jaw line became taught. “More than one thing. Cocky, too cocky for one. Rookies aren’t that cocky.” Her friend leaned back in his chair knowing it was more than that. “All right…a couple of weeks ago I noticed an envelope on her coffee table. The handwriting looked just like the ones that came to the congressman’s office. I didn’t get a close look.”

“You think she’s a spook?” Alex shrugged. “All right. I’ll see what I can find.” Alex rose to head to the door. “Toles… whatever you’re into here… just be careful.”

The agent stopped. “Taylor…nothing to John for now; okay?” He nodded his agreement.

“Alex,” he said. “I don’t want to pry, but her coffee table?” He smirked.

Alex laughed. Taylor was well aware of his friend’s conquests. “It wasn’t anything, believe me,” her eyes sparkled a bit as the congressman’s ex-wife entered her mind momentarily.

“Really?”

Alex shook her head knowing her friend could read her fairly well after so many years. “Conversation for another time, Taylor.”

The man smiled, “I’ll look forward to THAT.”

“I’m sure you will, Taylor. Thanks,” Agent Toles said earnestly.

“Anytime, Captain. Sorry, but Agent just doesn’t sound right to me,” he winked. “I’ll be in touch.”

“Thanks, Fallon…Do me a favor, let me know when you finish talking to those witnesses…..yeah…..I have to go…I will…..
no….pick me up at the townhouse in the morning….yeah that works. Thanks.” Alex hung up with her partner and looked at the front door of the large townhouse. She put her face in her hands and tried to rub out the realities from her day. The case was preoccupying her thoughts now. There were a lot of puzzle pieces on the table and she was certain they all fit together somehow. If she could just get the frame done, then maybe she could see the whole picture. She was still worried about Cassidy but she felt a sense of relief having Taylor in the loop. Fallon was a terrific agent, better than she often gave him credit for, but Taylor was a literal genius and he knew how to maneuver red tape like no one Alex had ever met, not even the president.

Alex’s NSA background was classified, and for good reason. It was not something that either her partner or A.D. Tate had any knowledge of. As she took a deep breath and tried to quiet her thoughts she found herself wondering when she would declassify her life to the woman that waited for her inside. It was strange. There was no question of
if
, it was only a matter of when. That was one way she knew that she wanted to hold on to Cassidy O’Brien. Alex exhaled her thoughts as she transitioned her mind to the people awaiting her inside; people she had grown to love more than her heart could fathom in such a short time.

Cassidy was on her cell phone when Alex walked into the spacious living room. “Yeah…no…I’ll be back on Monday….I appreciate that but it isn’t necessary….No…..I’m sure. I emailed the lesson plan…Just please ask that the sub hands it out….yes…thanks.” Alex leaned up against the doorway and listened. The conversation she overheard was just one more reason that she loved Cassidy. The blonde woman turned to catch the agent observing her with obvious admiration. “How long have you been there?” She asked. Alex just smiled. “What?” Cassidy asked, puzzled by the agent’s continuing silent gaze.

“I guess I just missed you,” she said in a warm, soft whisper. Cassidy seemed to transform the commanding presence of the FBI agent immediately into that of a gushing teenager.

“Is that right?” The teacher raised an eyebrow. “Well, I guess it’s a good thing you are home then, isn’t it?” Alex felt a sense of lightness overtake her body. It was an innocent statement from the woman but it held something within it that resonated for the agent in an immeasurable way, ‘
home
’. Cassidy walked to the agent and kissed her on the cheek. “I missed you too,” she whispered.

Alex planted a light kiss on the woman’s lips and smiled, looking into her eyes. “Aahheeem,” a voice interrupted, flushing the agent’s cheeks into at least fifty shades of crimson.

“Yes, Mom,” Cassidy answered giving an encouraging caress of her thumb to the agent’s blushing cheek.

“Your son does not want to leave that pool table. He’s down there lining balls up over and over again and he refuses to get his shoes on,” Rose said to her daughter before turning to the agent with a deliberate smirk. “Oh. Hello, Alex.” The agent smiled sheepishly and Cassidy chuckled knowing her mother was deriving great pleasure in the agent’s embarrassment.

“You have created a monster,” Cassidy joked to the agent.

“What?” Alex asked innocently.

“He’s been down there all afternoon going on and on about how Alex said where to look at the ball and Alex said hold the stick this way….and Alex…”

Alex sighed, “I’ll get him.”

“Good luck with that, Agent,” Rose laughed. Alex nodded and made her way to the stairs. “You enjoyed that, didn’t you?” Cassidy shook her head at her mother.

“I have no idea what you are talking about, Cassie.” Rose began to walk back into the hallway. “I’m going to walk down to that small market and get some pasta for dinner.” Her daughter laughed. One of the things Cassidy was the most grateful for in
her life was her mother. Rose McCollum was smart, attractive and good natured, attributes she had passed on to her daughter. The two shared a friendship that transcended mother and daughter and Cassidy understood how rare that was.

Small legs were dangling and kicking in mild protest through uncontrollable giggling as the agent entered the room. “Come on, Alex!” He cried out his objections through his own laughter.

“Sorry…no can do, Speed Racer… Sneakers or you can forget another lesson. That’s the deal.”

“Awww,” he groaned as Alex sat him on the large chair.

His mother picked up the shoes and squatted in front of him. “Dylan,” she gently cautioned him, soliciting yet another warmhearted grin from the agent.

“I’ll get the car,” Alex said giving the young man a narrowed gaze.

“When we get home?” He called after her.

“We’ll see,” Alex called back in an effort to hide her amusement.

Alex paced the hallway for a few moments wondering how the visit was going. She already knew that Dylan was a sensitive child and she was worried. If the flashes of cameras had unsettled his young mind, she worried that the beeping of monitors and the sight of his father in a hospital bed attached to tubing might truly frighten him. There was something she wanted to do. She hesitantly walked to the door and peeked in the window. Dylan was sitting in the chair with Cassidy standing beside him. Gently she rapped the window. Her lover nodded, touched the boy’s shoulder and came to the door. “Everything okay?” Cassidy asked Alex.

“Yeah,” Alex looked over the woman’s shoulder at the small boy. “Are you going to stay a little while longer?”

“I was going to…but if you…”

“No, no, no,” Alex returned her eyes to the woman. “I need to run out for about twenty minutes…I just wanted to know if I had time.”

Cassidy looked at the agent pondering what she was thinking. It was only a short time ago that Alex had worried about coming between the congressman and his family. Cassidy wanted to be certain Alex felt secure. “Sure. Take whatever time you need. But, Alex, seriously are you sure you are…”

“I’m fine Cass…I just forgot about something. Shouldn’t take me more than half an hour at most.”

“Okay, if we’re done I’ll wait for you in the lounge.”

“Okay.”

When Alex returned about half an hour later Dylan’s eyes were red. Cassidy had his hand in a firm grip and she looked at Alex with an unmistakable expression of regret. It was a necessary visit but the agent’s instincts were right, Dylan was rattled. The agent’s heart sank, both for the boy and his mother. If anyone understood the anxiety hospitals could produce it was Alex Toles. “All right you two,” Alex lifted her voice. “Let’s blow this clambake; as they say.” Cassidy looked at her as though she were pleading forgiveness for doing something she had to do. Dylan kept his small eyes on his feet. Alex knelt down to him. “Get on.” He looked at her questioning. “Well, come on, piggy back out of this place. We have a lesson to get to and I can’t play on an empty stomach so let’s get a move on.” The boy was still quiet but he offered her the faintest hint of a smile and grabbed onto her neck so she could piggy back him to the car. Cassidy was silent and remained so for the forty minute drive home. Alex unbuckled Dylan and he ran up the front stairs, happy to be anywhere but where he had come from. The agent looked at her lover. “Cass…”

“I should have listened to you.”

“No, you were right…It’ll be okay. Go in. I’m sure your mom has dinner ready.”

“What about you?”

“I brought some things from home. I just want to go put them away. I’ll be right behind you, I promise.” Cassidy gave an unconvincing smile and headed into the townhouse. Alex waited until she was through the door and opened the trunk. She retrieved two bags and quietly headed through the door. She set one down at the edge of the stairs to the second floor and the other she set inside the door to the lower level before making her way into the kitchen. “What do I smell?” She called out lightheartedly.