First Family (Sean King & Michelle Maxwell 4)

“No, I would never do that.”

“Then what the hell happened?”

“Look, you killed her mom.”

“No I didn’t.”

“Well, you told me she was dead. Is she or isn’t she?”

Quarry looked toward the door and then back at her. “It was an accident.”

“I’m sure,” she said sarcastically.

“You told her she was dead?” he said, his anger rising.

“No, but she’s a smart kid. I told her you couldn’t be trusted. She put two and two together. And if you do let us go she’s going to find out for sure at some point.”

Quarry scowled at her from under thick tufts of eyebrow. “You shouldn’t have told her that.”

“Yeah, well, you shouldn’t have killed her mother, by accident or otherwise. And you shouldn’t have kidnapped us in the first place. And right now I don’t really care if you kill me. You can just go to hell, Mr. Sam. ”

“I’m already in hell, lady. Been there for years.”

He slammed the door behind him.

CHAPTER 70

JANE COX DREW a quick breath as she peered inside the post office box. Every time she had opened it before the container had been empty. But today there was a white envelope inside. She glanced around, held her purse close to the box, and slid the envelope inside it.

She had just climbed inside the limo when there was a rap on the glass. Jane looked at her security detail leader. “Let’s go.”

Instead of going, the door to the limo opened and FBI agent Chuck Waters was standing there. “I need the letter, Mrs. Cox.”

“Excuse me, who are you?”

Waters held up his badge. “FBI. I need the letter,” he said again.

/> “What letter?”

“The letter you just took out of that box in there.” He pointed over his shoulder to the Mail Boxes Etc. store.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. Now please leave me alone.” She looked over at her detail chief. “Drew, tell him to leave.”

Drew Fuller, a veteran Secret Service agent, looked back at her nervously. “Mrs. Cox, the FBI has had you under surveillance from day one on this.”

“What!” she exclaimed. From the resigned look in Fuller’s eyes, he had realized that a reassignment in his future to a far less desirable outpost was probably coming fast.

Waters said, “I have a warrant here.” He held up the piece of paper. “To search your purse and your person.”

“You can’t do that. I’m not a criminal.”

“If you have evidence critical to a kidnapping investigation and you are knowingly withholding it, then you are a criminal, ma’am.”

“I can’t believe your gall!”

“I’m just trying to get your niece back. I assume you want that too.”

“How dare you!”