Page 97 of Proof

“And you owe me a new phone.” Luna smirked.

As soon as the car was out of the driveway, Gail bolted out of her room. “What in Sam Hill was that all about?”

“I can’t discuss it.”

Gail furrowed her brow. “Is everything alright?”

“Not exactly, but it will be.”

“So why is he here?”

“I can’t discuss it.” Luna hugged her friend. “Rule Number One.”

“Ah. I get it. We don’t talk about it.” Gail nodded.

“Correct-o-mundo. Never. Ever.” Luna clung to her friend. “Love you, pal.”

“Love you more.”

The two retreated to their bedrooms, but Luna knew she wasn’t going to be able to sleep any time soon. It was going to be a repeat of the night before, with a whole lot of tossing and turning.

Chapter Nineteen

The Next Day

Interrogation and Explanation

Three days in a row, Luna was awake before the light of day. She wasn’t sure if she’d slept at all. Reality and her whirling thoughts were intermingled, as if she were in a fugue state. At least she wasn’t nervous about confronting Brendan again. Now she could be nervous about confronting the U.S. Marshal’s Service. In her heart, she knew she hadn’t done anything illegal. Perhaps misguided, but it wasn’t due to any malice. She had all the best intentions—but as they said, the road to hell was paved with them.

She showered and decided on the cropped pants and tunic. The outfit was polished without looking as if she were going out on a date. Some date!

Luna skipped her morning coffee. She didn’t need any more jitters than she already had. Gail offered to make her some toast, but Luna declined. Her stomach was doing somersaults.

She checked her makeup and decided to wear her contact lenses. For some reason, they felt more natural. Gail gave her a big hug before Luna walked out the door. “Good luck, sweetcakes. I know everything is going to be alright.”

Luna forced a smile. “It has to be.”

At eight, Chris had a briefing with Buck and Desmond. “I was able to locate the woman in the photo. Luna Bodman.”

“Impressive,” Buck noted. “How did you manage that?”

Chris was trying valiantly to avoid any personal details. “I phoned the rental agency in Phoenix and got her phone number.” He was half telling the truth. “That’s something someone should have thought of when they identified her as the person who rented the vehicle.” He looked directly at Buck.

“Good work, man,” Buck snorted, ignoring Chris’s offhand accusation. “You’re going to make an excellent WITSEC agent.”

Chris had already come to the conclusion that he was probably a better agent than Buck. Just a feeling he had. A gut feeling, as opposed to some kind of woo-woo stuff.

“I also checked with Jack, who asked the witness if he could identify her and her reason for being at the farm. According to Jack, the two went to college together, and our man had not had contact with her since the incident. He said she showed up out of nowhere, and he told her to leave and forget she ever saw him.” Chris paused. “I also had her phone records dumped, and all the calls were verified to her brother and some friends. I also had the cell towers checked in this area. No unusual burner phone activity.”

“So you’re trying to tell us she just stumbled upon an old college pal?” Buck looked suspicious.

“I’m telling you what I know. She’s meeting us in the parking lot in an hour.”

“What?” Buck looked shocked. “How did you manage that?”

“I called her. Said it was of the utmost importance she meet with U.S. Marshals regarding an accident on the highway yesterday.”

“And she just agreed to come here?”

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