Page 43 of The Agent
“You don’t have a response to what I just said?”
He swallowed. “I have to tell her the truth, AJ.”
“You can’t do that.”
“Why not?” he asked, running the fingers of one hand through his hair in frustration.
“Because if sheishelping Grier, you’ll tip her off, and then she’ll tip him off.”
“She’s not helping Grier,” he said through clenched teeth. “I know her, AJ. Like you said, I’ve been spending time with her, and I know in my gut she’s not capable of that.”
“Your gut isn’t going to bring Russ back,” AJ said.
“Nothing will bring Russ back.” Caleb’s chest squeezed with pain. “Russ is gone, and Grier is the one responsible for that. Not Marley.”
AJ uttered another low expletive, but Caleb cut him off before he could object. “I can’t lie to her anymore. I can’t do it.” A lump of grief lodged in his throat. “She trusts me. Shelikesme. And I feel like a total ass every time I look at her. I can’t do this to her anymore.”
Resignation lined AJ’s tone. “And you still insist you’re not in love with her, huh?” He paused. “Do what you want, Ford, I’m not going to stop you. But think real hard before ruining your cover. You don’t want this blowing up in your face.”
AJ hung up, and Caleb was left staring down at the phone. He wouldn’t take his partner’s advice, though. Hehadthought long and hard about it, and he knew in his heart that he couldn’t lie about who he was any longer. He had to come clean, not just for Marley’s sake, but for his own.
Getting out of bed, he slipped into his jeans and then searched for his T-shirt. He found it balled up on the floor and, with a sigh, pulled the wrinkled material over his head. After he used the bathroom and brushed his teeth, he headed downstairs. He found Marley sitting in the kitchen, staring at the half-painted wall. She still wore her pajamas, which consisted of tiny boxer shorts and a loose tank top, and she looked cute and fresh-faced as she sat there.
“No pancakes?” he teased.
At his question, her head popped up. She seemed confused for a moment, then she gave a dull shake of her head.
An alarm buzzed in his gut. With purposeful strides, he rounded the table, sank into the chair directly beside hers and cupped her delicate chin with his hands. “What happened?”
Without a word, she picked up a folded piece of paper from the tabletop and handed it to him, looking tormented.
The bank logo immediately caught his eye. He scanned the details, realizing he was looking at the statement for the joint account she’d opened with Grier.
He pretended it was news to him. “What’s this?”
“This,” she said in a stiff voice, “is the account I opened with Patrick, which the cops told me was frozen.” She snatched the paper from his hand and held it up as if it were laced with anthrax. “The account is still active, and he’s putting money in it! Drug money, most likely. God, why can’t the police just catch him already?”
Caleb rested his forehead in the palm of his hand.
“Why won’t he stop haunting me?” Tears coated her dark lashes and her breath came in short gasps. “I’m so stupid. How did I fall for all his lies? I thought he was a good person.”
A weight settled in Caleb’s rib cage, causing his heart to constrict painfully. “He lied to you.”
“Yeah, and I believed him. I was so wrong about him,” she said, twisting her hands together. Then she swiped at her wet eyes. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to dump all this on you.”
He swallowed. “Don’t apologize. You didn’t do anything wrong.”
“Hernandez isn’t going to agree.” She stared at him in dismay. “He’s going to think I helped Patrick put the money in the account.”
“You’re going to call Hernandez?”
She looked surprised. “I have to. Obviously they lied and didn’t freeze the account like they said they would. Or maybe it was the bank’s mistake. Either way, I have to tell them. I’m going to do it in person, so hopefully Hernandez will see I really didn’t have anything to do with this.”
“And if he doesn’t believe you?”
“Then he doesn’t believe me,” she repeated in a flat voice. “I still have to let them know.”
They already know.
