Page 16 of Final Approach
But he didn’t and she wanted to keep it that way. Telling him would only hurt him. And she’d done enough of that.
With a groan, she surged to her feet and tossed the remote on the couch, then carried her leftovers to the fridge. She took a quick inventory and made a mental note to go to the grocery store tomorrow.
She shut the refrigerator door and walked back to the laptop.
Why had Marcus been put onthatplane? Her plane. Coincidence?
She looked up the TSA agents working security. Every single one. Ran backgrounds on them.
Twenty minutes into her search, she got a hit. Colleen Pearson. She had a recent DUI. More digging turned up medical debts and a home in foreclosure.
She tapped her lips, then texted the information to Andrew and Nathan.
I have no idea if there’s a connection, but someone let Marcus Brown through security with a fairly large amount of superglue even though it was in a jewelry making kit. It still should have been flagged. I think we need to take a hard look at this agent. Could have been simple oversight. Or not.
Andrew answered her immediately.
We’ll have her picked up first thing in the morning and see if we can get footage of which line he went through.
Perfect. Now, she could sleep. Maybe.
FIVE
Kristine woke Saturday morning, her mind going straight to the hijacking, the Serpentine Network, and Andrew Ross.
Most especially, Andrew Ross. She’d been looking forward to the Florida trip in part because she wanted to get to know the quiet FBI agent without the interference of work or family demands. Against her better judgment, she was intrigued by him. And she could tell he was interested as well. But the thought of getting involved with someone while her father was so unpredictable with his behavior, well ... she was probably better off not risking it. Even though she found herself thinking Andrew might be worth the risk.
But for now, it wasn’t to be. She sighed and fixed her coffee, then grabbed a blueberry bagel and topped it with cream cheese. She carried it with her Bible tucked under her arm to the small patio off the back of her townhome, not bothered one bit by the chill in the early morning air. The sun was barely creeping up over the horizon, the world was still, and all was well for this brief moment. All too soon, reality would intrude, but she’d soak in this part of her day as long as she could.God,thank you thatI’m safe. Thank you for your goodness that noone died on that plane yesterday. Thank you for itall. I’m truly grateful.She sighed. “Can we talk about my dad for a minute? I don’t understand him, God, and I really need your help to keepmy patience and my cool with him.” Sometimes praying out loud even when she was by herself helped her feel more connected to the Lord. “He’s getting more and more demanding. Controlling. And I don’t know what to do about it except leave it in your hands. Be with Emily and Ethan and let them keep their hearts and eyes on you.”
Her phone rang, interrupting the prayer. Her supervisor. She raised a brow and swiped the screen. “Hello?”
“Kristine, how are you this morning?”
She frowned. He sounded odd. “I’m fine. Recovering from yesterday and processing, of course. Do you need me to come in?”
“No. Er ... that’s why I was calling. I wanted to do this in person, but I’m getting ready to get on a plane to head out of town.”
“All right.” He had her full attention. “What’s going on?”
“The woman from the hijacking yesterday, Brianne Anderson...”
“Yes. She’s okay, right?”
“She’s recovering, but, Kristine, I’m sorry to tell you this, she and her family are bringing charges against you. Saying you didn’t do your job and she was unnecessarily hurt in the incident.”
A bolt of lightning couldn’t have shocked her more. “I’m sorry. What?”
He sighed. “I know. I don’t believe it. But for now, until the investigation proves otherwise, you’re on leave.”
She opened her mouth, but nothing came out.
“Kristine?”
She cleared her throat. “I’m here.”
“Don’t let this get you down. I don’t think it’ll take too long to prove otherwise. We’ve got all the video footage we’re still going through and the accounts of all of the law enforcement there.”
“But they’re my friends, sir. People could say they’re not exactly objective and...”
