Page 96 of Fear of Flames
“Don’t be,” Olivia said. “I love happy endings.”
Fletch lowered Michelle’s feet to the floor. “Not all happy.”
“What?”
“Colt and Rock found Peterson.”
“Good,” Olivia said.
“I hope they throw the book at him.”
Leo replied, “The agency is a one-way ride. Peterson knew that and thought he could play the system. Apparently, Top has been monitoring Peterson for the last few months.”
“He’s guilty,” Michelle said. “Does the agency have trials?”
Everyone but Michelle shook their heads.
Her eyes widened. “Oh my God, is he? Will they?”
“He is,” Fletch said. “A single bullet to the head. He knew he wouldn’t survive if he didn’t end it himself.” Fletch’s smile widened. “And here Leo and I thought we had an exciting mission.” He laid his hand on Michelle’s shoulder. “I’ve got myself a super spy.”
“Natasha Romanoff,” Olivia said.
“Who?” Michelle asked.
“Wait, you’re not a Marvel fan?”
Michelle shook her head. “I’ve always been more of a DC fan. Love me some Batman.”
Fletch put his arm around Michelle. “We’ve got forever to show you the wrong of your ways.”
“And once you can leave the complex,” Olivia added, “there’s a nearby theater that shows Marvel marathons once a month.”
Michelle looked up at Fletch. “Will that day come?”
“It will. First, we need to prove Perkins’s connection to Nelson and that he killed Denny.”
“It’s in the works,” Leo said. “We told Top how you helped find the file that nails Nelson’s coffin. He also heard about your takedown of Peterson. When you make an impression on Top in your first week, the agency will make sure things happen.”
Chapter
Forty-Seven
“Hi, I’m Kenzi.”
“And I’m Ali.”
“Welcome back. We hope everyone had a nice Labor Day weekend.”
“I’m not ready for summer to end,” Ali said.
“It sure was nicer in Iron Falls without all the snow.”
“You’re right. We told you last week that Sheriff McBride invited us back to Iron Falls, Massachusetts, for the grand opening of the Holdcraft Refuge. It seems that Dennis Holdcraft, the man murdered last January, left his estate to his daughter.”
“However, we know that sadly, Michelle Holdcraft also tragically perished, following her father’s murder. A car accident on a deserted highway in North Dakota.”
“We talked about that last spring,” Ali said. “I hate that she never knew she was completely exonerated for her part in her father’s death, the blowing up of the house in Indianapolis, and her mother’s demise.”
