Page 22 of The Husband's Secret
She stared at him a moment. “How did you confirm this? Surely Scott didn’t use his name. I’ve never known him to be thatkind of careless about himself. He wouldn’t have wanted to take the risk.”
“He used the name Stan Dayton. We have a contact who confirmed his ID via the airport’s facial recognition system. I’m sure Agent Cummings and Detective Shelton are aware of this already but are not prepared to share it with you.”
“I can’t believe this.” She held up her hands in obvious frustration. “Anyway, you’ve convinced me that he retained the services of your agency. Explain to me what that entails.”
“Scott asked that if anything happened to him or he disappeared, that we were to step in and protect his family until the situation was resolved. He leased the house next door when the previous owner moved. He suspected there was going to be trouble. My assignment is to keep an eye on you and Janey. Protect you from physical harm if the need arises and help you navigate the fallout from this investigation.”
“Then how did that intruder get into my house if you’re supposed to be watching? Why didn’t you stop him?” she demanded.
“I intercepted him,” he explained, “in the alley.” He gingerly touched the back of his head. “But he had a friend. The blow came from behind me. When I came to, the police were already here. Believe me, no one is more frustrated and disappointed about that than me.”
The horrified expression on her face told him she wasn’t sure whether to be angry or worried. “Are you all right?”
“Other than a lingering headache, I’m okay.”
“Do you need medical attention?” Her face had softened now.
“No. Really, I’m fine. The only thing I need is for you to understand who I am and why I’m here.” He smiled hopefully. “And maybe to trust me.”
Brenda appeared to consider all he’d said for a bit before she spoke again. “So, I’m supposed to believe that you’re hereto protect me.” She shook her head, her expression weary. “I’m sorry, Ben, you seem like a nice guy, but I need something more concrete than your word. This is my daughter’s life—my life—we’re talking about here.”
“Fair enough. The Colby Agency is among the top, most prestigious investigative agencies in the country. Whatever else your husband is guilty of, he made an excellent choice by coming to us. Let me make a call. I want to introduce you to the woman in charge. I think when you hear what she has to say, you’ll understand.”
Ben reached for his cell phone and put through a call to Victoria’s direct line. She answered immediately. “Victoria, I’m here with Brenda Devers. We need to have that face to face.”
“Give me one minute,” Victoria said. “I’ll set up a video call.”
The call ended.
“She’ll call right back, using video,” he explained. “Meanwhile, feel free to search the Colby Agency on the web. You’ll find images of Victoria and Jamie. They run the agency. You’ll see the reviews. Read them. Then you’ll understand.”
Whether Brenda realized it or not, she could not be in better hands.
Chapter Nine
1:00 p.m.
Still reeling with emotions, Brenda reached for her phone and did as Ben suggested. She opened a browser, typed inthe Colby Agency of Chicagoand hit Search.
Line after line of relevant information filled the screen.
Former clients lauded the agency, the staff and the results of their work. Thousands of reviews were available. She scanned the photos of Victoria and Jamie. Theirs were the only images available of staff members. She supposed investigators like Ben weren’t shown for the protection of ongoing cases.
No matter how Brenda framed her search criteria, the conclusions were the same: The Colby Agency was the very best. No complaints…no outstanding issues. Only thankful clients and glowing recommendations.
The sound of an incoming call made her jump. She looked to Ben, who’d tapped the screen of his phone. His employer was apparently returning his call. Brenda squared her shoulders and braced for this next step in her ongoing nightmare.
Scott had hired a private investigator to help her and Janey if anything happened to him…but had anything really happened to him? He was alive… She’d seen him.
It was nearly too much. She felt like coiling into a ball to hide until this whole thing was over. But real life didn’t work that way. She had no choice but to face whatever the hell he had gotten them into. It was difficult to be grateful for any steps he’dtaken under the circumstances. Why wasn’t he here trying to protect them himself?
Right now, more than anything, she wished she could get her hands on him. The idea that he would hide while they dealt with this mess infuriated her. The least he could do was turn himself in to the FBI—the people he had agreed to work with. Why the hell was he hiding from them?
From her?
Because he was a self-centered ass!
“Victoria, Jamie,” Ben said, “this is Brenda Devers.”
