Page 7 of Under Fire

Now he would admit she had his attention. “Something similar like what?”

“A fake sting operation.”

He intentionally showed no reaction. “A fake sting operation?” he asked, repeating her words.

“Yes. One where your client was led to believe it was an official sting operation, when it wasn’t. Arrangements were made to have him at a vacant location to meet with the man they wanted eliminated and make sure one of them had a gun.”

Locke’s stomach tightened. “Are you implying Barcos wasn’t the target of a sting, but an assassination?”

“Can you truthfully say that hasn’t crossed your mind, Mr. Dangerfield?”

Of course it had, but he wouldn’t say as much to her. “I’m looking at all possible motives, Ms. Calloway.”

“Yes, you do that,” she said, standing. “You have my business card. If you think you can use my help, please call me.”

When she turned to leave, he stood as well. “You indicated earlier that you worked on a case where you exposed FBI agents doing something similar.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“What happened to those agents?”

“They were convicted and are still serving time.”

Locke believed her. As pretty as she looked, everything about her said law enforcement, and considering everything, he wasn’t sure he could trust her…or trust himself around her.

He watched as she headed for the door, opened it, and left. He stared back at the business card he still held in his hand. Hollis Calloway. Why, when she had told him about those four agents she’d sent to jail, did he get the feeling there was something about it that she wasn’t revealing? Did she regret exposing her fellow agents’ corruption?

Locke moved to the window and watched her walk toward her car. Why did he like the sway of her hips in that pencil skirt as she did so? In a way, he liked her approach. She hadn’t been pushy. She had been professional and confident. She was tall, leggy, had a nice figure, and looked beautiful without even trying. He frowned, wondering why any of that mattered when he would not be hiring her.

He watched until she drove away and was just about to move away from the window when he noticed a black SUV that had been parked a couple of cars behind her eased out to follow her. A sliver of unease ran up Locke’s spine upon realizing Hollis Calloway was being tailed.

CHAPTER 4

Hollis’ phone chimed through the car’s speakers, and she accepted the call by pressing a button on the steering wheel. “Calloway Investigations.”

“This is Locke Dangerfield, and you are being followed.”

She thought his phone voice had a deep, rumbling huskiness that she rather liked. “Yes. I know, but he was your problem first.”

“What do you mean?”

“He was already parked in front of your place when I pulled up. I assumed he was your bodyguard.”

“I don’t have a bodyguard.”

“I didn’t know that.”

“Do you want me to notify the police?” he asked.

“What for?”

“Did you not hear me say that you’re being followed, Ms. Calloway?”

She frowned. “And did you not hear me say, Mr. Dangerfield, that I knew that? It’s not the first time I’ve been tailed, and it won’t be the last. I got this.”

“What do you plan to do?”

She almost told him that, since she didn’t work for him and, from the way he had ended their meeting, she doubted he’d hire her, she didn’t owe him an explanation. However, as she had told him, the guy had been his problem first, so she would answer.