Page 125 of High Treason
“Not yet. Investigators are following up on the places she visited.”
“Like the library?”
He mulled her question. “That’s a safe place.”
“Yes, sir.”
“I’m on it.”
“If you’d let me out of this bed, I’d run it down.”
“Even if you didn’t sound like your cough came from your toes, our role is protection.”
She laughed, and he savored the sound.
MONICA HAD MADE A USELESS ATTEMPTto fight sleep and explore the new findings. She fell asleep before three in the afternoon and didn’t wake until her phone buzzed with a call from Kord. This time, she’d placed her cell beneath her blankets to keep Fatima from confiscating it.
“Woke you up?” he said.
“I refuse to answer that.” She took a quick look at the time—9:00. What a shirker. “What have you learned?”
“The FBI held a press conference, encouraged the community to help.”
“You’ve had positive responses with billboards and enlisting citizens’ cooperation in the past. By the way, are you hungry?”
“I could be. Do you want me to bring you up something?”
“No, I need the exercise and I hate to eat alone.”
“Aren’t you still running a fever?”
“Low grade. Very low.”
“What about your sidekick, the IV pole?”
“I can carry the bag. Please, anything to get out of this room.”
“I’ll meet you outside your door.”
“But no help down the stairs unless I ask.”
“I could carry you. After all, I carried you up there.”
“So not laughing.”
“On my way.”
Maneuvering the IV bag in and out of the sleeve of a floor-length robe took more time than she thought. Then a scarf in case a Saudi man showed up. Nearly wore her out. Then she had a coughing spell. Fifteen minutes later, she shuffled out. “Sorry to keep you waiting.”
“Sure this is a smart move?” he said.
“I’m going to the rodeo on Thursday. Have to start somewhere.”
“Monica, you’ll be watching Keith Urban from YouTube videos.”
“A good mental attitude is the beginning of great things.”
“Whose quote?”
