Page 30 of Concrete Evidence
He frowned. Why did he have this attraction to a woman so different from him? “Friendship.”
“You are one confusing man.”
“Is that a good or a bad trait?” He knew his question skirted away from the case.
“Depends if I’m evaluating you as an agent or a guy who’s coming on to me.” She smirked and propped her elbow on the table and rested her chin on it. “I’ve told you all I can.”
Marc picked up on her last word.Can.So there was more. “We all have to eat. Think of dinner as a rude guy’s way to make up for an unprofessional interview. Name the restaurant.”
“Hate to burst your balloon, but I’m not leaving the hotel.”
“Sounds like a plan to me.”
Now to figure out if his interest hovered over the professional side or the personal. Or both.
19
WHAT HAD DELAYED LIEUTENANT SHIPLEY?Marc and Roden had waited for him inside his Fort Worth Army Corps of Engineers office for over thirty minutes. Early this morning, Houston’s FBI SAC approached the Army Corps headquarters at Quantico with Marc’s request to partner in the investigation of Liam Zachary’s death. The agency heads chose not to engage in a formal MOU, and Marc was relieved. By not initiating clear guidelines and responsibilities between the FBI and Army Corps, he had more flexibility. But the FBI chose to be up-front about the question of Colonel Wilkins’s heart attack as the cause of death.
Marc studied a framed photo on the lieutenant’s desk and recalled the balding man from his father’s funeral with a fence-post frame and long arms. At the services, he displayed a solemn appearance. But posed with a wife and three kids at a lake setting, he looked friendly, approachable.
“This delay is deliberate,” Marc said. “All about control, and I’m not playing the game much longer.”
“Leave your sarcasm in your hip pocket,” Roden said. “Neither the SAC nor ASAC are 100percent on board with our involvement in this case.”
Marc grimaced. To say he was not happy was a huge understatement. Investigating one of the most highly respected men in the state risked damaging the bureau’s reputation in the public eye. “I’m already on my best behavior.”
“I sense excellent cooperation in your attitude.”
Lieutenant Shipley finally entered his office and closed the door behind him. The look on his face resembled having a mouthful of lemons. Wordlessly, he took a chair behind his desk and pushed aside Marc’s and Roden’s business cards with a shaky hand. “Agents Wilkins and Clement, I’ve been briefed on your outlandish suspicions regarding Senator Elliott, but my opinion appears irrelevant. Tell me what you have.” He snorted. “That’s what partners do.”
So much for best behavior. Marc forged ahead. “I’ve learned a few details that may help find Liam Zachary’s killer.”
“I hear it involves your father’s heart attack too.”
“At this point, I’m not sure.”
“The thought is ridiculous.” Shipley frowned. “From the beginning. Please.”
“After I spoke to you earlier in the week, I received a visit from the senator’s granddaughter....”
“Houston FBI sent me Avery’s testimony. According to the document, she’s staying at a hotel in Houston as a result of Senator Elliott’s request. Unless we have sound evidence, the senator’s attorneys will toss out the investigation and make us all look like fools.” He leaned forward. “Avery already said she believes in his innocence. It’s blistering hot, and the heat has a way of blurring your mind and vision. I’vebeen a guest at the Brazos River Ranch more than once, and I find your accusations insulting.”
“I understand your concerns for a man who has a stalwart reputation. Senator Elliott has our respect too. But I want to confirm that my father died of a heart attack. Last night, I started the process to have his body exhumed. The result will answer why two men involved in working on a project died within days of each other.”
“I agree it’s unusual—the only area of your investigation to make sense. But is an exhumation necessary when the ME stated cause of death?” Shipley appeared to carefully choose his words. “Think of what your mother will go through. She took your father’s death hard.”
Marc stopped himself from stating his mother wanted answers. “Good point. I’ll think about it.”
Shipley studied Roden. “What are your thoughts, Agent Clement? Or are you the silent type?” An unexpected smile spread over Shipley’s face. “From the size of you, I assumed you were Agent Wilkins’s bodyguard.”
The tension broke and the three erupted into laughter. Whatever had delayed Shipley in the briefing and put him in a sour mood must have been resolved. At least Marc hoped so when they all needed to work together.
“Addicted to the gym?” the lieutenant said.
“Yes, and college ball,” Roden said.
“You’ve kept in good shape.”
