Page 39 of Smoke Screen
She waved him off. “Thank you, but no. They don’t want me. I need you to get Maddy home safely. Maddy, I’ll call you tomorrow. I don’t think we’ll hear from the FBI again this weekend, but you never know. Keep your phone close.”
Maddy turned again, facing Cilla. “I will. Thank you again. For everything.”
“No problem. Makes my life exciting. Phin, just a suggestion, drive around for a bit. Let the vultures disperse before you take her to her car.”
His thoughts exactly.
Phin hit the brakes and checked the mirror again, watching as the small crowd of reporters continued hustling toward them. “Go,” he said.
Cilla pushed her door open, jumped out, and rushed to her car. Once he saw that she was safely in her vehicle, he hit the gas again, heading toward the exit, his mind circling back to Cilla’s comment about Maddy going to trial.
What could have happened that resulted in that?
And, worse, Ash couldn’t have given them a heads-up? Maybe even a hint that they might have a lead?
Beside him, Maddy blew out a breath. “I can’t believe this is happening.”
“Unfortunately, I can. Whatever it is, the feds are reaching. Ash—Cameron—hasn’t said, but they’ve gotta be under a ton of pressure. Someone’s eventually gonna leak that the queen’s jewels were boosted along with the Pierres. Nightmare scenario.”
He hooked the turn to the street level, stuck his credit card in the machine, waited for the gate to rise, and drove through.
“I was doing my job,” Maddy blurted. “Talking to people. How that guy knew where I lived, I have no idea. I …”
When her voice trailed off, he shot her a look and found her hand raised to her mouth while she stared out the window.
Man, this had to be tearing her up. Phin drove two blocks and parked in a loading zone, leaving the engine running.
He peered over at her, but Maddy looked away, staring out at a café claiming the best ice cream in North Carolina.
“I don’t know what happened in there,” Phin said, “but your lawyer? She’s a beast. She loves battle. The harder, the better.”
Maddy finally shifted back to him, her eyes devoid of the spark he’d seen that first night when she’d called him Charlie Charm.
That alone pissed him off and his fingers itched. That urge to reach for her, slide his hand down her cheek and reassure her that she’d be okay. That he’d help her.
Zeke would kill him. He curled his fingers, holding them in place.
“I looked her up,” Maddy said. “She’s amazing. Thank you for the referral. I’m worried I can’t afford her. What then?”
He shrugged. “When she calls tomorrow, talk to her. From what I know, she’ll work with you. This case has everything she craves. It’s federal, high-profile, and will get her on national news. At this point, you’re doing her a favor. Hell, she should payyoufor the PR.”
Maddy rolled her eyes. “Thanks, but I don’t think she believes that right now.”
“Well,Ibelieve it. I spend a lot of time at social functions. My job requires networking. The people Cilla takes as clients are politicians, CEOs, government officials. This case checks all her boxes.”
Finally, she smiled. Maybe his little speech had gotten through.
“Why are you helping me? I’m nobody to you.”
“Everyone is somebody. And I have a problem with people in power thinking they can railroad decent people. If you’re going against the feds, you need an excellent lawyer. And that’s Cilla. It’s a win-win for both of you. All I did was make a call. What happened in there that has you so freaked?”
“Cilla just said I shouldn’t discuss it with you.”
Expert advice from counsel. Too bad she’d left. “If you don’t want to talk, that’s no problem. But Cilla isn’t here. It’s you and me and you’re spooked, so, you know, if you need to vent? Knock yourself out.”
She stared out the window for a long moment, then peered over at him, her eyes so big he could drive a truck through them. Yep. Spooked.
“I don’t want to involve you.”
