Page 55 of Smoke Screen
Not a statue yet, my man.
“When you’re done playing hero,” Cruz said, “We could use Maddy. We need details on these pieces. If they have occlusions, number of carats, clarity, etcetera.”
“Anything popping?”
“Possibly,” Rohan said. “I’m running down the volunteers. I started with the most recent ones and there’s a twenty-six-year-old woman who went to high school with a guy Cruz thinks runs with the Vera brothers.”
Phin swung his gaze to Cruz. “You think? Or you know?”
“Right now, I think. I found a post from a party on her social media. The pic is her and a group of people she tagged. One guy looked familiar, so I checked his profile, then scrolled through his posts.”
“Cruz, love the detail, but cut to the chase. What have you got?”
Cruz clicked something on his laptop, spun it to reveal a photo of four men on a boat holding beers. “The guy in the middle. He’s part of the crew that runs with Xavier Vera’s son, Cody.”
Okay. Now they might be on to something, considering the Vera brothers’ recent tendency for reckless thefts. Phin pointed at the photo. “You’re thinking the volunteer leaked info to this guy, and he told Cody.”
Cruz took the laptop back. “Why not?”
“What does the woman do at the Center?”
“She’s a greeter. Stands at the door, hands out maps, answers questions.”
“Would a greeter know about security protocols?” Before Cruz started bitching about shooting down his ideas, Phin raised a hand. “I’m not saying she wouldn’t. There have to be boundaries.”
“I’m sure,” Cruz said. “I’m kicking tires here. You asked what’s new. That’s what’s new. Where’s Maddy? We’ll ask her.”
“In her room. I told her I’d call if we needed her.”
Phin threw Rohan a glance. Before leaving the house on his way to FBI headquarters, he’d quietly asked Rohan to finish his background research on Maddy.
Now, with her under their roof, he needed her to check out.
Family first. That’s how it had to be. Risking his family or their business looking like a bunch of amateurs because he might have more than a professional interest in Maddy didn’t compute.
Rohan shoved a folder across the table. “She’s clean. Total Girl Scout. Maybe better than a Girl Scout.”
Phew. Phin didn’t bother looking inside the folder. If Rohan said she was clean, she was clean. He pushed the folder back across the table. He’d learn about Maddy the old-fashioned way.
By talking.
And maybe other things.
“Something happen?” Cruz peered at Phin over the screen of his laptop. “Why are you fired up about Maddy?”
“Maybe,” Zeke emerged from his office, “he wants to get laid.”
“Don’t we all,” Rohan deadpanned.
For a second, Phin thought about arguing. Launching into a brutal defense that would shut the whole conversation down.
Eh. Why bother? His brothers weren’t blind or stupid.
“I like her,” he said. “Sue me.”
“Nothing wrong with liking her,” Zeke said. “Be careful what you share.”
Here we go again. Having temporarily escaped being turned to stone, Phin decided telling Zeke to quit reminding him wouldn’t serve him.
