Janet Evanovich - Full Tilt

"I'll get on it right away since it concerns Jamie," Muffin said.

Max spent the next hour going over the city budget. "I'm going to take a ride, Muffin. I need directions to Highway 24."

"Where on Highway 24? You got any crossroads, or am I supposed to do this blindly? Forget it, I already know the answer."

Five minutes later, she ran a printout. "Here are the directions," she said. "What are you looking for?"

"The sewage treatment facility that never was. A lot of money was allocated for it, and taxpayers are still getting hit. I'd like to know why the city never finished it. Oh, before you do that, get Jamie on the phone."

Silence.

"Please."

Jamie picked up on the first ring.

"How are things going with the newspaper?" Max asked.

"Surprisingly well."

"Okay, if you don't need me, I'm going to take a drive."

"Anything I need to know?"

"I want to look at that sewage treatment facility the town was promised."

" 'Bout time, Holt."

"Listen, Swifty, I've been chasing a killer, okay? Cut me some slack here."

"Well, there's not much to see as far as the facility is concerned. Of course the powers that be in this town are full of excuses as to why it's still unfinished."

"I'll check back with you."

Jamie heard a click from the other end. She smiled. Max Holt was obviously on the job, and she knew he wouldn't stop until he found what he was looking for.

Twenty minutes later Max pulled in front of a partially erected building. "Muffin, are you there?"

"Yeah, did you find the facility?"

"What there is of it. There's a sign out front listing Davidson Construction as the contractor. I need the address."

* * * * *

Jamie was in her office proofreading when Max came through the door. "Don't you ever knock?"

"This is important."

She motioned him to a chair, and he sat. "I'm listening."

"First things first. How's Beenie?"

"He likes women now."

"He was probably better off as he was. Women have a way of driving a man crazy."

Jamie tossed him a dark look.

"What do you know about Davidson Construction? That's the company that was hired to work on the treatment facility."

"All I know is a man died on the project and everything came to a halt," Jamie said. "The family sued, it's been in litigation for a couple of years, and the city is trying to settle out of court."

"Which explains why people haven't pushed," Max said. "It could stay in litigation forever, and the city could collect a ransom in interest on the money that was put aside for it. If the money is still there." He looked thoughtful. "I've gone over the city budget. It's clean. Too clean. Which tells me it's not the real budget."

"Come again?"

"The real budget is probably tucked so far away that only the people in the know can find it. Have you ever heard of a company called EPSCO?"

"No. Where did you see it?"

"Alexa scribbled the name at the bottom of the last page of the city budget printout. She didn't say anything, but I have a feeling it's important. Muffin is still searching but so far nothing has come up."

"Maybe it's a fake company. Maybe it doesn't really exist."

"I've thought of that. I think EPSCO is a password to something else."

"Like what?"

He shrugged. "Don't know yet, but I intend to find out. Uh, Jamie?"

She glanced down at the work in front of her. "Yeah?"

"You're looking mighty good today, Swifty."

"I don't have time for this, Max."

"I like you in jeans, you know. You've got a nice behind. I have to tell you when I see that behind my mind runs amuck."

She looked up. He was such a blatant flirt. "Stop turning yourself on, Max."

He stood and leaned over her desk so that his face was only an inch from her, bringing with him the smell of a light aftershave that made her want to get closer and get a better whiff.

"And here I thought I was turning you on."

She was startled at the look in his eyes, dark, probing, intense. Toe-curling. She held her breath, afraid to release it in fear it would come gushing out.

He smiled as though he knew precisely what he was doing to her. "You're not married yet," he said.

"I believe in long engagements," Jamie replied.

"And I believe in long honeymoons."

"It takes time to get to know people," Jamie said. "Perhaps if you'd taken time to get to know Bunny you wouldn't be a divorced man right now."

"I was younger then, just looking for eye candy. I've matured."

Jamie gave him one of her looks. "Right."

* * * * *

Muffin came on as soon as they climbed inside the car. "Max, I have something for you."

"Yeah?"

"I broke through the firewall."

"Which one?"

She hesitated. "The CIA."

"You broke through the CIA's firewall?" Jamie cried. "Are the two of you crazy!"

"Calm down," Max told her.

"Calm down? How do you expect me to calm down? You're going to prison for the rest of your life. And they're going to take me with you, even though I don't have anything to do with this. Double damn. I should probably have a cigarette." She reached for her purse.

"Don't do it," Max said. "You'll set off the sprinkler system."

Jamie went on. "I have always made it a point to stay on the right side of the law. I don't jaywalk, and the time I discovered a carton of soft drinks on the bottom of my grocery cart that I forgot to pay for I drove right back to the store and took care of it."

Max looked amused. "I'll bet you're one of those who've never had a parking ticket, right?"

Jamie opened her mouth, then clamped it shut.

Max glanced at her. "Uh-oh, Muffin, I think Jamie's about to confess to a heinous crime."

"I forgot about the parking ticket," she whispered.

"I'm sorry, I didn't hear you."

"I was barely twenty years old at the time. I parked in front of the Hallmark shop on Main Street, saw there were six minutes left on the meter and ran inside. I'd planned to grab a birthday card and get back before the time ran out, but once I got inside I couldn't decide on a card and, well—" She paused. "I completely forgot about the meter. When I came out a cop was writing a ticket. Cost me three dollars."

"Did you hear that, Muffin? Jamie's got a record.

Sounds like we got a troublemaker on our hands."

"Maybe we shouldn't have given her all our secret information."

"I hope she doesn't try to sell them to some of her friends in the big house," Max said.

"Very funny," Jamie said. "So I got a parking ticket. What you're doing is a federal offense."

"Tell me what you found out, Muffin," Max said calmly.

"Well, if you think Jamie's trouble, wait till you hear about Swamp Dog. He's dangerous, Max. You don't want to piss off this guy. You don't even want to exchange Christmas cards with him."

"Yeah? What'd he do?"

"He was in Special Forces in Vietnam, but his records have been sealed. It was hell getting in; I used every trick in the book, so to speak. Swamp Dog, aka Jim Hodges, lost it, went right over the edge after losing all his men on a secret mission."

"What'd he do?" Jamie asked.

Muffin paused. "He committed a number of atrocities against civilians. Trust me, you don't want the details. But as far as the government is concerned, it never happened."

"Isn't the government afraid Swamp Dog will talk?" Jamie asked. "Or, in his case, brag? He could make a lot of money selling his story."

"The government is paying a shitload of money to keep him quiet," Muffin replied.

Jamie grunted. "You wouldn't know it by the way he lives. Besides, if he's got all that money why is he poaching?"

"It's not about money," Max said. "It's about breaking all the rules and laughing in people's faces while he's doing it."