Sharon Mignerey - Shadows Of Truth

“Andrew Chester Neesham,” he said, shaking her hand briskly, “I’m named after my grandfathers.”

“Are you? Now that’s something.”

Just then, Andy caught sight of Micah around the side of the house, and a huge smile lit his face as he ran toward the man. “Sarah said you came back.” He launched himself into Micah’s arms. “I’m really glad to see you.”

“Me, too, buddy.” Micah met Rachel’s gaze over the top of her son’s head before looking back at the boy. “You’ve grown a foot since I last saw you.”

“Are you gonna stay this time, or run away like a rat?” Andy asked.

Rachel felt her color rise since those had been her exact words in describing Micah.

“I plan to stay,” he said, his voice gravelly.

Since his head was bent toward her son, his hat hiding his face, Rachel couldn’t see Micah’s expression.

Andy evidently took that for a promise because he said, “Good.” Wiggling out of Micah’s arms, he headed back toward Rachel. “I want a peanut butter sandwich for my snack. Okay, Mom?”

“Carrots, too?”

He grinned, pressing his tongue against one of his loose front teeth. “Maybe if I bite hard, my tooth will come out sooner.”

“Maybe,” she agreed handing him the keys to the back door, her attention caught by the vivid blue eyes of the man with Micah. Vivid and cold.

“This is Special Agent Flannery Kelmen,” Micah said.

The man stepped forward, his handshake as brisk and no-nonsense as the expression in his eyes. “I met you briefly last spring.”

“I remember.” Everything then about the man’s demeanor had been intimidating. It wasn’t a lot better now.

He glanced back at the street, then nodded toward the back door that Andy was unlocking. “Maybe we could go inside?”

Though voiced as a question, Rachel was positive it was a command. “Of course.”

The next few minutes were taken up with making Andy’s snack and offering tea that they didn’t want to the others. Micah was mostly quiet, his eyes never quite meeting hers, which set Rachel’s nerves on edge. After Erin professed wanting to see a Lego tower that Andy was building, the two of them disappeared upstairs.

Rachel cleared her throat. “Since you all are here, it looks like things are in place for the safe house. What’s next?”

Kelmen met her gaze straight-on. “The primary focus of this mission is to finish the job, and you’re the key to tying together all the evidence we’ve gathered against Simon Graden.”

He paused while Rachel looked from him to Micah, whose dark eyes steadily locked with hers, an expression there she couldn’t define. Then he looked away, and the knots in her stomach began churning.

She replayed what Kelmen had just said. “There’s no safe house, is there?” Her lips felt numb.

Micah shook his head, his expression unreadable, his dark eyes once again not quite meeting hers.

“You’re going to help us take down Simon Graden,” Kelmen said, drawing her attention, his eyes on hers, his tone matter-of-fact. “Given the business he’s in, the half-million dollars he wants from you is small potatoes, but something about it is personal and has made him reckless. So we’re going to take advantage of that.”

“We?” Rachel began to tremble, and a roar echoed in her ears as she looked back at Micah. “You’ve lied to me again, Agent McLeod.” She gestured angrily to the door. “Get out. All of you.”

“Nice bravado.” Kelmen smiled at Rachel, though there wasn’t a single warm thing about the expression. “But we aren’t going anywhere until this case is closed.”

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