Betrayal (46 page)

Alex was lying on the bed in her sweatpants and a T-shirt when Cassidy entered the room. “Quite the day, huh?” the teacher laughed. Alex offered her a weak smile. “You okay?”

“Of course.”

“Liar,” Cassidy observed. “Spill.”

“I’m fine, Cass.”

“Alex Toles. Really?”

“Really.”

Cassidy crawled onto the bed and rested her head on Alex’s chest. “Spill it, Alex.”

“Why do you think something is wrong?” Cassidy picked up her head to look at the agent and lifted her eyebrows. “What you said,” Alex started.

“What did I say?”

“You know…about…well… you know…”

“No, Alex. What did I say?”

“About…well about babies.”

Cassidy was completely perplexed. “You lost me, Alex. When were we talking about babies? And whose babies were we talking about?”

“Ours.”

“Ours?” Cassidy asked. Alex shrugged. “Honey, you lost me.”

“You said you don’t plan to be…”

Cassidy’s earlier diatribe suddenly hit her. “Alex?” The agent shifted uncomfortably. “Honey, I was just kidding with everyone.”

“Is that how you feel, though?”

“Alex,” Cassidy sat up and looked into the agent’s eyes. “What is this about?” Alex shrugged again. “Oh no. Spill it, Agent.”

“I just thought you wanted to….”

“Of course I want to. You thought I was saying I didn’t want to have a baby? Alex, we have talked about this. I just meant….well, I guess I figured that would be something we
would talk about in time. That’s all. Why did that upset you so much?”

“I don’t know.” Cassidy raised her brow again. “I guess I didn’t realize what it would feel like.”

“What?”

“Well…I mean….I guess maybe I just realized….”

“There isn’t anything I don’t want to do with you. I told you that. I’ve known that from the beginning. What else is going on?” It was obvious to Cassidy that something else had helped to prompt the agent’s sensitivity. When Alex was nervous about work, she always displayed insecurity about their relationship. “Tell me.”

“I have to go away next weekend.”

Cassidy took a deep breath and held on a little tighter. She closed her eyes. The idea of Alex away conjured images of the agent in the hospital bed. It surfaced all the fear that Cassidy had felt wondering if Alex was even alive. “How long?”

“A few days.” Cassidy could not control the tears that began to fall. “Cass?”

“Alex…I’m sorry…I…”

“Actually, Cass, I was hoping you would go with me.” Cassidy pulled back in confusion. “Yeah, I need to see Russ. There is a dinner in London next Friday. My friend, Paul, he’s the ambassador there. I thought…”

“Alex, aren’t you working?”

“I am talking. That’s all,” Alex promised. “Just a couple of days. We’ll be back Monday. I thought, I don’t know…maybe if we were away we could talk about…”

Cassidy kissed the agent gently. “Of course I will go.”

“Good,” Alex said pulling the teacher closer and feeling Cassidy relax in her arms. “Cass?”

“Hum?”

“Is soon okay?”

“Alex, tomorrow would be okay as far as I am concerned.”

“Not tomorrow….soon.”

Cassidy was exhausted and her body was giving over quickly to sleep. “Whatever you want, Alex.”

“Soon.”

Wednesday, May 7th

lex thumbed through the pages in front of her, absentmindedly sipping her coffee. She had been reading and rereading the words for hours, attempting to process what she knew was the truth and reconcile it with everything she once believed. She set the paper in her hands down and grasped the bridge of her nose firmly, letting out a heavy sigh. “Jesus.” She took a deep breath and retrieved her cell phone from underneath a large stack of papers. “Fallon?”

“Alex?” Brian Fallon answered with a degree of surprise. “Everything okay?”

“This file…”

Fallon licked his bottom lip and groaned slightly. “Yeah…”

“What exactly did Tate tell you when he gave you this?”

“I already told you. He told me President Merrow was CIA. Alex, you didn’t seem that surprised when...”

“I’m not. I told you I suspected that. I just hoped I was wrong.” Alex shook her head and picked up one of the papers, tracing several lines with her fingers. “Fallon,” she took a deep breath. “Why did Tate want me to see this? There has to be a reason.”

“I don’t know. He said something about needing to believe in something. Said he and Merrow were friends and Merrow was worried about Brackett.”

“The admiral?”

“No.”

Alex let out a sarcastic chuckle. “Claire.” She laughed a bit more, albeit with contempt. “Got more than they bargained for with her.” She lifted another paper and shook her head. “Fallon, I need you to do something for me.”

“Whatever you need; you know that.”

“Yeah. Listen. I need you to try and get into Tate’s personnel files at the bureau.”

“What? Why would…”

“There’s a reason I got assigned to Tate’s division, Fallon. There is a reason, of all the bureau chiefs and assistant directors, in all the agencies, that the president called Joshua Tate.”

“Alex, maybe that is just because you
were
assigned to him.”

“No. One thing I do know about John Merrow, he was as deliberate as he was cautious. There was a reason for everything he did and everything he said.”

“What are you thinking?” Fallon took a moment and let out a slight gasp, “you can’t seriously think Tate is a spook too?”

“I’m not even sure we know what a spook is anymore, Fallon. I have someone I need to talk to.”

“You are supposed to be on leave,” he reminded her.

“Yeah, well…I already told you I have clearance to do puzzles.”

“Alex…”

“Just work on it Fallon and keep an eye on our favorite redhead; will you?”

“You think Brackett is up to something?”

“Not a question, Fallon. You already know that.” He laughed. “Dig in on Tate. Keep our friend Claire close. I have a feeling someone I know might be able to shed a little more light on this file.”

“Who are you…”

“Not important, Fallon. Find anything, call me.”

“Alex?” Brian Fallon took a deep breath. “If the president was CIA, what exactly do you think…”

“Politics is business, Fallon.”

“Some business.”

“Yeah. Call me when you get something.” Alex hung up her call and rubbed her eyes with the palms of her hands. None of what the files revealed surprised her; not after her discussion with Jonathan Krause. This had become far more than a case to solve. There were layers here, so many layers. Each layer seemed to do little except to reveal yet another that needed to be peeled away, spawning a whole new set of questions and riddles to be answered. Alex threw her head back and sighed in frustration. What exactly was the CIA, she wondered now? What was the real purpose of anything? She was anxious to see Russ Matthews and more curious than ever about what John Merrow had been involved with. Was he trying to thwart something or was he simply another cog in an ever spinning wheel? Had that wheel become unstoppable? Alex’s thoughts were roaming and running as she stretched her neck from side to side in an attempt to relax and order them, her fingers continually pressing her temples.

Two hands gripped the agent’s shoulders and began to massage them. “Maybe it’s time for a break,” a voice whispered. Alex just smiled and let her head fall slightly forward. “Alex….”

“Mm…maybe it is.”

“You all right?” Cassidy asked softly.

Alex opened her eyes and smiled. “Yeah. I am. Just tired.” Cassidy nodded. “Cass?”

“Yeah?”

The agent sighed slightly and Cassidy raised an eyebrow. “Would you mind if I invited Jane up for the weekend?” The teacher tipped her head in question. “I need to talk to her.”

“What aren’t you telling me?” Cassidy pursed her lips.

“Nothing, I swear.”

“Alex, we agreed, no secrets. No matter what.”

“I know. I can’t tell you anything. I’m not sure what there is to tell. That’s the truth.”

“Is this about John?”

Alex guided Cassidy to sit in the chair beside her. “Cass,” she stopped and took a deep breath. “I was right. John was CIA.”

“When you were in Iraq?”

A heavy sigh escaped the agent and Cassidy closed her eyes. “The whole time, Cass.”

“You mean even when…”

“I mean,” Alex stopped and pinched the bridge of her nose. “Once you are in; you are always in.”

“You know how crazy this all sounds?”

“Yeah. I do,” the agent admitted. “Whatever was going on… Jane…”

“Alex, you don’t think Jane is involved in…”

“I don’t know what I think. Think about it, Cassidy. All these people. They were born into this. It’s like some secret society, some bad B movie plot, except it’s not. I don’t even know what side is what. Who is in for what? Who is reporting to…”

Alex was becoming agitated in her train of thought. This information confirmed John Merrow’s betrayal of her trust and that, Cassidy understood, was a painful pill for Alex Toles to swallow. The teacher grabbed Alex’s hand and removed it slowly from its position on the agent’s face. “Just promise me,” Cassidy began when Alex finally fully opened her eyes to look at her. “That you will not rush into some…”

“I promise. Anyway, I was thinking we should see my parents and…”

“You want Jane to go with us to your parents’ house?” Cassidy laughed. Alex was nervous about telling her parents about their engagement and Cassidy knew Alex would likely seek any buffer she could.

“No, I thought….maybe a cook-out here, before we go to London on Thursday.”

Cassidy nodded. “Mm-hm.”

“What?”

“Nothing,” Cassidy chuckled as she rose from her seat. “Invite Jane and the girls up for the weekend. I’ll call my mother and Barb, but
you
are calling your mother.”

“Yeah, but she loves…”

“Nope. Not happening,” Cassidy shook her head as she made her way out of the room.

“Great,” Alex grumbled.

“Call your mother, Alex,” Cassidy called back.

“Yeah. At least I won’t have to cook,” Alex chuckled.

“No, but you can mow the lawn. Your feet seem to be just fine.”

“My feet?” Alex was puzzled.

Cassidy peeked back through the door. “Yes, Alex, your feet. I saw your dance moves with Dylan last night.” With that she took her leave.

Alex laughed. “I’ve got some moves all right,” she muttered.

“And the lawn looks forward to them,” Cassidy called back. “I’m off to get Dylan. Call your mother.”