A deep voice rumbled, ‘Yes. Do you know how I can get in touch with him?’
‘He’s here, on the phone,’ Ned said. ‘Wants to talk to you.’
A second later that deep voice was talking to him. ‘Where’s Farrah?’
‘She’s safe. This is Rafe Sokolov. Are you her captain?’
The man huffed a gruff chuckle. ‘Yeah. Captain André Holmes. You’re Mercy’s guy?’
Rafe sucked in a breath. ‘Not yet, but I hope to be. Listen, I have a Fed here telling me that Farrah’s aunt’s body was found. She doesn’t know.’
‘I know. I came to tell her in person. She loved Quill.’ He cleared his throat. ‘So did I.’
‘Give me your number and I’ll text you the address. She’s here with us at my folks’ house. It’s about forty-five minutes from where you are with traffic.’ He put Holmes on speaker, typing André’s phone number into a new text as the man recited it, then adding his parents’ address before hitting SEND. ‘Did you get it?’
‘I did. Thank you. Can you keep her away from TVs and computers for the next forty-five? And her phone. I’ve been calling her for the past two hours. I don’t want her to see all my messages and freak out. Not till I get there.’
‘Will do. See you soon.’
Rafe pocketed his phone and limped back to Tom. ‘Thanks for letting me know. Farrah is a really nice person. I hate for her to get bad news like this.’
‘Her fiancé is coming?’
‘On his way. So, I guess that explains how Burton knew Mercy’s plans. I get the impression that the Romeros are like us – nothing stays a secret for very long. The aunt must have known and told Burton before he killed her.’
‘My family is the same way. My mom was disappointed that I didn’t get assigned to the Chicago field office for my first post, but I was a little glad. I love my family, I really do, but they can be . . .’
‘Suffocating?’ Rafe suggested, and Tom made a face.
‘Exactly.’ He stood up and adjusted the knot of his tie. ‘I’ll get out of your hair now. You take it easy, okay? No chasing after Burton?’
‘I will take it very easy,’ Rafe promised. And I will chase Burton as soon as the opportunity presents. And I won’t clock him with my fucking cane next time. Next time, I’m pulling my gun.
‘I, uh, noticed that you didn’t promise part two.’
Rafe shrugged. ‘I make it a practice not to promise things I can’t deliver.’
Tom gave him a long, hard look. ‘Molina will be very displeased if you go after Burton on your own.’
‘I really don’t care how much she’s displeased,’ Rafe said mildly.
Tom sighed. ‘Look, I’m just the junior G-man here. Don’t be getting me into trouble, okay? I’ve got a few ideas about how to get someone into that nursing home, but Molina has to okay it.’
‘And maybe she’ll even think it was her idea?’
Tom shrugged. ‘I’m pretty good at suggesting things to higher-ups in ways that don’t piss them off and boot me off the case. Give me a little time to present my ideas to Molina before you go off on your own, okay?’
Rafe nodded grudgingly. ‘Okay. Thank you.’
Tom started to leave, but stopped a foot away from where Rafe stood, leaning against his cane. ‘I would have done anything to keep my fiancée safe, so I know what you’re feeling right now. But Mercy needs you alive. Please don’t do anything she’ll regret.’
‘All right. And thanks for the straight talk on the therapist. I’ll make an appointment tomorrow.’
Tom shook his head. ‘You didn’t distract me about you hunting down Ephraim, Rafe. But I’m glad you’re going to make the call to the doc. You won’t be sorry.’
‘Hey, Tom? My mom made extra cake. You want a slice for the road?’
He grinned. ‘I never say no to cake.’
Rafe opened the door to see his mother edging away from the door guiltily, her hands filled with the tea tray. ‘Mom,’ he groaned.
‘I didn’t listen,’ Irina claimed. ‘Much. I’m on my way back to the kitchen.’
‘Allow me, ma’am.’ Tom took the tray and followed Rafe’s mother.
Rafe brought up the rear, hoping that his mother hadn’t heard them talking about Farrah’s great-aunt. He was going to ask her to keep it to herself, but she was already interrogating Hunter.
‘Do you have any family here, Agent Hunter?’
‘Um, no, ma’am. A dear friend, but no family.’
‘Then next week you will join us for dinner. And you will bring your “dear friend” as well. Yes?’
Tom smiled down at her. The guy was taller than any of the Sokolovs, which now made sense considering he’d been in the NBA. ‘Yes, ma’am. If it’s not any trouble. I miss Sunday dinners with my family, and my friend just came back from the Middle East. She served four years and now she’ll be going to nursing school at UC Davis.’
‘That is a good nursing program,’ Irina declared. ‘My alma mater.’ He’d put the tray down in the kitchen and she slipped her arm through Hunter’s. ‘You will tell me about your family. Please.’
Rafe smirked when Tom gave him a Help me look. ‘You’re on your own, pal.’ But his smirk became a smile when he saw Mercy at the table. She was smiling back, which settled some of the worry swirling in his mind.
But then he saw Farrah chatting with Sasha, and remembered what was coming. He flicked a glance at his mother and saw she was giving Farrah a sad look of her own. Dammit. Rafe hoped she wasn’t going to let the cat out of the bag before Captain Holmes arrived, but his fears were put to rest when she met his eyes and gave him a brisk nod before cutting a generous slice of bird’s milk cake for Tom.
Rafe came up behind her and pressed a kiss to her temple. ‘Love you, Mom.’
Her smile was tremulous. ‘Of course you do. I am awesome.’
‘Yes, you are.’ He dipped to peck her cheek. ‘Save me some cake, okay?’
She laughed now, shooing him away with her apron, a sweet blush staining her cheeks. ‘Go. Make your goo-goo eyes at Mercy,’ she whispered, making him blush.
‘Yes, ma’am.’ He straightened, pasted a Nothing wrong here expression on his face, and, obeying his mother, sat next to Mercy while his mother invited Tom to sit.