could, too. He was almost dressed when his phone vibrated. “Cobb.”
“Hey, man, it’s Josh. Any chance you can get to El Paso today?”
“Yeah. I’ve got to get the security on Josie’s clinic, but that won’t take long. I need a camera on the perimeter. Other than that, I’m clear. What’s up?”
“The attorney who’s got a trace back to some of the companies that were donors is in the wind. Not sure if he’s a real person or not, but I can’t get an eye on the guy’s building… he’s got no security to hack. You’re close so I thought you could scope it out.”
He nodded, rubbing his chin. “Sure. El Paso is only about thirty minutes away. I’ll get there right after lunch.”
“Good. Let me know what you find.”
“I’ve got something for you to check on.”
Just as he knew he would, Josh immediately said, “Go ahead.”
“Bert Rector. He’s Josie’s cousin. Parents died years ago, and he’s very close to Josie’s family. I saw him at a casino last night, and the friends he was with… let’s just say that I’d like you to check him out.”
“You got it.”
Disconnecting, he walked into the kitchen, the scent of biscuits, bacon, eggs, and coffee once again filling the air. Uncertain of Josie’s thoughts this morning, he breathed a sigh of relief as she approached with a smile and a mug. Lifting on her toes, she offered her mouth to him, a bonus he wasn’t about to refuse.
They sat at the counter to eat, and he looked over at the dirty pans on the stovetop. “Josie, I never meant for you to cook for me. This isn’t part of a security detail. I should be taking care of my own meals.”
“I have to eat, and it’s no fun cooking for one. You’re giving me the excuse to not eat cereal every morning.”
“Loopy Rings?”
She blushed, and rosy cheeks looked beautiful on her. “Breakfast of champions.”
“I think that’s Wheat O’s.”
“Wheat O’s might be for your brand of champion, but Loopy Rings are mine.”
He barked out a laugh. “Well, you be a champion and sit and enjoy your coffee while I clean up.” He rinsed the dishes before placing them into the dishwasher, then scrubbed the frying pan. Wiping the counters afterward, he leaned his hip against the counter near the sink, mug in hand, and looked at her.
“Why do I get the feeling there’s something you want to ask?” she said, her head cocked to the side.
He chuckled. “Okay, there is. I need to go to the clinic to install cameras on the outside, and if you want to stay here, that’s fine—”
“I’d like to go if that’s okay with you. I can help as I did here unless you think I’ll get in the way.”
A smile crept over his face, and he shoved off the back counter and stepped forward, leaning on his forearms. Her eyes held hope, and he wanted to acquiesce to her every desire. Setting his mug down, he leaned closer and kissed her lightly. “Can’t think of a more beautiful helper.”
She held his gaze, then nibbled on her bottom lip. “And… I can tell there’s more.”
“You can read me, that’s for sure,” he said, shaking his head. “Okay, I need to go to El Paso this afternoon to take a look at an attorney’s office. It might have something to do with the mysterious donors.”
She shrugged and nodded. “Okay.”
Brows lifted, he repeated, “Okay?”
“Sure, why not? It only takes about forty-five minutes to drive there, so that’s easy.”
Easy. That word described Josie as well. Honest. Forthcoming. Easy. Grinning, he said, “Okay, then let’s get started.”
Time at the clinic gave him a chance to check the building inside and out, satisfied that while she was there, she should be safe since she was never there alone. Once again, with her assistance on the ground while he handled working on the ladder, they installed the cameras efficiently and had them checked by LSI. Receiving the all-clear, they grabbed burgers at a drive-through and headed toward El Paso.
Once on the highway, she turned to him and asked, “Can you tell me what we’re looking for?”
“One of the ways that charities get used for fraud is very organized and this makes it difficult to be discovered. Individuals or businesses make large donations, count this off on their taxes or use the donation to hide illegally gotten money, and then someone returns the money through different channels. That someone is on the inside—”
She gasped and turned her