One Night Standoff - By Delores Fossen Page 0,47
try to pull something in a marshals’ office, but he wasn’t willing to take that chance. However, James no longer had his attention on Lenora.
It was on Melvin.
“Is he a suspect in the shootings?” James immediately asked.
“He’s a person of interest,” Clayton clarified. That was the official answer, but the truth was yeah, he was a suspect. “You know him?”
“I know of him.” James spared him a glance. “He’s your father.”
Lenora groaned. “Please don’t tell us he’s a criminal informant, too.”
“No. But he is someone that the task force investigated along with Riggs. We didn’t find enough evidence to arrest him, and he wasn’t trustworthy enough for us to use him in the sting operation that got us Riggs.”
Clayton hadn’t expected to be informed of any and all federal investigations, but it riled him that he hadn’t been told of this one. Especially since Melvin could be a hired assassin.
Clayton studied the body language of both men. James had on his lawman’s face. All business, all cop. But sweat popped out on Melvin’s face.
“I’m leaving,” Melvin announced. “You want to keep me here, arrest me. Then I can sue you for harassment.”
Clayton glanced at his boss, but Saul only shook his head. “We investigate and build a case if there is one. Then we make the arrest.” He turned back to Melvin. “Don’t leave the state, because I’ll be bringing your butt right back in here as soon as we have something,” he added.
Clayton wished he could stop Melvin from storming out of the room, but the irony was, the law was on Melvin’s side.
Melvin stopped right in front of James. “You’d better watch this one, Clayton.”
“What does that mean?” James demanded before Clayton could ask first.
But Melvin only gave that laid-back smile. Except this time, it didn’t look so laid-back. Melvin was spooked or something.
“You need a ride?” Lt. Ryland asked Melvin.
Melvin shot them all dirty looks. “No, I’ll find my own way back. I’ve had my fill of all of you badges.”
James watched Melvin leave and mumbled something that Clayton didn’t catch. “I’ll send over anything we have on him,” James offered. “It won’t be much, though, and certainly not enough to make an arrest. Still, it might be useful.”
Clayton thanked him, but that didn’t ease the suspicions he had about James. After all, the agent had essentially stopped the interview just by showing up. He hadn’t warned Melvin to stay quiet, but that’s exactly what he’d accomplished.
“My advice?” James said, talking to Saul now. “You need to stop Clayton and Lenora from digging into this investigation. God knows who Riggs hired to do his dirty work, but this is no time to have an assassin’s sights on Lenora.”
“I believe his sights are already on me,” Lenora reminded him.
“Then this is the time to lie low. If you won’t do it for yourself, then think of your baby.”
“We have been,” Clayton assured him. And it riled him that James believed he was only thinking of Lenora and the baby. “But it seems as if we keep getting the runaround from you. You dole out info only after the fact.”
Every muscle in James’s face went stiff. His mouth tightened. “Are you accusing me of something?”
Clayton lifted his shoulder. “Yeah. I thought it was obvious.”
“If you’ve got something to say, say it,” James insisted.
Clayton obliged. “You’re in debt up to your eyeballs from alimony and child support.”
Clearly, that didn’t please James. “My debts are none of your business.”
“They are if those debts are putting us in danger,” Lenora spoke up.
Clayton wasn’t sure which one of them got the icier glare from James. “I’m not going to dignify that with an answer.”
Which, of course, clarified nothing, and there was certainly no dignity in dodging a question that could lead them to the person who wanted them dead.
Lenora moved closer, looked James in the eyes. “Quentin seems to think you have some files from his former business associates. Files that might have something to do with these men who are out to kill us.”
James made a sound of disgust. “And of course Quentin is telling the truth.” He cursed. “The only files I have are the ones you gave me after your investigation, and there’s nothing in them that could put your life at risk. The risk comes from Quentin.” He tipped his head toward the door where Melvin had exited. “Or from that piece of work who just left.”
“We’re keeping an eye on both of them,” Clayton quickly assured him. “But