still hesitant to speed up quickly, and you need more confidence with higher speeds, but we have time to work on that. Would you object to two extra sessions over the next two weekends?”
“I’d like that.”
“You won’t be the only one. There’s a half dozen of your class I’ll be working with.”
“Great.” She let out a long breath and got out of the car smiling.
“Not bad, Kincaid,” Carter said as he took her place in the driver’s seat.
They had an hour break for lunch after the driving lessons, and Lucy needed to meet with Noah about the personnel files. She grabbed a sandwich to go and went into the main building.
“Looks like you need to go back to driver’s education,” a voice behind her said.
She turned and saw Laughlin.
She glared at him but didn’t say anything. An anger she was unfamiliar with bubbled up, and she worked on containing it.
He stepped close to her, his body only inches away, and said in a low voice, “You may have cut corners to get here, but there’s no way I’ll let you graduate if you don’t perform.”
She clenched her jaw. He was deliberately goading her, just like he’d been silently doing since she’d arrived on campus.
“I don’t know what your problem is with me, Agent Laughlin. I don’t think it’s fair that you’re basing your opinion of me on your problems with my sister-in-law.”
“And what exactly did Kate tell you?”
“Nothing. I can read between the lines.”
He smiled, and that irritated Lucy more. “You think you know everything, don’t you?”
She stared at him. “I know a lot more than you think.”
“Watch yourself, Kincaid.”
It was a threat, over and above what would be called for in this situation, and Lucy’s stomach clenched as she realized maybe she didn’t know what was happening, maybe there was something bigger going on.
Laughlin turned to go and thought he had the upper hand. Lucy said, “There’s a time and place for everything, Agent Laughlin. I will figure out exactly why you hate me.”
Lucy thought he was going to continue walking away, but he stopped and faced her again. “Do you want to know why you shouldn’t be here?” He stepped closer. “Because people like you, people who cut corners, who become martyrs, who think they are somehow owed something, get killed or get their partner killed. Don’t ever forget it. You’re the weak link.”
He walked quickly away and Lucy stared after him. She should be upset, but she was more confused than angry.
Laughlin was projecting. She hadn’t seen it before because she’d been certain he and Kate had an unpleasant past. And that may have contributed to it, but the reason why Laughlin had it out for Kate, and for her, was because he had lost someone he cared about—and blamed them.
This definitely wasn’t about her or Kate, not exclusively. Sean hadn’t found out everything she needed to know.
It was time to call in a favor.
*
Lucy tracked Noah down in Tony’s office, shutting the door behind her.
“I set up my laptop in the corner for you to access the personnel records,” Noah said without looking up. He had his own stack of paperwork.
She sat down and looked at the list of names in the folder. The new agents who were cleared were crossed off. She crossed off Oz, Gordon, and the other three guys who’d been watching movies until late Saturday.
Noah said, “Sounds like you’ve been busy.”
“Hit a lot of birds with one stone,” she replied. She pulled up “Reva Penrose” and started reading. She was looking primarily for inconsistencies—things in her official record that didn’t match what she’d said. Background checks were extensive but not perfect. The further back, the easier to hide potential problems.
She stopped for a minute and looked over at Noah. “Do you know Agent Laughlin well?”
“I don’t know him at all, other than he’s one of your field counselors. I met him briefly this morning at a staff meeting.”
“I need to find out if he lost a partner on the job.”
Now Noah looked up. “Why?”
“Something he said to me today.”
“You have to give me something more.”
“He has a problem with me, because Hans pulled strings. He’s the one who told me about it. And he doesn’t like Kate. I thought he had an issue because he knew Kate’s former fiancé, who was killed in the line of duty. Some people blamed Kate and her partner for the ambush. But I think he’s projecting his own pain and guilt, blaming us for whatever his