Eyes Of Danger (20 page)

JB clapped his hands.

The man stepped over and pulled the sleeves of my blouse down so that they showed below the cuff of my jacket. He also unbuttoned another button, and when I moved, you could see a touch of the lace from my bra.

I cleared my throat. “Am I going to a hearing or to seduce someone?”

JB grinned. “Let’s hope we give a little distraction to the whole question-and-answer game these guys like to play.”

He held out his arm so I took it with a smile. One of the girls had already taken my key and retrieved my bags, then brought out my items in their fancy bags as she followed us outside.

There was a limo sitting at the curb. I looked at JB with a big question.

“Anything to throw them off their game.”

He helped me into the back. The driver closed the door after he got in. Evidently, the driver already knew where to go because he took off without any instructions.

“JB, how should I act, what should I say?”

“We have already worked out one little signal, so don’t forget it. As to what you should say, well, Tim was right as far as it goes, tell the truth. But take your time answering. That way, if I feel that I want to object, I will have time. Also, it will throw off their timing, as they like to rush you into answers.” Then, he smiled really big as he sat back and looked me over, especially my leg that was showing through the slit in the skirt.

“As for acting, well you look great. They will have a lot of photos and studies of you in jeans and shorts and casual wear. This look will not be what they expect. Do you remember the old Sharon Stone movie where she shows too much to the police and ruins their interrogation? I don’t want you to go that far, but if you remember, she took control without saying a lot. That might be a good attitude. A small smile, as if you have a secret that they don’t know. The fact that you know that you are really sexy, which you are today, and that you like being really sexy. That will throw them because they have an idea of a naive middle class girl they can scare easily. Anything to throw them off.”

I sat and listened to what he was saying, trying to let it all sink in. Six months ago, I would never even given it a thought that I might be able to pull something like this off, but I was a different person now. I was in love and had probably had my heart broken.

“Especially with Tim. They will use him with you, or he will use himself with you. They will try to see if the attachment is still there so that they can hook you with him. It is okay to excite him, but don’t, I repeat,
don’t
get excited by him. If they see that, your goose will be cooked.”

We pulled up in front of a plain tall building. The driver let us out and we walked across the large plaza into the vestibule. There were two armed guards behind a desk. On one side was a bank of turnstiles that people were going through. There were metal detectors with more armed guards as people waited in line to be cleared through the turnstiles. The elevators were beyond this set up.

JB walked over to the desk.

“Good afternoon. Michelle Tompson and her counsel are here to see Tim Myers and his supervisor.” JB handed over a plain business card.

The guard looked at him for a moment. “Do you know what department, sir?”

JB smiled, “Not sure, something to do with Black Ops or very secret nasty stuff. You know, the kind of stuff they hide in the basement.”

JB turned away from the man and looked at me.

“Did you see that new movie they are bringing out with Bruce Willis?”

I could see over his shoulder that the guard was busy on the phone.

I played along. “Is that the one that has all the old timers in it as old spies? It sounds really good to me.”

By this time, another man had joined the two guards. He leaned over and tapped JB on the shoulder.

“Mr. Cortland is it?” He looked at the card to get the name correct. “Someone will be right down to escort you.”

JB just nodded his head, but continued to look out the front of the building. He took my elbow and escorted me away from the desk. “I have a feeling that there are a couple of black SUV’s with sirens and lights blaring on their way in from the field with Tim and anyone attached to your case rushing through the traffic right now.

I looked out the windows with him as if something important was out in the street. “So who is here?”

He chuckled. “Oh, the big boys. These are the ones who don’t like people dropping on unannounced.”

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw two men in suits approach the desk and we were pointed out. They rushed over to us.

“Miss Tompson?” The first one approached, holding out a badge and ID billfold. I just looked at him as if he had a booger on the end of his nose.

JB stepped in front of me. “You are?”

The man stopped. He looked at JB and then presented his ID to him. “Agent Stentson, and this is Agent Marks. We will take Miss Tompson in custody.”

“Really?” JB spoke loudly and people in the entrance looked over. “For what reason?”

The two agents looked at each other. Then, Marks stepped back and pulled a cell phone out of his pocket.

JB continued. “We understand that Ms. Tompson has been requested to answer some questions regarding an ongoing investigation, and as her counselor, I have agreed to accompany her so that she can help you to get this out of the way so that she can continue with her normal life. Now, take us up to whoever would like to do the interview and let’s get this over. My time is very expensive, as the Government, especially your division, is going to find out before this is all over.”

I decided
Sharon Stone
would step back and stand on one leg with her hip out, and look around at the people passing. This let the slit open and when I looked back, Marks who was on the cell phone was looking at my leg. I looked him right in the eye and stuck my tongue out to moisten my lips. I thought he was going to drop his phone.

He jerked his head, snapped his phone shut, and tapped Stentson on the shoulder.

“If you would come with us, the Agent in Charge would be glad to talk to both of you right now.” He even waved his arm for us to precede him.

We went to the turnstiles and JB laid his briefcase on the belt to go through the scanner. We both walked through the metal detector. I set it off.

I looked at JB, but he laughed.

“I know you love those shoes sweetheart, but they have metal in the heels.”

I pulled the shoes off and let them go through the scanner. Then, I waited for them on the other side. JB loaned me his arm and I stooped over, lifting a leg to slide on a shoe and as I looked up to take the other shoe being offered to me by Agent Marks, I noticed him looking at the lace peeking out of my blouse as I leaned over. I put on the other shoe and rose up. I gave him a big smile.

Stentson nudged his partner and Marks turned, with a red face. He started towards the elevators. I held onto JB’s arm as we followed. I was aware of a lot of eyes following our progress. On the elevator, we went to the Thirtieth floor. The building had forty floors, so I guess we were a little bit important, but not up with the top guys. We were led down past a large room of workers whose desks faced each other with several drawing boards up at different spots. Further down the hallway were closed doors on rooms with no windows, so we had no idea at what or who was in them.

We went to the end of the hall and a door opened to what seemed to be a normal conference room. JB stood for a moment before he went around to what he felt was the head of table to claim the chair and slammed his briefcase down on the table with a large bang. He stood there, leaning on the table with me beside him, looking at the two men.

Stentson cleared his throat and finally said, “Agent in Charge Ken Bouden will be right with you.” He nodded at his partner and they left.

JB looked around and saw bottled water sitting on a tray behind them. He got two bottles and placed them on the table. He then pulled a chair out and around beside him. He indicated for me to sit in the chair. This was on the side of the table where everyone came in and they had a clear view of my leg and all as they entered.

He opened both bottles, smiled at me, and took a long drink. I was so nervous I didn’t think I could swallow, but I took a sip and kept the bottle close with my right arm on the table so that I could play with the bottle.

“Well what did you think of my pool?”

I almost jumped when JB spoke quietly next to me. Then, I realized he was putting on an act for whoever was probably listening.

“It is beautiful. The stonework around the waterfall, is that natural stone?”

“Yep, had it shipped in from Kentucky, of all places. Had to hunt for a month to find a guy who really knew how to lay out the stone in a natural way, but the guy was an artist. Did you try the spa?”

“I was tempted, I had gone in au natural and just found the water so soothing that I didn’t want to heat up after the warm afternoon, so I took advantage of the privacy of your deck and soaked up the sun instead.” I rose up my exposed leg with the tint on it. He leaned over and admired it with a big grin, nodding his head.

He started to say something else, but the door opened and a troop of people came in. There was a woman carrying a steno machine like the one you see in court. There were three men and one other woman. You would have been a fool not to recognize Agent in Charge Ken Bouden. First of all, it was the way the others deferred to him. Then, it was the attitude or look of him.
I am in charge, and I can do what I want and no one better question me
.

He took the seat at the other end of the table. Okay, so he had been watching. He had already digested the fact that JB had his seat. The stenographer pulled a chair into the corner and set up her machine as well as pulling out a recorder and setting it up. The other three agents sat across from each other next to the boss laying folders on the desk in front of them.

Agent Bouden looked at us and then started. “Ms. Tompson, I need to ask you a few questions.”

“Excuse me,” JB spoke up. “We need to know what this is related to and how it might affect my client’s standing in the matter of law.”

Agent Bouden looked at JB as if a cockroach had just crawled onto the table.

“Sir, we are being polite to allow your presence. Under the Homelands Security Act, we can question Ms. Tompson without counsel.”

“Well, I was just talking yesterday to my Senator from this great state that is on the committee who oversees the new bylaws on that very Act. It seems the Senate is a bit concerned about some misuse in the field, not to say that this has anything to do with that. But I think we need to know a little bit more before Ms. Tompson, who is more than willing to cooperate with her fine Government on Homeland Security problems, is questioned. It is just that she is a bit confused as to exactly what or who you might think she got involved with that she might be able to help you with, and how this would reflect on her.” JB’s voice sounded like he was in the courtroom.

I watched at Agent Bouden took a deep breath. “Is your client willing to answer all questions truthfully today?”

“Of course, under the right circumstances,” JB stated.

“Is she willing to take a lie detector test?”

“Of course, under the right circumstances”

Agent Bouden glared at JB. “And exactly what would the right circumstances be?”

“Immunity from any crimes she might divulge that she committed unknowingly.” JB reached into his briefcase and pulled out some papers. He slid them part way down the table and one of the Agents stood up to retrieve them. He passed them to Bouden.

Bouden picked them up and exited the room, leaving his people behind. We all sat there in silence. Bouden finally came back in the room. He set the paperwork down and asked one of his agents for a pen.

“I talked to one of our legal representatives and they agreed with you. I have the authority to sign this.” He didn’t look up as he stated this, but when he did, he looked at me for a long moment. I knew what the butterfly in the net felt like.
This isn’t going to hurt, I will set you free as soon as I put this pin in you and stick you on this board
. I got the alarm and knew without a doubt he was lying. I didn’t know what the lie was about, but something was not right.

I shifted around as an agent brought the papers down to JB. I laid my hand on the papers. JB looked at me as I pushed my hand up to make sure my hair was neat in the twist that swept it behind.

JB looked down at Bouden. He sat back in his chair while a big smile formed on his face. “You know, Mr. Bouden, I would feel much better if you would have one of those legal representatives step in here and explain your position as a representative in signing this paper. After all, I am just an old lawyer, not up with all the new fangled stuff. What do you say?”

Bouden looked at JB as if he was going to come across the table and choke him. “Look, let’s have it on the record. I don’t know what laws she has broken in the last sixty days, but for the recording, she is immune to any laws she has broken in the last sixty days. Does that satisfy you?” There was a lot of anger in Bouden’s eyes.

“Why didn’t you just say so. Of course, we will take the disk with us, and you can have the typed notes from the charming stenographer and probably from whatever other recording devices you have. Now, what do you want to know?”

Bouden looked over at me. “Ms. Tompson, do you know Timothy Myers?”

I thought it was time for another Sharon Stone tactic so I shifted and crossed my legs. This exposed my top leg all the way to the fold at my hip. The two agents on my side of the table looked at the exposed thigh and even Bouden took a long look before coming back up to my face.

“Yes, a very handsome man.”

“Did you know he worked for the US Government?”

I waited a moment. “I have no proof of that.”

“But he told you he did, correct?”

I rotated the bottle on the table. “I once had a boy tell me his father was the Governor of our State. Of course when I didn’t let him in my pants, he told me the truth and also said I wasn’t worth his time.”