Gone Again by James Grippando

Author:James Grippando [Grippando, James]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Literature & Fiction, United States, Mystery; Thriller & Suspense, Thrillers & Suspense, Spies & Politics, Political, Suspense, Thrillers, Legal
ISBN: 9780062368706
Amazon: B00Z746UN0
Barnesnoble: B00Z746UN0
Publisher: Harper
Published: 2016-02-28T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 35

Andie had a visitor at the Miami field office. It was mid-afternoon, and she’d just finished a phone conference with an assistant United States attorney over a request for a wiretap when the receptionist buzzed her on the intercom.

“There’s a Debra Burgette here to see you.”

Given the fact that Debra was a key witness in Jack’s case, Andie could have simply said that she was unavailable. But the fact that Andie couldn’t be involved didn’t mean she had to be rude. She’d spent too many hours with victims and their families to opt for the total brush-off.

“I’ll come out,” she told the receptionist.

The shortcut from Andie’s office to the lobby was through the narcotics unit, and she wasn’t surprised to see that somebody had finally made them take down the So Many Colombians, So Little Time bumper sticker that had been pushpinned onto the bulletin board. By the time she reached the secured door at the end of the hallway and buzzed herself through to the lobby, she’d formulated several polite ways to tell Debra that she couldn’t meet with her.

Debra rose from the couch in the waiting area, and Andie greeted her cordially. The receptionist was seated behind bulletproof glass in protected space that resembled a ticket booth. Andie and Debra were alone but near the elevators, and Debra seemed concerned about a possible interruption by random passersby.

“Can we go back to your office?” she asked. “Someplace more private to talk?”

“I’m sorry, but I shouldn’t really be talking to you,” said Andie. “The Bureau has me walled off from this case. It has to be that way, with Jack representing Dylan Reeves.”

“Oh, I see. But there is something I want you to know.”

“If it has anything to do with Jack’s case, I can’t discuss—”

“I didn’t rehome Sashi,” she said.

“Confidential matters like that are between you and Jack.”

“There’s nothing confidential about it. Gavin accused me of rehoming Sashi in court today. I wasn’t there. I just knew he was going to start saying horrible things about me, and it made me physically ill. I couldn’t even drive, let alone sit through another court hearing. But I heard about it afterward from Barbara Carmichael.”

“I don’t get updates from the prosecutor,” said Andie.

“Well, if your husband doesn’t tell you, I’m sure you’ll see it on the news. That’s why I came here. I wanted you to hear this from me: it isn’t true.”

“Okay. I heard it.”

“Do you believe me?”

“It doesn’t matter if I believe you.”

“It matters to me,” said Debra.

“We really shouldn’t be talking about this.”

Debra took a seat on the couch. “Come,” she said. “Sit with me for two minutes. Just listen to what I say. You don’t have to say anything. Just sit. You must want to sit. It’s been a long time, but I remember what it’s like to be that pregnant.”

Andie hesitated, then took a seat. “Okay. Two minutes.”

Debra scooted to the edge of the couch and turned to face Andie more squarely. “Barbara Carmichael never believed that those phone calls I got on Sashi’s birthday were from my daughter.

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