Covert Alliance

Then there was the uniform she wore. Stan wasn’t the only one who eyed her as if she were bed-bait. Maybe that had been Alan’s only interest in her, too, despite her suspicions. If he weren’t security in any form, she might even have considered reciprocating, since the guy was pretty darned hot.

But many men seemed to notice her here—and not only her. Ella had chosen the cutesy outfits for the female servers who made up most of the waitstaff, Kelly was sure, to appeal to male customers. The Haven was essentially a glorified coffee shop, but it had a longtime reputation for catering to the powers-that-be in Blue Haven. It didn’t hurt to give the men some eye candy while they were here.

Or that was what Kelly had heard, anyway.

Soon, the early lunch crowd began to arrive. Kelly ramped up her energy and her serving skills, but was disappointed when she didn’t see anyone she recognized as being on the city council. She glanced outside as often as she could, toward the other restaurants and shops across the street and foot traffic coming from the east, the direction of the city offices.

But nothing and no one useful to her appeared.

Until...

When it was nearly noon and the kitchen was crowded with servers entering with trays of empty plates and leaving again with food to serve, Ella appeared from the office near the restrooms at the back. “We need a few of you for something different this afternoon,” she said. “The city council members who were here enjoyed their breakfast, as usual. They’ve now called a special session for all the council members. I’m glad to say they’ve ordered in a buffet-style lunch at their offices. Twice in one day! And we won’t let them down. Who’s willing to go over there and deliver and set up the food?”

Kelly almost cheered in her delight. That was exactly why she had applied for a job at this restaurant. But she caught herself and forced a slight smile that she hoped appeared more as if she wanted to please her boss than anything else. “I’ll be glad to, Ella.” Glad? Heck, she’d be thrilled.

And she really was thrilled when Ella chose her, among several of the waitstaff who also volunteered.

* * *

Alan looked forward to a busy afternoon—one in which he could actually get some work done. Work that he was really here to do.

After he briefly visited the moderate-sized computer room that the Blue Haven Police Department allowed the private security force to use as an outpost in the main government building, an ad hoc meeting of the entire city council was called. They were to discuss some vital matters about street widenings—vital to the town, but not of particular interest to Alan.

Yes, he’d have to do his best to ensure that the city council members remained safe. But that didn’t mean he had to sit in on every session. Popping in and out while looking as if he were patrolling the building and surrounding area would be enough.

Too bad he hadn’t known this morning, while still at the Haven, that he’d remain on duty with no break. He could have bought his lunch to go. Taken an opportunity to speak with that server Kelly once more. Maybe even confirmed she was who he figured she was.

Plus, spending a little additional time with her would provide a bit of pleasure as well as an opportunity for professional observation.

He shrugged off that thought. He’d see her again sometime. Soon, in fact. He would plan for it. But he had to make sure he didn’t keep her on his mind. He had other things to think about.

Like doing both his jobs.

For now, Alan was alone in the security headquarters room. He typed his password into the computer and saw the views on a half dozen security cameras.

Everything looked fine, at least for now.

The city council offices were located in the Blue Haven Government Plaza. The plaza was about ten years old, new enough to have been built in a higher-security age. There was a screening system for the public at the entrance, plus security cameras on all floors.

That should have made Alan’s job easier—and perhaps it would if he were merely part of the Blue Haven City Council’s private security force. But it made it harder for him to get away on his own to conduct the investigation he was really here to do.

He’d managed once, though, to sneak into Stan Grodon’s office early on when he’d first arrived in town and gotten on his computer. Surprise, surprise—there had been no open files containing anything about his missing wife. Even the encrypted files appeared to be about finances, not Andi Grodon.

He had to approach his investigation in other ways.

At least the council members treated the security force just like their own staff, acting friendly to them and even asking them to do things beyond their actual responsibilities—such as getting the breakfast set up, as Alan had done earlier. He could act friendlier to them that way—and hopefully learn more. In fact, he was milking that aspect of his cover job.

But right now, it was time to get busy.

As he left the room, Dodd Frankler, a senior member of the security detail, was just entering. He’d joined Alan earlier at the Haven, and now, along with his usual dark suit, he wore his typically wary expression. “Hey, did you hear that the council’s meeting in half an hour?” Dodd asked.

Alan nodded. “I was just on my way to the council chamber to check it out ahead of time.”

“They’re eating lunch there, too. A delivery order’s already been sent over to the Haven. You’d think that after having breakfast there this morning, they’d be tired of that place’s food.”

“You know it’s pretty good stuff,” Alan countered. “And their selections include something for everyone.” He didn’t like the way his face automatically started tightening into a wry grin as he thought of what else was at the Haven besides good food. But the restaurant was well staffed, so that new server Kelly was unlikely to be coming here with the food.

Even if she did, who said the security staff would even get to look at the lunch, let alone eat any? They’d have patrols to perform outside the meeting area. A bit of overkill for such a small town, Alan thought, but it worked well for what he needed to accomplish.

He hurried down the wide, well-lit hallway, along with a fair number of government workers he recognized, including members of the mayor’s staff, plus some visitors he didn’t know. As always, he stayed alert, watching for signs that anyone had an agenda besides using the halls for getting to the offices they sought. People were mostly in groups, chattering.

He noticed a couple of school-age guys heading up the stairway. They’d been around before, usually later in the day, but Alan knew that a new program was just starting locally where kids could pop in during their study hall times and earn credit for learning about city government by volunteering for small activities that would help their council members. Some were children of those who worked for the city.

One of the two kids was Councilman Grodon’s kid, Eli. The other was Councilwoman Arviss’s son, Cal. Maybe Alan could go cheer them on later...and perhaps learn something of value this time, though he’d talked with them a time or two before. Alan followed them upstairs.

The boys walked to the fourth floor. It was where Alan would have gone anyway since the council chamber was there. Along the hall on the way were council members’ offices, assigned by their seniority. The mayor’s office was one floor above them.

The boys remained ahead of Alan. As he’d anticipated, they entered Susan Arviss’s office. He would look for them there later.

As he continued down the hall, he glanced at the names in glass-enclosed sign holders on the walls. Grodon’s was close to the end. He was one of the longest-sitting members of the council, although he wasn’t the president. That was Councilwoman Regina Joralli’s position.

Alan soon reached the large meeting room and stepped inside. The room held a huge table in the center, surrounded by wooden chairs made to resemble small, upholstered thrones. A bunch of staff members were already there, chatting together and making sure the chairs were in the right places and the table was clean. Joralli’s primary assistant was also there, placing handouts at each seat, probably on the matter they were to meet about.

Everything looked secure enough, but he and the others on that detail would keep checking.

And while the meeting occurred, he might have an opportunity to do some further checking into the undercover assignment that had brought him here by having a friendly chat with those boys. He had been around long enough to start being recognized by the locals, so it was time to start pushing further into what he had really come for.

Dodd joined him as he walked around the room. “Couple of the other guys are downstairs now,” he said. “Hancock told me to come up here and look around.” Nevil Hancock, their boss.

They remained there for another ten minutes, watching who entered and left the room, and checking the hallway, too.

This part of the job could get monotonous, but that was a good thing—no security breaches or other issues to worry about.

The council members began entering. Alan and Dodd remained until they all were seated. Then back into the hall to keep their eyes open for anyone who shouldn’t be attempting to go into council chambers.

Alan preceded Dodd toward the door—and stopped.

Approaching were several familiar-looking people carrying large plastic bags that were undoubtedly filled with food from the Haven.

And one of them was that sexy server Kelly.

* * *

Kelly shouldn’t have felt surprised to see Alan near the room where the city council was meeting when she approached with the other restaurant staff members. She had suspected that he and the other man were at the restaurant earlier at least ostensibly to protect some council members, so it was natural for them to be here now doing the same.

Just like it was natural for her, these days, to observe people and what they were doing.

Alan and his colleague had just exited the room Kelly, Ella and Tobi were heading for. They stood outside the door. The man’s eyes seemed to focus directly on her.

If he was going to watch her, she should at least act friendly toward him, no matter how she felt. Maybe she could even render him off guard, although she suspected that any undercover member of the ID Division, if that’s what he was, would never be off guard.

As the other servers walked by the men into the room, Kelly smiled a little. “Hi, guys. Fancy seeing you again.” She looked directly at the one who’d especially attracted her attention. “Hey, are you following the council members to protect them?”

The expression on his handsome face grew quizzical. “Why do you ask?”

She knew she was right about that, at least, since he had answered her question with a question. “Because I’m curious,” she said. “And I suspect you are, too.” But why was she teasing him? It might be a big mistake to even talk to him anymore. “Sorry. I just guessed you’re in security, and I admire that.”

“Maybe we should hire you,” Alan said. “You do seem pretty alert. What do you think, Dodd?”

The other man—Dodd, apparently—looked a lot older than Alan, and Kelly suspected he’d been doing security work for a long time. He didn’t smile. In fact, he didn’t look at all happy about the conversation. “I think we need to check the hallway, then come back here.”

“Fine.” Alan nodded briefly at her as if in goodbye, and both men started walking toward the elevators from which Kelly and the others had come.

Kelly entered the room. It was large, and the main center of focus was a huge rectangular table in the middle, where the city council members all sat. Kelly recognized the few who’d patronized the Haven for breakfast. Even those she hadn’t seen before were dressed in suits.

Among them, unsurprisingly, was Stan. He sat at the far side of the table, his black suit jacket on, his round face smirking beneath his thinning brown hair. He faced the door where Kelly had just entered, chatting with the man on his left as if he hadn’t a care in the world.

And Kelly wanted to shake him. Or do something worse.

The woman who sat at the end of the table was Councilwoman Regina Joralli. She’d been in politics for a while, and Kelly recognized her from when she had lived there in her previous life. Stan was right beside her.

Kelly knew he had aspirations to replace Regina as council president. Or at least he had before. He was so egotistical that Kelly figured the only way that might have changed was if he decided to run for mayor.

Unless, of course, he was concentrating only on raking in bribe money—and hiding her sister’s murder while abusing their son. But with an ego like his, Kelly figured he still wanted it all.

Despite the fact that every seat around the table was filled, it was still twenty minutes before the time Kelly had been told that the session was officially scheduled to begin. Lunch apparently came first. The room was abuzz with conversation as Kelly joined her colleagues from the restaurant and helped to lay out the food on a compact table at the end of the room, turning it into a buffet. She assisted in making it look decorative yet practical, where the council members could pick up tasty sandwiches, small salads and cookies, as well as soft drinks.

“I think we’re all set here,” Ella eventually told Regina Joralli. “Anything else you need?”

“It all looks good,” the council president said. “Thanks.”

That was their cue to leave, Kelly knew. Which was fine. She remained invisible here to Stan as one among many lowly servers he could flirt with, but being inside this room any longer wouldn’t get her any of the information she sought.

She followed the others out the door. They all turned left toward the elevators.

Kelly didn’t want to leave the building just yet, though. Instead, she glanced at the placards of each council member’s name on the wall near the offices. She knew she couldn’t just drop into Stan Grodon’s and find whatever she needed—particularly since she knew that security was present on this floor, although she didn’t see Alan or his buddy Dodd just then. She did, however, see a few cameras mounted near the tops of the walls.

Even so, she could get the lay of the land.

“Excuse me, Ella,” she said, hurrying to catch up with her boss. “I’m going to find the restroom here. I’ll be back at the restaurant soon.”

Ella’s cool eyes scanned her. “You feeling okay?”

Obviously she’d send Kelly home if she was sick with anything she could pass along.

“Fine.” Kelly smiled what she hoped was an embarrassed smile. “I just drank a little too much coffee this morning.”

“Okay. Fine. See you later.” They’d reached the elevators, and the door to one opened as soon as Ella pressed the button—an indication of the woman’s lot in life, Kelly figured. Everything seemed to work out well for her.

Well, it would for Kelly, too—as soon as she was able to find her nephew and help him. He’d be in classes now, and she didn’t want to appear obvious by hanging around his school. She had to figure out a good way to see him. Talk to him.

But while she figured that out, she also wanted to devise a plan to get the right evidence against Stan. No one, not even her thug of a brother-in-law, would suspect that was what Kelly Ladd was up to—unlike Shereen Alsop.

Well, there was one possible exception to that: Alan.

For now, she figured she had better do as she’d told Ella and start at the restroom before conducting any further exploration of this floor. When she came out, she could scout to see who else was around. She had been here before, when she’d been Shereen, and had accompanied Andi on scheduled visits now and then, sometimes even to see Stan. But more than a year had passed. The council members could be in different offices now.

Maybe she could become close friends with someone who worked here—someone who could get her into Stan’s.

But what she’d done before hadn’t gotten her anything useful. And neither would being in here.

Instead, she was feeling rather desperate to plan her next move: figure out how to see Eli and check in person how he was doing...and get him out of here if all was as bad as she thought, assuming his posts on social media reflected his reality.

She had come up with that other identity there so she could at least watch him remotely, even if she couldn’t communicate with him. His sorrow at his mother’s disappearance, and then his aunt’s, had been overtaken by his apparent desperation and fear. That was why she had come. It had been an impulse. It had been a necessity.

She nearly reached the restroom—and stopped. The men’s room door had opened. Kelly thought she must be hallucinating.

Because the first person to walk through that door into the hallway was Alan.

And he was followed by her nephew, Eli.

Chapter 3

Kelly wanted to laugh. She wanted to cry. Mostly, she wanted to dash over and throw her arms around her nephew.

No, Shereen’s nephew. That’s what she had to remember.

Realizing that she had stopped walking, she started forward again. Another boy exited the men’s room and caught up with Eli. He bent his head toward Eli, who was about the same height, maybe five feet, and the two of them laughed. They passed her, and Eli, busy talking to his friend, didn’t even look at her.

That was a good thing. Not that he was likely to recognize her, with the way her appearance had been changed—including her posture, gestures and nearly everything about her. Externally, at least.

The hardest part was that she forced herself not to look at him any longer, except for allowing herself to glance at him peripherally down the hall while she strolled by.

Was that a bruise on his cheek? She wanted so much to turn and stare at his sweet young face and check it out.

But she couldn’t. Not here, and not now.

“Hi, Kelly.” It was Alan, and his voice startled her. He had stopped walking and let the kids pass by him.

“Er, hi.” She cocked her head a little and forced herself to send him a flirtatious grin. “Keeping an eye on things everywhere, aren’t you? I’m just hitting the ladies’ room before I head back to the restaurant.” She hurried past him and entered the restroom.

Fortunately it was empty, since she was suddenly breathing hard, her eyes closed, her mind swirling.

She had bumped into hurdle number three without anticipating or planning for it. She had seen Eli. But where could she go from here?

She needed to talk to him. Find out what was really going on with him. Was his father abusing him, as he’d hinted on that social media site? She was sure it had to be true. Eli had always been such a straightforward child.

And that red spot on his face. Was that proof, or her imagination, or just a harmless bruise that kids sometimes got when roughhousing with friends?

She knew where he lived, of course—assuming they hadn’t moved. Even so, he must live with his father. With Stan. And that meant Kelly couldn’t just walk up to their door, ring the bell and invite herself in for a chat.

He was thirteen years old now. She knew he still went to the same school, since Eli mentioned it online. But since she couldn’t start stalking him there, either, she had decided to begin by observing Stan first, someplace where she wouldn’t be particularly noticed. Someplace where a plan was sure to come to her.

Only now that she had seen not only Stan but Eli, too, she was stumped. And frustrated. And scared, and angry, and so many more emotions that she couldn’t put names to.

She had been so close to her sister. Had loved Andi so much. She missed her terribly.

Andi had to be dead, or she would have been in touch. And Kelly’s determination to save Eli was one way of demonstrating her love—and her despair at no longer having her sister around.

Kelly looked into the mirror above the sink, over her shoulder, as if her sister might suddenly appear there. “I’ll take care of him now, Andi,” she whispered aloud. “I promise.”

The restroom door started to open. Kelly fled into one of the stalls and locked the door, then waited until she heard the other woman leave again before she flushed, washed her hands and exited the bathroom. By then, she had calmed herself a bit.

She had realized one thing, at least. Eli had been talking to Alan when she’d first noticed them. They seemed friendly enough with each other. Did they know each other, or were they just being cordial here, in the plaza?

She had to find that out. She also needed to learn why Eli was there, on an afternoon when his father wasn’t available to meet with him because of the lunchtime council session.

As she walked slowly back down the hall, past the closed office doors, she heard nothing from the one with Stan’s name on the wall plaque outside it. If Eli had come to visit or spend time in his dad’s office, he was being quiet. Those were probably Stan’s instructions to him. He’d never liked interruptions to his work, especially from his family.

From not only Eli, but his wife, Andi, too.

Kelly gritted her teeth but forced her thoughts off her missing—dead—sister. She was here for Eli.

A couple of offices down, she thought she heard a muffled voice. It was probably a secretary talking on the phone.

As she neared the far end of the hallway where the elevators were, she noticed that one door was ajar—Councilwoman Susan Arviss’s office, according to the plaque on the outer wall. She was new, hadn’t been a council member when Shereen had left town. Her office was one of the farthest from Council President Regina Joralli’s.

Kelly heard giggles emanating from inside—like two young boys having a good time?

Would a total stranger, with no hidden agenda, peek inside while walking by? Maybe. She’d play it that way.

Or...no. She had a reason to peek inside. She’d already flirted a bit with Alan. He would be her excuse for checking out that office, even if he wasn’t there. But he’d been chatting with Eli before, when they’d both come out of the men’s room.

Suddenly, the bleak, bland government office hallway seemed to warm a bit.

Kelly stopped outside the partly open door and smiled slightly. It was a smile that she had practiced before, in front of mirrors, to ensure it looked different from Shereen’s smile.

The two boys sat at the secretary’s desk. Their attention seemed fully captured by what they were doing. It appeared that they were stuffing envelopes.

Kelly just watched for a moment. Then she saw a movement near her, to the side of the door. She startled, swallowed a gasp—then intentionally broadened her smile. It was Alan.

“Well, here you are.” She tried to sound as if she’d been searching for him. “I wondered if I should call someone in security since this door was open.”

“No need. I’m right here, and all’s well.”

“It certainly is.”

Was that too much flirtation? At least it gave her a reason for being here. It wasn’t difficult at all to continue looking at Alan that way. She still thought that, at another time, under other circumstances, she would have had fun flirting with a guy as hot as him.

Now, though, it was only a ruse. Too bad.

She noticed then that both boys had stopped what they were doing. She drew her gaze away from Alan’s inquisitive brown eyes as if it were almost painful to do so and looked toward the desk.

“What have we here?” she asked in a friendly manner. “I don’t think these young gentlemen are city council members, are they? Or maybe they’re office staff, although if so, Councilwoman Arviss must have robbed schools to hire them.”

Both boys laughed. “She’s my mom,” said the one Kelly hadn’t met before. “She lets us do stuff here like get things ready to mail for her. We’re like interns, and we get school credit for it.”