Expectation (Ghost Targets, #2) Read Online Free Page A

his place behind Rick's desk. "There's a pretty clear pattern there," he said. He was leaning against the wall, not sitting in the chair, but even so his position made Katie's hackles rise. The last time she'd been in here with Rick, he'd almost hit her. Fredrik leaned forward, white knuckles on the polished wood desktop, and pinned Katie with his eyes. "Why are you trying so hard to contact him? What information are you trying to pass to him?"
    She looked to Reed, pleading with him to intervene again, but this time she saw only confusion in his eyes. Penn handed him the handheld, and his eyes shot wide at that. He hadn't known.
    She shook her head. "It's just a stupid thing," she said. "It's nothing." Six eyes were on her now, demanding answers, and she couldn't find her voice. "It's nothing," she said again, almost stammering. "Since I was little, I like to leave messages to my dad when he can't answer the phone. It's my way of thinking. I know he won't answer, but I tell him what's on my mind, and it makes things easier."
    Fredrik bit off a sharp answer. "We're not concerned about the messages to your father—"
    "But it's the same thing!" She snapped at him, and knew immediately it was a mistake. The Good Cop, Bad Cop routine was working on her. She took a deep breath. "It's an old habit," she said. "I didn't really think about it. I...I've been alone. I've been trapped, first in the hospitals, and then in my apartment. You have no idea what it's like. Not after...not after what I went through. It's too much time to just sit and think." She took another deep breath and shook her head. "I have an old habit, when I need to think about something that's too close to me, and it involves making a phone call that I know won't get an answer. I just...when I was thinking about what happened in Buenos Aires, it made sense to call Martin."
    Penn answered her this time. "We know what happened in your hospital room, Miss Pratt." His tone was gentle but firm. "The bureau was on to Martin's tricks by that point, and they had dumb mics recording your room." From the corner of her eye she saw Reed's cheeks flush, but she didn't begrudge him that. She was just glad he hadn't shot her at the time. "The GAO's greatest concern here is Rick's corruption. Mr. Fredrik primarily wants to discover the precise depth and breadth of your old boss's impact, but we cannot complete that investigation with any sort of certainty until we understand what led you to let one of the most powerful criminals in the world walk out of police custody."
    Katie shook her head. "You think I could have stopped him?"
    "I know you let him go!" Fredrik snapped, and for the first time Katie thought maybe he wasn't just playing a part. His eyes were wide, his lips peeled back in a snarl. "And you've been trying to get in touch with him like some devoted fan ever since—"
    "It's not like that!" She kept her voice cool, but her breath came hot and fast. She closed her eyes, shutting out the image of his fury, and forced herself to think. Coming in today, she'd been prepared for rejection. She'd been prepared to lose her job, but she hadn't expected outright accusation. Not after so long. She'd spoken with police and federal agents, there in Buenos Aires and again at the hospital here in DC. They'd sent a representative of the court to her apartment to take a sworn deposition. It had been paperwork up until now.
    She'd been trying to contact Martin, and no one had called her on that. Nobody had even mentioned it, and she'd never considered how bad it looked. Now her mind raced, trying to recall just what she'd said in all those long voicemails, but it was all vapor. She took a calming breath that didn't work, and another, and then opened her eyes to meet Fredrik's. A heartbeat had passed, maybe two. She made herself bold, and answered him with confidence, "Martin Door has done no wrong, and neither have I."
    "That, my girl," he said with a sarcastic smile, shaking a finger at