Pursuit of Justice Read Online Free

shoes were tightly laced, she stretched out, anticipating a good run.
    After copying the case’s file onto a memory stick and tucking it into her pocket, she secured her computer with a cable lock and grabbed her room key and BlackBerry. Anyone attempting to see what her computer contained would be hit with more than one security blockade.
    She made her way from the hotel room and down the stairway to the lobby. The property had a fitness center, but this morning she needed to clear her head outside. This part of her life, the relished run, might take a vacation while she carried out her assignment. But at least for today, she’d start the day with her normal routine.
    She positioned her earbuds as though she were listening to music on her BlackBerry instead of observing the people and vehicles around her and proceeded onto the street that swung right toward Abilene’s mall. All the while, she focused her mental acuity toward anything out of the ordinary. A Hispanic man and woman sat in a late-model car in the hotel parking lot arguing. A landscaping truck slowed, then turned in to the hotel, its bed filled with shovels and a mound of mulch. As she ran past a Popeyes and the Sherwood Hills apartments adjacent to the fast-food restaurant, she spotted a dark green SUV parked along the curb with no visible driver.
    After an hour of running around the outskirts of the mall, she retraced her steps to the hotel. A few vehicles lingered, and she took note of colors, makes, and license plates. But nothing had impressed her as out of the ordinary.
    Back in her room, she showered and readied herself for the day in jeans and tennis shoes. Already at eight o’clock the sun beat down hard and ensured a scorcher. As soon as breakfast and her token two cups of coffee had powered her up, she grabbed her tools for the investigation and piled them into her car, often referred to as the office on the go. Vic Anderson would meet her at nine, but she didn’t know if he’d ride with her or drive his own vehicle.
    She’d grown fond of her midsize Ford and how it weaved easily in and out of traffic, as well as its performance on the road. In the past, company-issued vehicles with their mile-high antennae stuck out like lighthouses on a foggy night, but with new technology, the issued vehicles now slipped by the public—and most criminals—undetected.
    Promptly at nine, a prematurely gray-haired man dressed in jeans and a light blue button-down shirt walked into the hotel lobby and caught her attention. Vic Anderson. He looked just like his photo.
    “Special Agent Jordan?”
    “Yes, sir.”
    “Mornin’. Agent Anderson.” He stuck out his hand, and she grasped it. “I understand the High Butte Ranch is calling our names.”
    “So I hear. My car’s outside if you don’t mind me driving.”
    He nodded. “I’ll get my equipment.”
    In the parking lot, Anderson transferred his raid jacket, Kevlar vest, and tactical belt to her trunk. He pointed to her vest folded in the corner.
    “That looks like it would fit a kid.”
    “It’s all I could get.”
    He eyed her with a grin. “You look about the size of my daughter—five-two?”
    “Right.”
    He picked up her vest. “What do you use for pockets?”
    “My creds, handcuffs, and gun slip nicely in the back waistband of my pants. I also use an ankle holster.”
    He shook his head. “Size has its advantages.”
    “So does being a woman.”
    He shut the trunk. “I’ve worked with women agents, and they were able to get into places and secure information where a man didn’t have a chance.”
    “And I’ve been in a few places where I wished I were a man.”
    He laughed. “Okay, we’re even. Let’s get this investigation on the road. We’ve got three murders too many. Did you happen to talk to the manager of the hotel again?”
    “He’s off today, so I’ll catch him tonight.”
    “Just wondered. His report seemed vague to me.”
    Bella liked Vic’s Southern gentleman