Intersection (34 page)

“She feel the same?” Brady asked. Alex just smiled. “Shit, Toles… From what I know…O’Brien’s gonna’ pop when he finds out,” her friend could not help but smirk a bit.

Alex took a deep breath. “Yeah, well Congressman O’Brien and I have different priorities where Cassidy is concerned.” Brady was surprised at his friend’s forthrightness. Alex was not joking about Cassidy at all. He had never seen his friend this determined nor had he ever seen the concern he saw in her eyes now. “See what you can get,” Alex said as her foot hit the stairs.

“Toles? I hope it all works out…. For you, I mean.” Alex turned back and smiled.

***

“What the hell?” Agent Brian Fallon said to himself as he pulled his black sedan over. “What is she doing?”

Agent Claire Brackett accepted an affectionate hug from the tall blonde woman in front of the coffee shop. “How’s he doing?” Brackett asked as the two headed for the entrance.

“He’s ornery. Keeps going on and on about the wife, you know,” the blonde answered.

Brackett laughed. “I think he can forget that.”

“What do you mean?”

“I think the congressman’s ex is otherwise engaged,” Brackett gloated her knowledge.

“With who?” The woman asked.

Brackett licked her lips and shrugged. “Let’s just say undercover has a new meaning at the O’Brien house.”

The woman was stunned. “Cassidy and …” Brackett shrugged with delight.

Fallon picked up his phone. “Toles?”

“Fallon? What’s going on? I thought you were going to tail Brackett.”

“I am. Toles….She just met the congressman’s girlfriend for coffee.”

“WHAT?”

“Yeah, tell me. I can’t get close. I have no reason to be on this side of town,” he explained.

“Can you see if she has anything?”

“Yeah, coffee,” Fallon said smartly.

“Funny, Fallon.”

“What the hell is it with these people?” Fallon asked.

Alex had a sinking feeling. It made sense that Brackett would find a way to penetrate the congressman’s personal life and the agent could guess what her former lover’s agenda might be. “Fallon, just stay on her. See if you can get a view…if she passes the girlfriend anything.”

“You think his girlfriend’s involved in the accident?”

“No…I think this is about something else,” Alex sighed.

Fallon was puzzled. “What?”

“Me,” Alex said flatly.

“You? Why would? Oh Christ….Alex, you think Brackett’s telling her? I mean….”

“That’s exactly what I think. Get here as early as you can tomorrow, Fallon. We have a lot to talk about. I have a feeling the shit is about to hit the fan.”

“What are you going to do?”

Alex took a deep breath. She knew now what was coming. No one expected her involvement in this case to go any deeper than finding a stalker. No one expected her to fall for Cassidy and certainly no one expected the congressman’s ex-wife to fall in love with her. Now, Alex knew more than she was ever supposed to. She had dug in and she needed to be put at bay. Cassidy was about to be outed, at least to her ex-husband. Alex needed to prepare the woman she loved for the inevitable fallout. It was yet another wrinkle she would need to press out. “I’m on my way to get Dylan. Just get here. I have other things to deal with tonight, Fallon.”

“Alex, if he reports…”

“I know. Cassidy’s safety is the priority now, Fallon. Make sure your P.D. contact knows that. Focus on Fisher and Brackett. I’ll explain the rest when I see you tomorrow.”

“Toles, are you okay?” Fallon asked with genuine concern. Alex smiled. She was confident that she and Cassidy would weather this. It was inevitable that their relationship would be exposed. She knew that since the beginning. The agent had simply hoped it would happen after the case was put to rest. Nothing about his case was simple. Nothing. And no one planned to make it easy. “Toles?” He repeated.

“I’m fine, Fallon, really. I’ll see you in the morning.” Alex hung up the phone and took a deep breath. She was determined now more than ever to get to the root of the
case. Congressman Christopher O’Brien did not know Alexis Toles. She was an adversary unlike any he had faced in an election and her love for the teacher made her even more formidable. Whatever came to pass, Alex intended to prevail.

“You did what?” The man bellowed at the woman sitting in the chair. “What were you thinking?”

“I don’t know why you’re so upset,” Claire Brackett answered him. “You were worried about how close she was getting; problem solved.”

The man laughed. “I told you to be careful with Agent Toles. You are too confident when it comes to Alex.”

“Alex?” Brackett mocked as she crossed her legs casually. “That’s informal.”

He glared at her. “Listen to me, Claire, and listen carefully…Alex Toles is a genius… and she’s tenacious. You have no idea what you are playing with.”

“Relax. What can she do? The congressman will…”

“The congressman will ask that she be pulled from this case and that will just make her more determined.”

Claire Brackett rose from her chair and stepped in front of the man, running her finger down his chest, “she can’t do anything when she can’t access anything.”

He moved her hands away abruptly. “I am telling you. Back off Toles. You are feeding the fire. Maybe this is about more than just your assignment.”

Brackett rolled her eyes. The truth was that Claire Brackett was not used to rejection and she did not care for it at all. “Don’t be ridiculous.”

A door behind the pair opened slowly. “I’m sorry…”

“What is it?” The man answered abruptly.

“You’re needed downstairs, Mr. President.”

John Merrow nodded and turned back to the tall redhead. “Alex is the smartest woman I know. She figured you out in the first five minutes. You overestimate yourself as much as you underestimate her. Watch yourself, Claire.”

“Mom!” Dylan burst through the house in search of his mother.

“Slow down, Speed Racer,” Alex called ahead.

“Are we going to George’s?” He asked excitedly.

Cassidy looked over the boy standing in front of her to captures the agent’s glance. “That’s what I hear,” she smiled at Alex who returned her affectionate gaze. “Go put your backpack away.” Alex leaned against the counter and offered the woman a crooked smile. Her thumb instinctively reached her temple and began massaging it. “Okay…out with it,” Cassidy said as Alex fidgeted a bit. “Alex…”

“You’re right. We need to talk about some things, but not now, Cass.”

“Alex, we agreed…”

“Yes, we did, but I think after today…what happened earlier, we should just go have a pizza with Dylan and talk when we get back.” Cassidy looked at the agent, studying her carefully. “Cassidy, look, you and I both know sooner or later people are going to find out about us.”

“Is that what this is about?” The blonde woman asked.

Alex shook her head. “It is. Partly…only partly.”

“Alex, I’m not worried about…”

“I know that, but there are things we have to talk about Cass. I am technically on the job. Let’s just talk about it after dinner. I will tell you everything I can then,” the agent promised as Cassidy walked into her arms.

“You’re worried about Chris, aren’t you?”

Alex brushed the woman’s hair aside lovingly. “I’m worried about you.”

“I’m a big girl, Alex.”

“Mmm…I know,” Alex said as Cassidy smiled and kissed the agent.

“Mom!” Dylan yelled. Finding his mother kissing the agent, he cringed. “Gross.”

Alex became shaky and her face flushed at the realization Dylan was there. Cassidy laughed and put her head against Alex’s chest. “Not as gross as those fruit rollup things you love,” his mother said.

He shook his small head. “Are we going for pizza?”

“I don’t know, are we?” She looked at the agent.

Alex took a deep breath. It still surprised her how comfortable Cassidy was with their relationship. She wondered how that would fare when the congressman found out. “We are,” she said decisively. Dylan pulled on the agent’s hand lightly. “Yeah, okay. We’re coming,” Alex laughed. He ran out of the kitchen and down the hallway hoping his mother and the agent would follow quickly.

“You all right, there?” Cassidy asked the agent who responded with a forced smile. The teacher gave the agent a kiss on the cheek. “Alex, if you’re going to be here, he’s going to see us.”

“I know. Let’s go get that pizza,” the agent said, thankful for a diversion if only for a while.

“Alex…Come on,” Dylan pulled on the agent.

Cassidy tried to hide her amusement. “Only if your mother agrees to challenge us,” she encouraged Cassidy.

“A little confident?” Cassidy quipped. Alex lifted her hands as if to say ‘Bring it on’. “Okay,” the teacher whispered in Alex’s ear. “I’ll bet you back rubs for a week
I
win.”

Alex was surprised at Cassidy’s competitiveness. “You are on,” the agent winked. The teacher laughed as she climbed
into the seat of the truck cab. Alex leaned over into the teacher’s ear and teased, “I hope you’re not a sore loser.”

Cassidy tilted her head back and softly gave her reply. “You’re not a very good gambler, Alex. Either way I win.” She turned back to the game leaving Alex with a lump in her throat and a tingle down her spine. Cassidy surprised Alex at every turn and the agent loved it. The small blonde woman jostled herself into position and concentrated on the screen, or rather the road, in front of her. She turned and weaved through obstacles, over hills, along steep curves, slowing down here and there and then speeding up her virtual car again.

Dylan looked at the agent in amazement and then back at the screen. “MOM!” Cassidy swerved and avoided a collision. “You’re at level 38! Alex!” Dylan was almost as wide eyed as the agent. “She’s gonna’ beat us, Alex.”

“Nah… just wait. Here comes the tough level,” Alex assured him.

Three more levels passed before Cassidy finally wiped out over a virtual guard rail. The small blonde woman got up and shrugged. “Level 41!” Dylan said excitedly, quite proud of his mother, who greeted his enthusiasm with a wide grin and a hug.

“All right,” Alex lifted Dylan to the front of the cab and onto her lap. “Your mom’s been holding out on me,” she whispered.

“I heard that,” Cassidy cracked back.

“Figures,” Alex tried to whisper softly.

“And that,” Cassidy said.

Alex Toles was naturally competitive and she did not want to lose this bet although she had to admit the idea of owing Cassidy back rubs for a week was not a punishment by any measure. She bit her lip and her heart quickened at the reality of the wager the woman she loved had levied. Another reason to love Cassidy, she was smart. There was no loser in this bet-except the agent’s pride if she somehow lost to the teacher. “Okay, Dylan,” Alex put her feet on the pedals and her hands
over the small ones gripping the wheel. “Let’s show your mom who is king of the road!”

Cassidy watched the agent and her son, caring very little about who won any bet. The sight of her son in Alex’s lap, the sound of his laughter and Alex’s enthusiastic but gentle encouragement made her heart soar. She wasn’t sure she’d ever seen Dylan so happy. She thought to herself, ‘Can this be real?’ Her daydreaming was abruptly ended by the buzzing of her phone. “Hello,” she put a finger in her opposite ear trying to hear over the sounds of the game accompanied by the agent and Dylan’s exclamations as they dodged cars and rocks and turned and skidded across pretend pavement. “No…I’m at George’s with Dylan…What? Hold on,” Cassidy stepped out of the cab and into the restaurant. Engrossed in the game and the small boy bouncing on her lap, Alex didn’t realize immediately that the teacher was gone.