The Export by J.K. Kelly (read along books txt) 📕

Miller began. “First is Thomas Sinclair. The second is Charlie Chaste.”

Matt looked to Dale with an expression that she read correctly. Thanks for the heads-up!

“We know you had some involvement there. And although Ms. Dale has told us what she knows of your involvement with them over the past few weeks, I’m here to debrief you on what you know and what, if anything, your involvement was in the operation that resulted in the death of Sinclair and his nephew.”

Matt looked to Dale. He reported to her, and he had no intention of disclosing anything to anyone but her unless she directed him to do so.

“Go for it, Matt,” she said with a grin. “I’m dying to hear it as well.”

For the next 20 minutes, Matt went over the thought processes and events that both he and Charlie had discussed and had agreed to put into play in London. Both Dale and Miller interrupted him from time to time to get clarification on a point or to ask Matt to elaborate. When it seemed as though every detail of the entire op had been laid out, Dale got up from her chair, pushed a button on her desk, stated, “Pause recording,” and walked over to the table and sat down between the two men.

“Now that’s a nice dress, Claire,” Matt said in a complimentary tone. “It shows off your guns nicely.” Miller was startled by the remark, and the expression on his face let them both know it.

“No worries, Jules,” Matt continued. “We’re besties and go back a long way.”

Dale laughed and then checked her wristwatch.

“Is that new?” Matt asked. Miller’s puzzled expression remained.

“We are best friends, Jules,” she assured him as she gave Matt a ‘knock it off’ look. “We went through the academy together and used to be roommates, so this is just ordinary banter between good friends. No need for HR or an internal investigation request.” Turning to Matt, she looked again at her watch.

“Yes, it’s new,” she answered. “The Movado you gave me finally died – and yes, I bought it.” She and Matt’s romantic relationship might have ended long ago, but she could tell he was curious about her current status.

“Now, I think we’ve covered everything you might have needed?” she suggested to Miller. “Unless you have more, I do have that hard stop and need to get moving to another meeting upstairs.”

“That’s it?” Matt asked, surprised. “You don’t want to yell at me about Tilton?”

“That was you?” Miller asked, pushing aside his notes and looking to Matt for more.

“And that’s a wrap,” Dale stated, “and that’s classified.” Dale’s facial expression had changed from casual and unguarded to intense and frustrated.

“If you need anything else, Mr. Miller, just give me a call,” she added. “And Matt, we’ll meet back here in an hour. You can wait or just come back.” Her tone let the men in the room know that she was clearly disappointed and unhappy that her contractor had mentioned the name Tilton. Matt stood up and watched as Miller and Dale shook hands.

“I’ll be back in an hour. Time for some caffeine!” Matt said with a smile. As they left the office, Matt told the assistant he’d be back in 45 minutes, and then he caught up to Miller as they both headed for the elevator.

Behind them, Dale watched as the two exchanged small talk while waiting for the doors to open. She then walked 20 feet to the fire exit and took the stairs up one level to meet with an assistant director on unrelated business. All the way up, she was fuming and intended to unleash her frustration on her best friend as soon as they met again.

Matt watched as Miller handed back his visitor’s pass at the security checkpoint while Matt gestured to the uniformed guard that he’d need his for a return visit. Outside, the two men regarded the mid-day heat, shook hands, and headed in opposite directions. Minutes later, coffee and toasted, buttered bagel in hand, Matt was back through security and headed upstairs for the next meeting.

“What the hell were you thinking?” Dale asked sternly as she slammed her office door behind him.

“Wait, is this one of those hostile work environments I’ve heard so much about?” he asked, hoping to diffuse her mood. It didn’t work. She walked around her desk and sat down abruptly, staring at her friend for a long minute.

“Want half?” Matt asked, passing part of his bagel across the table toward her. “Come on, Claire, you do look great in that dress.” That was it. He knew her well enough to keep at it until she broke, and she did. She took her part of the bagel from him, her angry look slowly changing to a much softer one.

“Yeah, yeah,” he said. “I know that look. It’s the one you used to give the dog when she peed on the rug. You loved her and just couldn’t stay mad at her any longer.”

Dale’s demeanor changed completely, and Matt realized he had taken her back to something she wanted to avoid at all costs. Her rock-hard mind and body changed ever so slightly. She looked to her left, out the window just for a moment, and then got down to business.

“Okay, moving on,” she said in a tone that confirmed it was time to change the subject. She asked for a formal debrief on the events that had transpired in Quebec City involving the deaths of Tilton and the head of his security team. Reaching across her desk for a familiar button, she pushed it and said, “Start recording.”

She listened as Matt related the details and then pushed the button to pause the recording. Leaning back into her high-backed brown leather chair, she stared at him and he returned the look.

“Look,” he assured her, “I can figure out just about anything and be a fixer as well, but this was a cluster. In hindsight, I should have been put on his security detail.”

She sat