Shifters: A Samantha Reece Mystery Book 1 by Jaime Johnesee (libby ebook reader txt) 📕

I didn’t think he had ties to this, but I couldn’t be too sure. They were raking me over the coals for something. While I expected it a bit (sometimes you have to be hard with a witness and make them think they’re a suspect before they get helpful), I didn’t expect them to go quite so hard at me.

“That’s a helluva thing to say, Reece.” Alex’s drawl came from the doorway. I smiled, I hadn’t even heard the door open.

“Alex, good to see you.” I grinned even broader at my old friend.

Relief rushed through me as he walked in. Alex carried some big guns in the form of his parents. They were pretty big muckity-mucks in Washington. We’d been friends since college and had decided on joining the FBI at the same time.

We were lucky enough that we even got through Quantico together. We’d landed in different cities but had kept in touch. When he went private he’d called me and offered me a job. I’d just become a shifter and switched over to CID. It was my first week here and I had already decided I wasn’t going anywhere else.

I still don’t want to be anywhere else. It’s why I hope this thing doesn’t reach too far up the food chain. I love my job. Always have, always will.

“You’re looking terrible, Sam. Did you get medical attention?”

“Yes, we saw to her medical needs. What are you doing here, Baltazar? Last I heard you’d turned over to the private sector.” Sal’s face reddened and he looked like someone had slipped him a shit sandwich instead of a pizza.

“I’m here to make sure my client’s needs are met, that’s all.”

“Your client?”

“Yes, Agent Reece is the victim of a serial killer who broke into her house. See, because of all that she is a little concerned for her well-being right now and, as we are old friends, I thought I would make sure she was safe. You understand what that’s like, don’t you, Sal?” As he spoke a twinkle came into his hazel eyes.

Alex was always happiest on the hunt. He would have made an excellent jaguar, but I would never turn anyone. Even if he asked me, and he had.

“Agent Reece, are you concerned for your safety?” Guzeman asked.

“Honestly, sir, yes I am. A serial killer came to my home twice, and someone either followed him or gave him directions, then killed him on my doorstep in full view of a complement of FBI agents, police officers, and paramedics. You have to admit something like that tends to make a soul err on the side of caution, sir. So I called a dear friend of mine that I know is great with security. I want to make sure my home can once again be my safe haven.”

“So you didn’t call Alexander Baltazar here to meddle in the investigation?” He smirked at Alex.

“Sir, I engaged his services as a bodyguard and security expert. I feel as though my home is vulnerable and I want to fix that. It’s a natural human response after the shock I had finding out that a serial killer had somehow gotten ahold of my address and managed to track me down.”

“We will review all the evidence and get back to you in the next twenty-four hours to determine if you will be placed on unpaid leave pending an investigation.”

“An investigation of what? I have done nothing wrong. I broke no laws, and I didn’t even stray from protocol. I am a victim in this as much as anyone who had a psychopath break into their house in an attempt to murder them. I was just lucky enough to have told the FBI and had our men in as backup. They saw everything and can attest that I did nothing wrong.” I stood from my chair.

“Are you charging my client with something?” Alex asked.

“No.”

“So, she’s free to go, then?”

“Yes, in a manner of—”

“Come on, Reece, let’s go.”

“Am I able to go home, or is it still sealed?”

“It’s sealed. Will be for a couple days or more. We are being told to document everything.”

“Can I get some clothes?” I was trying not to get frustrated so I reminded myself that I was the one that wanted to do the whole sting operation thing at my home in the first place.

Shockingly, taking responsibility for my idiocy did not make me feel better. More fool me to set up the sting at my house. You’d think I’d have known better. How many times had I seen some poor soul’s home or place of business tied up during an investigation? Too many for me to have completely forgot about.

That said, I had been more concerned with catching a killer than I was thinking about the consequences. Oh, well, live and learn. I would never again allow a sting at my house. Hopefully, I’d never need to.

“Yes, we will have an agent let you in and escort you to collect some personal items. You should know we had to take several things as evidence. They will be released when our investigation is concluded,” Blue Suit said, his face devoid of any humor.

“I didn’t even shoot the guy!” I was getting pissed, they were treating me as if I had set the serial killer up to be killed.

It was insanity. I was done being questioned like this. I’d given a lot of my life over to the Bureau and I didn’t need this crap. I love and adore my job, but people thinking I could do something as shady and underhanded as setting someone up to die hurt me on a level I didn’t know I had. Of course, my job is my life and for them to be casting dispersions on me made me feel as though everything I worked so hard for was pointless.

“The evidence will tell us the facts of the case and that’s what we will follow.”

I felt oddly relieved at that.