Reaper's Salvation: A Last Riders Trilogy by Jamie Begley (reading e books .txt) 📕

glance with her, then Gavin, as if dreading what he was about to tell her. “The polygraph machine wasn’t on, which had one listening device attached when it was in use. His men took the another one I had attached to my badge,” he admitted, switching his gaze back to her, as if afraid she was going to freak out at him.

“We have the video from behind the lobby desk,” Gavin asserted, “which had no sound. And now we know that the recorder on the polygraph and the one you had weren’t working, the only indictment you’re going to be able to charge him with is assault, with no audio to back you up.” Gavin started to rise again, but Ginny grabbed the arm rest to prevent him.

“That’s okay,” Ginny assured him. “Mine was on.”

“You had a tape recorder?” Gavin quizzed her.

Both men gave her an astounded look.

“I do.” Ginny started to raise her arm. “My bracelet …” As the words came out of her mouth, she remembered Allerton jerking it off her wrist. “We have to go back! Train!” Ginny screeched, about to tear herself out of Gavin’s arms, regardless of the amount of pain she caused herself.

Gavin tightened his arms around her waist. “Hell will freeze over before we go back there!”

“I have to get my bracelet ….” Her mouth dropped open when she saw what was dangling from Gavin’s fingers. Snatching it from him, she inspected the damage. Finding what she was looking for, she gave him a bright smile. “Have I told you today how much I love you?”

“A couple of times.”

“Right. Just making sure.” Content, she took another sip of her Sprite. “Are there any crackers left?”

“No, you ate both packs.”

“Do you think there are any more where Mr. Beck got them from? I’m hungry.”

If Gavin and Agent Collins were looking at her like she had a screw loose, Ginny was glad her back was turned away from the rest of the men on the plane.

“I’m on it,” Ginny heard Mr. Beck call out.

“Thank-you,” she called back, feeling a hand on the back of her head. “What are you doing?”

“Checking you for a concussion. Did Allerton hit you on the head with that cane? You might need to get a CT scan when we get to Treepoint.”

“I don’t need a CT scan. You’re being ridiculous.”

“One second you’re screaming to go back to Sherguevil Island and the next, you’re wanting crackers. You don’t think that sounds strange?” Gavin tried to search for bumps on her head again.

“That was before you showed me you had my bracelet. We don’t have to go back now.”

“Here you go.” Desmond Beck moved in front of their seat to give her a handful of pre-packaged crackers.

Ginny smiled her appreciation as she fumbled with the soda can to open a pack of crackers. She almost jumped out of her seat when she felt a stinging sensation on the back of her head.

“Did you just pull my hair?”

“Of course not. My ring must have accidently been caught in it.” Gavin gave her an innocent expression that she didn’t believe for a second.

“That hurt.”

“Did it? I’m sorry.”

Ginny let Gavin take the crackers away, giving him a disbelieving glance as she did so.

“Thank-you, Mr. Beck.”

“No problem. Glad to help.”

Ginny returned Mr. Beck’s smile as he started back down the aisle, only to feel the tug on her hair again.

“You did that deliberately,” she hissed irritably at Gavin.

“It was an accident.” Gavin dropped the crackers on her lap, leaving one in his hand to open for her as he took the can of soda.

“Accident, my ass,” she said witheringly, opening the pack of crackers and starting to munch on one to keep from bickering with him where everyone on the plane could hear.

“You were going to tell us why you changed your mind about going back to Sherguevil Island. I assume it has something to do with you getting Allerton’s confession?”

“Oh …” Ginny frowned at him, swallowing the last of her cracker. “I forgot what we were talking about when you so rudely pulled my hair.”

“Really? I thought you lost that train of the conversation when you were simpering over”—Gavin’s voice went sickly sweet—“Mr. Beck.”

She narrowed her eyes on him. “So, you admit it wasn’t an accident?”

“Ginny …,” he said warningly.

“Okay, okay. We don’t have to go back because you have my bracelet.” She moved her eyes to her lap to where it laid among the crackers and picked it up. Using her fingers, she showed him the flower charm. “It’s a tape recorder. Isn’t it neat? I bought it online. I recorded every conservation with him including today in his office.”

“Why didn’t you tell me you had it on you?”

Ginny thought he would be happy instead, but he seemed offended.

Hammer lifted the corner of his ice pack. “Why didn’t you tell me either?”

“I’d like to hear the answer to that question myself,” Gavin added his own two cents in the mix.

Ginny gave a long, drawn-out sigh. Men could be such dudes sometimes.

“I didn’t tell either of you for the same reason I didn’t tell Gavin about the tape recorder or how Agent Collins and I were trying to gather proof to convict Allerton—to protect you all.”

The relief on Agent Collins’ face was profound. Ginny started to smile at him, then decided she didn’t want to go bald.

“I’ll take that.” Agent Collins reached out to take it from her.

Ginny clutched it in her fist before he could. “You can have it after Gavin makes a copy of it for me.”

“We can’t break the chain of custody.”

“We can go to the sheriff’s office. Knox can make enough copies to make everyone happy,” Gavin suggested.

“I’m okay with that,” Ginny acceded.

Agent Collins looked at if his feelings were hurt. “You don’t trust me?”

“I trust you. I just don’t trust that it won’t disappear before Allerton goes to court. It shouldn’t take long, should it, Gavin?”

“No. Knox will have them on their way before they can finish a cup of