A circuit around the small office proved Kane none the wiser. “Shit.”
Kane returned to the room, to clean up for the next agent who needed the space. When he got back, he found Willow sitting and sipping water. The coat rack had been removed.
With a sigh of annoyance, he shut the door behind him. “You took off.”
“I had to do something,” she said calmly.
“I had a female agent check the bathroom. You weren’t there.”
“I didn’t say I had to go to the bathroom. I said, I had to do something.”
“And the coat tree? What was that about?” he asked, dropping into the opposite chair. He leaned back, tucking his chin as he eyed her.
“What coat tree?” She blinked at him as though she were trying not to upset the crazy man.
“The—never mind.”
“Agent Wilcox, I don’t know what this delay tactic is for. I mean, I’m not an FBI agent who would have studied up on trying to confuse a possible ally and its benefits, but I have somewhere I need to be.”
Kane fought the urge to grind his teeth. “I’m sorry. Let’s begin.”
“Can we make this quick? I’m not feeling quite myself today.”
“I’ll do what I can.”
Kane plopped the case file on the table between them. He opened it and flipped to a blank page already hole-punched and added. It was one of his quirks to have plain paper in a file like that, even though it wasn’t the norm. Depressing the top of the ballpoint pen, it clicked dutifully and he scrawled the date, time, and Willow’s name on the empty page.
He clicked it closed again and laid it on the file, choosing to lean back in the chair in a demonstration that he had all day to wait for her cooperation if she chose not to give it right away.
“Wow. You really have your whole shtick down, don’t you?” she murmured.
She leaned across the table, her berry-shaded lips twisted in sarcasm. She picked up his pen, clicked the ballpoint down, then retracted it, before putting it back where he’d left it. She mirrored his position in the chair and cocked an eyebrow.
“Sage does that sometimes too. Not with the same FBI-institutional flare. He likes to finish with a menacing frown to show his displeasure.”
The corner of his lips quirked. “Does it work?”
“Usually. Like he’s a mind reader,” she said smiling. Her eyes glittered with humor. “Can we move this interview along, Agent Wilcox?”
Her eyes flicked over his shoulder, through the glass windows and immediately, she relaxed. She smiled and though he couldn’t put his finger on what changed, she’d somehow become more present. Kane turned to see what she’d looked at. Bruce, her partner, strode toward them.
“This is a closed interview, Ms. Harper,” he told her, turning around to face her again.
“He’s working the case with me. You really should get his input.”
“Separately, yes.”
“Are you afraid we’re going to lie to you? If you need our help, we’ll help, so long as you don’t get involved and mess up the job.”
The door behind him opened.
“Take a seat outside, Mr.—what is your last name anyway? And why isn’t it listed on any document I can find?” That had been another lingering question. A guy without a full name smacked of subterfuge. Did the Harpers know this guy’s past? Kane had yet to produce so much as a social security card or an address on the guy. Bruce abounded with mystery.
“Just Bruce. You doing all right, Will?” Bruce asked.
“She’s fine,” Kane snapped. “Step outside.”
“I’m fine,” she agreed. It wasn’t until Willow acknowledged it that Kane heard the answering click from the door behind him, leaving them alone again.
“Ms. Harper, how deep are you in with Austyn Felix?”
“Before I answer any questions, I need to know why the information collected by a private company is of any concern to you.”
“Are you trying to thwart a governmental investigation?” he pressed.
“Are you trying to be cryptic and difficult? If working together is what you really want, then I think a level of honesty will be required by both parties. Don’t you?”
Willow was too close to the table for him to see her cross her legs, but the shift and settle of her body gave away her changed position. He remembered what that looked like on her, and it was enough to distract him. And damn if that didn’t transfer the power he’d been cultivating, squarely onto her feminine shoulders.
Kane pinched the bridge of his nose, talking himself back into the role of interviewer. “We’ll get to that point. Assuming you can humor me for a few minutes.”
Willow seemed to relent. “I’m in. I made contact with her three months ago on campus. We hit it off right away, thanks to some stellar background research.”
“Has she invited you back to the mansion?”
“Every week. Sometimes I stay over the weekend.”
Kane frowned. They’d been tailing Austyn only briefly. The agency had needed a new angle since they hadn’t found a chink in Dr. Felix’s armor yet. Once Kane had discovered that Harper Security was somehow involved, it had given him the idea on a way to break the case. He hoped.
But he hadn’t remembered seeing Willow exit the mansion more than a handful of times since they’d been documenting the comings and goings of Mr. Felix’s daughter and her guests.
“You don’t seem pleased,” Willow noted.
He studied her. She seemed genuine enough, and he sensed that he’d get a lot further if he just told her the problem and asked for her help.
Kane closed the file. “More with myself than from what you’ve told me. We’ve been surveying the Felix residence for several months now and while we have records of the people coming and going, I personally only know of a few instances where you left the property. It sounds like we missed several other times.”
Her eyes darted off to the side. She was concealing something.
“I’m starting to doubt my powers of observation.” He smiled self-depreciatingly. “Do you know, I thought you were parked under an apple tree, but when I looked up, the tree was gone.”
Willow smiled uncomfortably. “That’s just crazy.”
He laughed and shook his head. “It is. I used to be able to close my eyes and give every detail of a room with only five seconds to view it.”
“Maybe it’s too many long hours?” she offered. Though she’d lifted her eyes to his, they quickly dropped away again.
“So, I know why
I’m
on the case. Why is Harper involved?”
“Nice segue.”
“It’s a gift.”
Willow cracked her first real smile. Wide and sweet with a small dimple appearing high in her cheek, it shot straight to his gut like a sucker punch. She really ought to have a license for that thing.
“We were hired by an outside source,” she explained.
“Why? Remember Uncle Sam is asking.”
“I know you’re legit, Agent Wilcox. You don’t need to convince me.”
“Excellent.” He smiled widely.
Willow pushed her hair out of her face and leaned in earnestly. “Harper was hired by an art insurer. They believe there’s a pattern between Dr. Felix and missing artifacts as they travel from the field to the museum.”
Kane nodded. “We’ve noticed the same thing. However he’s doing it, he’s very good.”
Willow licked her lips, as though she were preparing to say something else. Kane’s gaze traveled with the tip of her pink tongue, along the seam of her full lower lip. He had the stomach diving urge to lean across the table and catch that bottom lip between his teeth to see if it was even half as pliant as it looked.
She must have noticed, because eyes sparkled with amusement. “Why did you pull
me
in for questioning, and not Bruce?” Her words were low and playful.
Shit. She was flirting with him. Goddamn it, he’d let his guard slip.
“You’ve had closer contact with the family than Bruce. Since we’re being honest, Bruce doesn’t seem to do much more than hang out in your car and follow you everywhere.”
Her smile faltered. “He’s invaluable.”
“Quite possibly, but not to my investigation.”
“I don’t work without him,” she countered folding her arms across her chest.
“Well, that’s not true, is it? I’ve seen you coming out of class without him tagging along.”
Willow harrumphed.
“You’re close enough to Austyn to wander the family home without her?” he asked.
“Yes. What is it you’re asking me to do?”
“Look for missing artifacts. I have a file of the ones which never arrived at the museums. I want you to go searching for them. When you find them, you’ll take a picture with a small camera we’ll give you.”
“Oh, is that all?”
“No. You’ll also wear a wire. Try to get yourself invited to dinner. Dr. Felix is a single man. Maybe come on to him a little. Get him to open up and brag to you about the thefts.”
“Seriously? You think he’s just going to spill his guts to a virtual stranger?”
“A pretty face can make a lonely man talk,” Kane said.
“If it were that easy, this case would be over and written up already. Besides, it’s not that simple, and you know it. Finds in the field are documented and photographed, they’re also input into computers, which makes theft a lot harder, but not impossible. How do you know you have a complete file of missing artifacts?”
“We don’t. Catch him on the few, and we’ll have a case. Catch him confessing, and it’s in the bag.”
Willow harrumphed. “I’ve got an idea. Why don’t
you
go in, seduce Austyn, marry her, and get your new daddy to confess as a wedding gift? Or, better yet. Why don’t you just jump to the point, seduce lonely Dr. Felix, and have pillow talk confessions? He can tell you he’s a dirty, dirty thief, and you can tell him you’re a naughty, naughty, FBI agent.”
Kane tried not to smile.
“Hey,” she continued. “You said he’s lonely. Maybe he’s not picky about who eases that loneliness.”
Willow stood abruptly. Her chair pushed out roughly behind her.
Kane stood too. “We’re not done with this interview, Ms. Harper.”
“Oh, yes we are, Agent Wilcox. I’m not seducing anyone. Not for Harper and not for Uncle Sam.”
“You didn’t seem opposed to flirting with
me
. That’s all I’m asking you to do with Dr. Felix.”
Willow’s eyes widened and her sweet little mouth popped open. “
Excuse me
?” Her bright green irises flashed with irritation.
“Which part?” He asked calmly.
“I was
not
flirting with you.”
“Yeah, you were, and if I were ten years younger, it would have been effective.”
“I wasn’t—wait, it would have?”
Kane cocked an eyebrow, charmed and flattered by her surprise.
“Why ten years younger? Do you have a girlfriend?”
He found himself chuckling. Kane ran a hand through his hair, “No, Ms. Harper. No girlfriend. Just too old for games.”
She gave him a funny look, her head tilting to one side. Suddenly she shook her head as though to clear the confusion. “Okay, I’m going to let that drop for now. I’m going to help you, because you’re government and the Harpers aren’t interested in standing in the way of justice. But I’m also not going to jeopardize my case. You’ll have to talk to Sage or Dill if you want information on our client.”
“I understand your reluctance, and I appreciate your honesty. I’ll call Harper Security and arrange the equipment you’ll need to use. I will be expecting notes on your progress as you gain information.”
“Are you going to be sharing information with us?” she asked pointedly.
Kane tucked his chin. “That’s not how it works.”
“No, of course not. Mutual cooperation and information sharing is mutually one-sided.”
Kane smiled. “You’re getting the picture.”
Willow sighed with disgust, yanked her purse off the table, and headed for the door. She paused with her hand on the knob, but didn’t turn around. “Are we finished
now
, Agent Wilcox?”
“For the moment.”
She hauled the door open harder than necessary and walked out. Bruce jumped to his feet and followed her to the elevator banks where Kane lost sight of her.
“Goddamn, that’s one great looking lady,” he murmured to himself.
Chapter Two
Willow vibrated with annoyance as she stormed into the Harper Security offices.
“God, you’re sexy when you’re pissed,” Bruce announced.
“I’m not pissed.”
“You’re totally pissed.” Bruce grabbed her hips and pulled her ass against his rigid arousal.
“Pig,” she snapped, but she didn’t pull away. Bruce made her skin sizzle with awareness. Rather like Agent Wilcox made her want to shuck her panties and ride him like a shameless hussy. And that’s what really pissed her off. The rest was business. She could handle business. What she couldn’t handle, or make sense of, was the way Wilcox heated her blood with a single long look.