For All to See (Bureau Series Book 1) Read Online Free PDF Page B

just a few short minutes before you arrived.” He raised a palm to her, and then swung it toward the man at the wall. “Madelyn Garrett. This is Special Agent Nathan Brewer with the FBI.”
    “The FBI?” The shock translated into stilted syllables.
    Nichole had hardly been missing for a day. Why was the FBI involved and why was the agent staring at her? He didn’t smile like his counterpart. Did she have something on her face or did the mere sight of her piss him off?
    Finally, his lips parted. “Mrs. Garrett,” he said in the deepest, sexiest voice her ears had ever had the pleasure of absorbing. Her heart stopped beating. She wanted to clutch her chest to restart it. Upon further thought, she wanted to slap herself for being so senseless. He’d said two words. And he was a man. Just a man. And men lied. They cheated. They decimated futures.
    “It’s Ms. Garrett,” she blurted. Trying to recover, she added, “You can call me Madelyn.”
    Before Chief could continue with his introductions, the second suit stood and snagged her hand. This guy gave everything away in a dashing smile, arched brow, and an overbearing lean. “Ms. Garrett, I am Special Agent Richard Kepler. Please don’t be alarmed by our presence. We’re here to help.”
    She shook his hand quickly, and then withdrew from his touch. He stepped closer and placed his hand on the small of her back, damn near her butt. In fact, his fingers brushed the band of her thong. “Please, have a seat,” he nudged.
    Madelyn glared at his hand. “Agent Kepler, I am perfectly capable of finding my own seat. You didn’t have to show me where it was. It’s attached to my body. Has been for years.”
    “Yes, ma’am.” The agent’s hand went up as though her ass had burned him. If only that were her super-power.
    A single deep chuckle warmed the room. By the time she moved the chair nearest the door a few more inches from Agent Kepler and sat all the men’s faces were masks of concern or impassivity. She placed her purse on her lap and crossed her legs at the ankle.
    “Why is the FBI involved? My friend has only been missing for a few hours. Is Jim involved in other crimes?” Madelyn asked.
    “They’re here to audit this interview.” Chief glowered at each man in turn. “That means I ask the questions and you listen.” Neither man spoke. “They’ll question you later, if they choose.”
    The bear of a man swung his gaze back to her. “I entered Nichole’s missing person’s report into the system immediately. She’s a woman of routine. She’d never abandon her students or husband. We know that. So, I didn’t wait the mandatory seventy-two hours. The report apparently flagged due to similarities in an investigation. It’s nothing for you to worry about, Maddy.”
    Chief sat and rested his forearms on his desk. On either side, stacks of files cluttered his workspace. A furrow creased his tanned forehead. “What crimes are Jim involved in that you know about?”
    Madelyn fiddled with the tan leather strap on her bag. She’d promised Nichole she wouldn’t say anything about her and Jim’s relationship ‘troubles,’ as she liked to mildly refer to them. But she wasn’t here, there, or anywhere, which suspended all pinkie promises.
    “Domestic abuse,” she said.
    Chief’s round shoulders straightened and he threaded his fingers. “Now, I’ve known Jim to hit the bottle pretty hard, but I’ve never seen bruises on Nichole. The times I’ve been called to the house their matches were verbal, not violent.”
    “It only happened once…that I know about. She made me promise not to tell anyone. But it was bad. She called me crying in the middle of the night. Before she said anything a loud crash disconnected the line. I got dressed and headed straight there. He’d beaten her so badly both her eyes were swollen shut.”
    “Why didn’t you report it?” Chief demanded.
    “I was selfish,” she admitted. “I wanted to keep my friend instead