It Had to Be Him(86)
As the pastor droned on, Josh checked the location of all the exits. Two on the sides, one in front, off to the side of the pulpit, and the large bank of doors at the rear. They’d probably come in one from the rear, another from the side.
After what seemed an eternity, the pastor appeared to be wrapping things up. Josh reached for his phone to check the time. Meg snatched it from his hand and slipped it into her purse before sending him a quick elbow jab to the ribs.
Right. Probably not polite to check phones during church. But he was just checking the time. He tapped a finger on top of his wrist. Meg tilted her chin, indicating a big clock that hung on the wall high above them. It had been just over an hour. Maybe they’d make it out before the warrant came, yet.
The final hymn had just ended when Evans entered through the back doors and Watts through the side exit behind Josh.
Evans called out, “FBI. Everyone please take a seat.”
Josh glanced at the mayor to gauge his reaction. Genuine confusion, not fear of arrest, knit his brow as Anderson remained standing and said, “What’s going on here?”
Ryan, the only other one still standing too, said, “Dad, sit down.” Then he called out, “Sheriff Anderson. How can I help you?”
Evans said, “Sheriff, we appreciate your cooperation. If everyone will just please remain quiet and in their seats.” Heads swiveled from the front of the church to the back again, as if watching a tennis match. Waiting for Ryan’s response.
Instead Watts spoke and everyone turned to the side. “We’re here to take two people in for questioning. We need the mayor and Mrs.—”
Gasps rang out as Ryan held up his hand and cut him off. “No one is going anywhere without a warrant.”
“It’s all here.” When Evans held up the papers, Ryan walked down the aisle to inspect them. People quietly mumbled among themselves, speculating. Many commented that the last two days had been the most interesting in years when a loud commotion broke out on the other side of the church.
Mrs. Duncan, the mayor’s secretary, bolted from her seat and ran toward the pulpit. Watts was too far back to catch her, so Evans yelled from the rear, “Sam! Go!”
Options flashed through Josh’s head. Meg would find out the truth before he had a chance to explain if he went after Mrs. Duncan. But his sense of justice was too ingrained to let the woman get away. He took off after her.
Blowing his cover.
Chaos broke out in the church around Meg. What the hell was going on? Why had that woman called Josh “Sam”?
Meg turned in time to see the male agent follow Josh out the door, both chasing Dragon Breath. Why would she be running from the FBI? When Meg turned around again, the female agent was reading Dad his rights and handcuffing him, all while Ryan stood by, rubbing the back of his neck and studying the warrant she’d handed him.
Meg passed Haley off to Grandma and said to Eric, “Stay with my grandmother, please.” Then she hopped up to see why her dad was being arrested.
“Ryan, what’s going on?”
The crowd noise had become deafening, so she had to lean close to hear him say, “They found evidence on computers in Dad’s office of an illegal gaming scam, money laundering, and wire fraud, among other things.”
“What? Dad doesn’t even know how to use a spreadsheet. That makes no sense.”
Josh and the agent returned with Mrs. Duncan in handcuffs. She was spitting mad and yelling about her rights being violated.
Ryan said, “Nope. But what makes perfect sense to me now is that Josh is obviously an undercover agent. And his name is Sam.”
The air whooshed from Meg’s lungs as it all began to sink in.
Meg made her way through the people milling around and squeezed next to Josh. “What’s going on? And why did she call you Sam?”
The female agent holding her dad’s arm said, “Because that’s his name.”
Josh shook his head. “No, Josh Granger is my name. Sam Coulter is an alias. Watts will confirm.”
The woman’s eyes narrowed. “After all those years together, you never even told me your real name?”
Meg turned to Josh. “Who is this?”
The agent tugged on Dad’s arm and said, “I’m the one before you, honey. Good luck.”
Meg’s head spun with confusion as the agents dragged her father and Mrs. Duncan through the back doors. Josh took her arm and led her outside. When the metal door slapped closed behind them, she ripped her arm from his grasp and threw her hands on her hips. “Explain. Now!”
“Meg, please—”
Josh tried to touch her, but she evaded.
He held up his hands, palms out in a gesture of peace, but Meg was far from feeling serene. Blood pounded in her ears. That son of a bitch had been lying to her. The one thing she asked him never to do.