“Ummm, thanks for telling me now, I guess. What does this mean for me?”
“It means that you have an explanation for some of the strange things that are happening around you. I know Luke wanted you to know sooner, and now that the people we were looking into know Luke was working with the FBI, I don’t think it could hurt that much to let you in. Obviously we don’t want all of your friends knowing about all this, but Luke thinks we can trust your discretion.”
“Luke said that?”
“Well, I wouldn’t be talking to you if I didn’t believe it too.”
“That’s good to know. Here I thought Luke was copying me by running off to the Hamptons for the weekend with you.”
Evelyn frowned. “Wait, you knew where we were?”
“I had a Skype meeting with Luke. He didn’t say where he was working from, but he’s lent me that house for the weekend before. I recognized the room he was in.”
So if Cali was able to recognize it, anyone he had a Skype meeting with might know. “Can you give me a list of all the people Luke had a video meeting with over the past three days?”
Cali glanced down at her watch. “Sure. I’m meeting Easson for lunch in a few minutes. Should I cancel?”
Evelyn’s mouth dropped and she blinked a few times, trying to figure out whether she was imagining things. “I’m sorry, your boyfriend?”
“I do have a boyfriend. Is that so hard to believe?”
“No. Totally believable. I must’ve run your file before you and him were together, so I wasn’t expecting it.”
“Luke probably didn’t mention it either. He kind of thinks of me like a sister, so he likes to pretend I don’t date.”
Evelyn nodded. “So you go have lunch with Easson and get back to me about those meetings when you get back.”
“Will do.” Cali stood.
“But don’t tell him about this,” warned Evelyn.
Cali frowned but didn’t protest. “I’ll see you in an hour or so.”
“Have a nice lunch.” As soon as she was gone, Evelyn pulled out her phone and dialed Hotchins. He answered on the second ring. “Hey, I need someone here as soon as possible. The assistant, Cali, is meeting with her boyfriend for lunch—his name is Easson.”
“That’s the name you pulled off the phone, right?”
“Yes. And it’s a unique enough name that I’m thinking it’s more than coincidence.”
“I’ll work on getting a tail there.”
“Thanks. I’ll keep an eye on her and let you know what time she heads downstairs. I doubt he’d come up here.”
“Good work, Price.” Hotchins hung up.
Now Evelyn needed to let Luke know a plausible reason for why she was hanging out around Cali’s desk for the next fifteen minutes. The conference room had windows with a view of the hallway. If she stood and pretended she was on the phone, she’d be perfect.
Evelyn quickly made her way back to Luke’s office and poked her head in.
He looked up immediately. “Done running away?”
Evelyn squared her jaw, forcing herself not to explain that she wasn’t running away, even if that was probably exactly what she did. “I wanted to let you know that I have a few phone calls to make. I’m going to borrow the conference room next door. Make sure you don’t go anywhere without me.”
She left before he could respond, not sure she could handle another strangely accurate crack about her running away. Once she was back in the conference room, she took out the phone and pretended to have a conversation while subtly glancing out to Cali’s desk to verify where she was.
After about ten minutes, Cali started to pack up her stuff and Evelyn dialed Hotchins to let him know she was on the move. Once Cali was on the elevator, Evelyn hung up. Cali knew Evelyn too well for Evelyn to tail her any further without being noticed.
One more thing out of her hands. So she’d do the one thing she could. Watch Luke and make sure he didn’t die.
CHAPTER TWENTY
“I have some news,” said the man over the phone.
Luke stood and pushed his carton of shrimp fried rice farther on the kitchen island as he headed for the balcony. “I have to take this,” he mouthed to Evelyn before he escaped to the terrace. The wind up here was loud, but he held the phone closer. He wasn’t going to take this call anywhere Evelyn could overhear.
“Colin?” he asked once he was alone.
“Jace said that you needed some assistance in the city. I owe him a few favors.”
Luke noticed he didn’t confirm his name, but he didn’t care who it was if they had something that could help him. “What do you have?”