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The men laughed again. Laura Lee joined them and the embarrassment she felt dissipated. Jimmy was right. They were her team, those she spent the most time with over the last year. That made them her family. And she no longer wanted to keep secrets from this family.
After they returned to the hotel, she messaged Brad to see if he could talk. He needed to know that the news of their relationship was out. “I truly blame BT and Garcia,” she said.
Dupont laughed. “It’s okay. I don’t mind if everyone knows. And really, there is no way to keep it quiet. I mean, look at what we do for a living. We figure things out.”
“I just didn’t want you to think I was telling everyone our business.”
Dupont laughed again. “Really, you, the queen of keeping secrets? I’d never think that.”
“I’m not the queen of secrets any longer. They’re all out now,” she said.
“Yes, and isn’t that freeing?”
“It is,” she agreed. “I really feel more at peace now than I have in, well, maybe forever.”
“I’m glad to hear that. You sound like you’re in a really good place.”
“I am, and I have you to thank for that.”
“Nah, you did it all on your own,” he said.
“With your support. I couldn’t have done it without you, Brad.”
“I’m glad I could help, even the little I did. I talked with Lassiter about us,” he confessed. “I was worried about starting a relationship with you while you were in a bad place, was worried it would doom it from the start. I guess that fear was unfounded.”
That warm feeling filled her, and her lips curved into a smile. “I think as long as we communicate openly, we’ll be fine. I promise you I’ll talk to you and tell you my fears and feelings. I won’t keep any secrets from you.”
“I didn’t think you would. I really am looking forward to you staying at my place tomorrow night.”
“Me too,” she said. “Brad, I have to tell you, I haven’t had a relationship since college. I haven’t been with anyone since I was assaulted.”
“I suspected that,” he said. “I’m good with it if we have to take it slow. Whatever feels right to you. No pressure. I’m just looking forward to holding you and falling asleep again with you beside me.”
“I want to be with you, Brad. I want a real relationship with you.”
“Me too. You can trust me, Laura. I’ll never do anything that would hurt you. That’s something I can promise.”
“And I believe you. I wish we were together right now.”
“Oh, man, me too,” he moaned. “Tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow,” she repeated.
Dupont had to get back to work. He hated he had to disconnect the call, but he did. He’d already arranged his schedule so that he had Sunday off work. He’d confided in Smith about his relationship with her earlier that evening, in order to switch a few shifts so he could spend more time with her. He also already knew that she’d be assigned to HQ for at least a week. Smith gladly took the night shifts so he could work days in order to spend the nights with Laura.
He’d tell her when they were together that both Smith and Yvette now knew about their relationship.
Uniform
The flight back to Chicago was quiet. The team used the time to comb through the devices they’d confiscated from the house where Jin Ma lived. Garcia unlocked four of the iPhones and five of the laptop computers. Each person took a device and catalogued the information found on each, phone numbers, emails, text messages, documents. The young men from that house were still in FBI custody.
Laura Lee had a laptop that belonged to one of the men, Xi Laing. He went by Alex in the U.S. she discovered as he had many homework assignments saved to the computer that identified him by that name. He was a finance major. He had also served in the Chinese military. And she discovered he was gay. Not only was there gay porn on his computer, there were pictures of him and an American man who also attended the university, as well as emails the two exchanged proclaiming their love for each other and a desire for a future together.
This was good information for the FBI to have. She recorded it in her log. She wondered for a moment if he was looking to break free from his past. If he was part of the Chinese mafia, was it by choice? Her thoughts drifted to Zelda Dobson and Jessica Lansing. Neither of those women did what they did by choice. They were blackmailed and threatened.
She wondered what Jessica Lansing had done after their visit to her in the parking garage of her apartment building that caused Harrison West to have her killed, but make it look like a suicide. And who had actually done the deed? It hadn’t been Harrison. He’d been under surveillance, as had Liu. Had it been Geiger or Jin Ma?
By the time they landed at Chicago Executive, Laura Lee had finished her initial examination of Xi Laing’s computer. She had a good feel for who this young man was. She hoped he’d get his shot at the American dream. In his many writings, he’d expressed his desire to live free and love whomever he wanted to. He just wanted peace.