Page 107

He assumed that meant she was being held hostage, and his skin chilled with trepidation.

“You’ll scare our new baby.”

He frowned.What was she trying to tell him cryptically?

“Yes, Pierre is here.”

Andy ground his teeth.

“He’s unarmed. Just walk quietly into the house. I’ve got his taped interview. I don’t want you to frighten the kitten he gave to us.”

Three police cars raced up the drive and parked.

Andy couldn’t believe Pierre was unarmed or that he had finally confessed to his role in all this. He motioned to the other officers to draw close.

“I mean it, Andy. Don’t scare the kitten. It could traumatize her forever. Pierre has been an informant for the DEA. Just quietly come in the door, frisk him, but don’t scare Snowflake.”

Now this case had to be one for the books. Why the hell was Pierre giving her a kitten? Did he still have an interest in dating her? Andy would let him know he had no chance of that in no uncertain terms.

With his gun in hand, Andy opened the door slowly.

Monica was curled up on the recliner, a tiny fuzzy kitten sleeping on a pink blanket on her lap. She smiled broadly. “Our case is solved.”

Pierre was sitting on a chair opposite her, his forehead black and blue and cut from where Denny had pistol-whipped him.

Andy still couldn’t believe Pierre was one of the good guys. “I need you to stand up so I can check to see if you have any weapons.”

Roger and the other officers joined him and watched over the situation. He asked Roger if he could tell his family that they had the situation under control and they could leave.

That’s when Andy saw the cat climbing tree, a pink princess bed, and pink food and water dishes covered in white snowflakes in the kitchen.What the hell?

Why hadn’t Andy thought of doing something so sweet for her?

He made his own recording to check for discrepancies in Pierre’s story and questioned him again.

After Andy had asked Pierre most of the same questions, a new agent arrived, and Monica said, “Elio!”

Who the hell was Elio?

“He’s my former partner in the FBI,” Monica discreetly said to Andy, without giving more details.

The agent who had shot her? Hell, Andy was ready to deck him.

Elio clarified the situation with Pierre, saying he was furious when he got Monica involved. But Andy still couldn’t forgive the agent for accidentally shooting Monica, even if it meant saving her life. Andy would have done better.

After everything had been cleared up, Monica gave her boss an update and an apologetic two weeks' notice so she could leave the FBI. This surprised everyone in the house except Roger. He smiled in an all-knowing way.

Everyone finally began to leave.

“Thanks for the kitten as an apology.” Monica squeezed Pierre’s hand on the way out.

He smiled at her. “It was the least I could do.” He glanced at Andy, who frowned at him, and said, “You are the luckiest man alive.”

Then Andy smiled, feeling a little big-headed in truth. “I truly am. Thanks for coming clean with us.”

“You caught all the bad guys. Elio said it was time to tell you what had happened and clear the air.”

“And the kitten?” Andy wasn’t happy that he had given Monica all the gifts.