Forever Hers Walters, Ednah (best novels for teenagers .TXT) 📖

“I am Amy Kincaid and I can prove it.”

“IDs can be forged. And that hair isn’t yours either. I can spot a wig a mile away. I’ll ask again and you’d better give me a straight answer or your sweet ass is mine. You do not want to know what I can do to pretty lil thing like you.”

The way she held the gun and the alert look in her intelligent eyes was a dead giveaway.

“You’re a cop,” Amy whispered.

The woman’s eyes narrowed menacingly, but Amy didn’t cower. Then the woman pulled something from under her bra. It was an FBI badge.

“No, I’m the freaking FBI and you’re interfering with my investigation. So unless you start telling me who you are and why you are pretending to be Amy Kin…”

Amy laughed. She laughed so hard she doubled over. “FBI? I thought I was coming in here to rescue you…and save you from the big bad Nolan when…” Laughter overcame her again. The FBI agent stared at her as though she had gone nuts, which was probably how she appeared. Amy braced herself against the counter and tried to control herself. “I’m sorry. We thought you were Nolan’s girlfriend and you looked so happy in there and all I kept thinking was poor woman, I have to save her…and…you looked like me and Penelope and…” Amy sighed. “I’m not making any sense, am I?”

“No. Show me your ID.” The gun didn’t waver.

Amy removed the picture she’d folded of Penelope and placed it by the sink. “That’s Penelope—”

“Digger, Reither’s first victim.”

Amy stopped. “Are you saying—?”

“The ID,” the agent interrupted.

Amy pulled out her two driver’s licenses and spread them on the counter. She pointed at her old one. “I used this one before I decided to disappear four months ago.” She pointed at the second one. “This is the fake one I’ve been using since.” Amy removed the wig and shook her shorter mane then pointed at the roots. “See? Lighter hair just like the wig. I dyed it for my new identity.”

The gun stayed leveled at her. “Where’s your son?”

Amy sighed. “I do not have a son. I have a daughter. Raelynn. But if you think I’m going to tell you where she is, you’re off your rocker. You could be working with Nolan for all I know.”

The agent gave her a mean smile then reached under her dress, where a black thigh strap was visible, and holstered her gun. “Okay, let’s say I believe you. What are you doing here?”

“We flew in tonight to take Nolan down. I got tired of running and hiding.”

The agent studied Amy intently as though checking for signs of lying. “When you disappeared months ago, we thought he killed you too. That’s what prompted me to go undercover. We couldn’t prove he killed Penelope, but when you disappeared after a string of burglaries, we had to reopen her case, which led us to your deceased fiancé. It was too much to be a coincidence.”

“He tried to off me, but his partner turned against him and decided to help us.”

“Partner?”

“Jeremy Blackwell, but you already know that.”

She scratched her forehead. “Yes. We want him too. The Goth girl is with you?”

Amy nodded.

“And the two men outside?”

“Yes.”

The agent removed a small notepad from her purse, scribbled something, ripped the page and handed it to Amy. “That’s my hotel. Be there at ten with your friends. Now get out of here before you get in more trouble than you already are in. You should not be meddling in police business. Do not go back to the restaurant,” she added after Amy shoved the paper and her IDs in her purse. “Trent might have appeared friendly back in there, but he was only doing his job.”

Amy opened then closed her mouth without saying a word. She grabbed Penelope’s picture and headed for the door. Just before she opened it, she glanced back at the agent. “What’s your name?”

“Ross.”

“Well, Agent Ross, if you had done your job and put Nolan away after he killed Penelope, my fiancé would still be alive. If you knew what I’ve gone through, you wouldn’t be telling me what I should or should not do. My friends have done your job and found the evidence that could put Nolan away for good, so when we meet with you later tonight, I would appreciate it if you don’t talk to them in the same condescending voice you’ve used with me.” Amy yanked the door open and stepped outside.

The restaurant employee she’d seen leaving the restroom when she arrived stood outside by Hailey. From their close proximity, the woman was an agent and she was probably holding a gun to Hailey. On the door was an OUT OF SERVICE sign. Amy grabbed the sign and shoved it at the agent.

“Excuse us. Come on, Hailey.” Amy grabbed the Hailey’s arm. Together, they hurried away from the agents.

***

Eddie paced back and forth and fought the urge to run inside the restaurant. He checked his watch. Two minutes had passed since he last spoke to Hailey. She’d gone to check on Amy in the ladies room.

“Hailey?” he hissed then checked the ear piece to make sure it was on. It was. “I’m coming in.”

“We’re coming out.”

Eddie plucked the tiny walkie-talkie from around his ear and stared at the restaurant’s entrance until Amy and Hailey appeared. Any moment, he expected Nolan and his girlfriend to come charging out of the building too. Other patrons came out, but not Nolan. Amy walked straight to his arms. She was shaking.

“Whoa, what happened?”

“The FBI happened,” Amy said, stepping back from his arms. “Nolan’s girlfriend is really an agent—Agent Ross. She and several people in the restaurant are undercover. She said Nolan killed Penelope, but they couldn’t find evidence to put him away. When I disappeared, they thought he’d killed me too.” She put a piece of paper in his hand. “She wants us to meet her at her hotel in an hour.”

Eddie