Liars' Games (Project Chameleon Book 1) (22 page)

Claire held her breath.

“I wasn’t able to get approval for any of the other items. They were a no-go. I’m really sorry.”

Claire wasn’t surprised
and didn’t expect to get everything on her list. She remained delighted that Frank and Steve had gotten approval for the most expensive item. She could always work on other items later. “Frank, it’s all right. I figured that might happen. Thanks for trying and thank you for the good news.”

When she disconnected the call, she checked again for messages, thinking she might have missed a call from Brad. Nothing.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

STEVE ARRIVED AT Cameron High School at
noon on Wednesday for their Round Table Meeting. He looked for Claire. Not seeing her, he looked to see if John Richmond had arrived yet. Steve’s cell phone rang and he answered. A few minutes later, Frank rushed in, glanced around, and then walked over to Steve.

“
Oh thank God, I was afraid I’d get here late,” Frank whispered, “and expected Richmond to chew my ass. I didn’t see his car, though. Does that mean he’s not coming?”

“Afraid not. He
just called a few minutes ago. He’s on his way and wants us to wait to start the meeting until he gets here.”

“Crap. I was hoping he wouldn’t show.”

“Speaking of no shows,” Steve said, “have you heard from Claire? She can’t miss another meeting.

“I called, but she wasn’t in her office. I left a message with Ron and he said he’d remind her.”

Steve’s jaw tensed as John Richmond strode into the conference room.

Everyone took their seats.
Come on, Claire. Get here before John notices.

John looked around the table. His face turned to stone. “We seem to be missing someone again.”

“She’s on her way.” Steve and Frank said it in unison.

“She’d better show up if she knows what’s good for her.”

Steve clinched his jaw, opened up his notebook, and began the meeting.

TWENTY MINUTES LATER, the door burst open and Claire rushed in, breathless
. She slid into the only empty seat at the table and blurted out, “I’m sorry for being late.”

John clenched his jaw
, knowing he should be glad she’d shown up. Why wasn’t he?

She
shrugged off her coat and draped it on the back of her chair.

Pointing laser eyes in her direction, John said,
“You think you can waltz in here whenever the hell you feel like. No wonder your students are so irresponsible. Look at the example you’re setting.

“I’m sorry. I tried to get here on time
and would have been on time, if I hadn’t been pulled over by a police officer for speeding. It was humiliating, so go ahead and yell at me, but believe me, even you can’t rival a cop when it comes to intimidation.”

There were chuckles around the room.

John bit back the insult that found its way to the tip of his tongue. He couldn’t let the others know how deep his hatred went. “Leave on time next time and you won’t have to speed. That’s what responsible adults do.”

“
Look, John, I was late leaving because two students had gotten into a fight. I am the principal. I had to deal with that first. I tried to make up the time and would have until I saw red lights swirling in my rearview mirror.”

Several people laughed and John gave them a warning look.

“Oh, and by the way,” Claire said, “it’s not true that male officers take pity on women and don’t give them tickets.”

By now, everyone was laughing, except John. Claire’s face reddened once again, but she smiled
apologetically, making John want to take a rag and wipe that smug smile right off.

Instead,
he just leaned forward and said, “Speaking of students fighting, I’ve seen troubling reports about problems at Midland. Vandalism, including tires slashed on teachers’ cars, violence, and drugs on campus. What the hell are you doing over there? It’s worse under your leadership than Carl’s, and everyone knew he was incompetent.”

Claire’s face turned beet red
. “We’re in a transition period right now. We’re working on taking back control of the school. We’ve put together a plan—“

John said, “Don’t give me excuses.”

“It’s not—“

Steve said, “Frank and I are working with Claire and her faculty to f
ix the problems over there. We only started working on it last week.”

“Hold on there. You two have your own jobs to do. Neither of you has time to devote to one school. What about all the other schools in the district?”

“Don’t worry, John. We have everything under control.”

“
Hmph. We’ll talk about this more later,” John said, turning to other meeting topics.

AT THE END of the meeting,
Claire waited for a chance to sneak out to get back to work and away from John.

She heard Jo
hn saying, “I’d like to see this school. Cameron is one of the few high schools in the district that I’ve not toured.”

“
Well, come on. I’d be happy to show you around,” the principal said.

“Mind if I join
in,” Frank said.

“And me,” several other principals said.

Claire listened politely and then slipped out without anyone noticing.

In the parking lot, she heard someone call her name and
she looked up. Steve had followed her outside.
So much for slipping out unnoticed.

“I’ve been dying to catch you alone
for a moment. Tell me the truth. Did you really get a speeding ticket?”

Claire grinned
sheepishly and nodded.

“Sorry to hear that.
However, since you did arrive late, I’m glad it was a funny entrance. Put John in his place for once. Hey, I also wanted to talk to you about us. We haven’t had much time lately. Are we still okay?”

“Uh, are you talking about our dating?”

“Yeah.”

“We’re okay, I think. I’m
just focusing on the school right now. I’ll have more time, soon. I promise.”

“
Please know that regardless what John says, I’ll help with the school as much as possible. I really do wish you’d trust me more.”

“Thanks. And I do trust you, Steve.”

He smiled. “Glad to hear it. But I can’t always tell with you. Back to the dating. I’ve arranged for us to go on a picnic Saturday, if it’s okay. I thought perhaps the Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs. It’s a beautiful park with huge red rock spires and hiking trails.”

“That sounds lovely, but isn’t it
still too cold for a picnic?”

“They’re predicting warm weather—fifty-five degrees. Can you believe that in Denver at this time of year? I figured we should take advantage of it. What do you say?”

Claire’s mobile phone rang. She pulled it out and checked the caller ID: Brad. Finally! She said, “Excuse me, Steve. I have to take this call.”

He nodded
as she answered the phone and walked a few feet away, turning her back to Steve.

“This is Leo Paulson, Claire. I’m taking Brad’s place. We need to meet and talk about new procedures. This evening—at a restaurant. I know a quiet place not far from where you live.”

“Uh, I don’t know what to say, Leo. I mean, what happened to Brad?” 

“
Brad is no longer your handler. He’s not here anymore.”

“What do you mean ‘he’s not here’? Where did he go?”

“Meet me at The Cove. It’s a hole-in-the-wall café on—”

“I can’t meet you tonight. And I don’t even know if I should anyway. I don’t know who you are or if you’re legitimate.”

“Okay, okay. You can check to see I’m genuine by calling the arranged number. Meet me tomorrow, then. Same place.”

“Give me the address.”

He gave her the information.

“I can’t come in the evening. What about lunchtime
? Is one o’clock all right?”

“That’ll work.”

“I’ll see you then, if you check out.” She hung up and turned back around. Steve was watching her, one eyebrow raised.

“Is everything okay?”

“Oh, sure. Sorry about that. Where did we leave off?”

“I was inviting you on a picnic on Saturday.”

“Actually, that sounds really nice.”

ON THURSDAY, CONSULTING friends of Ron and Steve
were at the school talking to teachers and arranging meetings. Claire began preparations for an evening meeting for the following week, and sent out a robocall to all students’ parents inviting them to the Thursday evening meeting. Her goal was to get the parents involved in the school.

She tried to stay focused on work, but she couldn’t shake
a feeling of dread. Though Leo Paulson had checked out when she called the prearranged number, no one would tell her what had happened to Brad. Sure, they hadn’t always gotten along well, but he understood her and she could count on him to be honest, if nothing else. What would having a new handler mean?

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

CLAIRE LEFT THE school at half past noon on Thursday. Luckily, it had been a quieter than normal day as far as problems go, allowing her to actually leave the building early without feeling overly guilty. Sitting in her car, she typed the address Leo had given her into her car’s GPS and waited for the on-screen map to appear.

As she drove
the displayed route, she wondered what to expect of Leo. Would he be allowed to move her to another city or would his hands also be tied, like Brad’s had been? Of course that thought brought up the question of whether she was ready to move again, considering Steve and her school plans. Could she really leave both of them hanging?

Claire maneuvered slowly through midday traffic, half watching the road ahead and half watching her rearview mirror like usual
. Near the entrance to Lakeside Mall she noticed a grey sedan behind her. It was following her closely. Her heartbeat sped up. A second later she shook her head.
Probably just an impatient driver.
Normally, she would speed up so as not to irritate the other driver, but she wasn’t about to risk another speeding ticket. Instead, she turned onto another street. The sedan followed. She bit her lip, then gave the car a more in depth look. It was familiar, or not?
Why do all these bloody American cars look the same?
She sighed. Was there ever going to come a time when she didn’t think she was being followed?
Not bloody likely. After someone shoots at your car, you can’t ever feel safe.

The steering wheel felt slick under her palms. She wiped one palm on her jacket, then switched hands and wiped the other hand, while her e
yes flicked back and forth between the rearview mirror and the road. She muttered under her breath, “Was he there when I turned at the lights—well, was he? Think, think.”

The front of the sedan seemed suddenly to loom over her rearview mirror—it was so close. Back off, she wanted to shout
. She glanced over her shoulder. He was a middle-aged man, nondescript, and she didn’t recognize him. Her heart pounded in her chest and she could hardly breathe. Maybe she was being paranoid like Brad said.

The voice on the GPS spoke, pulling her attention away from the
other car. It was recalculating, after her unplanned turn off, directing her to turn left onto a small side street, the kind that almost no one used. She could finally get out of the car’s way and not worry about him anymore.

The sedan made the same turn
, and she began hyperventilating and freaking out.
Take a deep breath, hold it, let it out. Now think back. How long has the car been following? Was it behind me when I was on West 64
th
Avenue? Think.

Yes, she’d noticed the car on 64
th
when they were stopped at a red light, but another car had pulled in between them and she’d dismissed the grey car. All right, the guy could be simply heading in the same direction. Bloody hell, it could even be Leo for all she knew. She didn’t know what Leo looked like. Surely he wouldn’t pull a stunt like that on someone in witness protection. If it was him, she was going to be really pissed.

Making a split second decision she spun the
steering wheel and the car whipped into another side street. The calm voice of the GPS rang out into the tension, “Recalculating.” Tears sprang into her eyes, blurring the view as the car sped forward. She made another right turn and another. Her breathing quickened, and she felt her gut clench as the sedan appeared round the corner. Still there. Crap!

Out of the corner of her eye
, as she made another sudden turn and sped onto the main road, she spotted a blue pulse of lights atop a police car that was parked on the shoulder of the road. The police car pulled away from the shoulder and caught up to her.

Claire slowed down and pulled over as the grey sedan slid past. The driver glared through his side window. Angie’s description flashed into her mind: “
An average Joe. Middle-aged, wavy blond hair, clean-cut, dressed in jeans and lightweight jacket.”

It was him, the man everyone else had seen. 

The officer stepped out of his car, walked over to her, and motioned for her to roll down her window. “Did you know you were speeding?”

Shaking, Claire replied,
“I—I did, Officer.” She wiped away tears and tried to compose herself. “I’m sorry, but I had a good reason. The gray car that turned behind me and just passed you was following me. I was attempting to get away from him.”

“Someone you know?”

“No. I don’t know who he is. I do know that he’s been watching my home and my son, and he has been stalking me for days. He must have followed me from work.”

The officer studied her a moment. “I’ll fill out a report
, but I will need to see your driver’s license, vehicle registration, and proof of insurance.”

She gave him the documents and waited as he walked back to his squad car. A few minutes later he returned.

“I see you were cited for speeding yesterday.”

“I was. I was on my way to an important meeting and I was late.”

“Uh huh. I’m giving you another citation.” He handed her the ticket and told her to drive safely and have a nice day.

She sat there with her mouth open. He obviously thought she’d made up the story to get out of a ticket. Nothing to be done about it. She started up the engine, pulled away, and followed the GPS’s directions again, this time without anyone following
, as far as she could tell.

In the dark café, Claire told the greeter that she was meeting someone. Before the woman had a chance to ask for the name, a man jumped up from his seat and motioned to Claire.

He looked totally different from Brad. Instead of a balding older man, Leo was young, with dark brown slicked-back hair and brown eyes. Claire reached out her hand to shake hands. His grip was firm, almost too firm.

“We finally meet,” Leo said. “I’ve heard a lot about you.”

“Really? I’ve heard nothing about you.”

“Didn’t you call to verify?”

“Yes. They confirmed that you’re my new—wait a minute. Could you please identify yourself? I need to see your badge, please.”

“Fair enough.” He pulled out his ba
dge and held it out for her to see.

“Forgive me for being cautious but someone was
following me on my way here. I tried to lose him, and he chased me. I ended up getting a speeding ticket. I’m pretty sure he’s the man who was seen watching my home and my son and asking about me at a school bus stop.”

“I read Brad’s notes. He mentioned your paranoia.”

“My paranoia? It’s really happening. Many people have told me about the man and gave descriptions. The man today matched their descriptions. I can give you names and phone numbers of people who can verify my story.”

“Did you tell the police officer that you were being chased?”

“Yes. He didn’t do anything except give me a citation.”

“Why didn’t you call me?”

“When? While I was being chased or after the policeman pulled me over?”

“When you got pulled over.”

“How could I do that? Should I have said, ‘Excuse me a minute, officer, while I call my handler and ask him what I should do?’”

“Do you always come up with excuses for why you can’t think quickly? I read your file. You’re supposedly a genius. Seems to me you’re not any smarter than the rest of us. Hell, you might be less smart. I sure as hell can think on my toes.

“Just because I can’t think fast on my feet doesn’t mean I’m stupid.” Claire paused to calm down, then continued. “All right, I think we haven’t gotten off on a good note. That’s partially my fault and I apologize. Can we start over?”

“I don’t see any problem between us. This is a typical introductory meeting. In case you need to contact me you can call me at Brad’s old number. Also, I have a temporary office in the FBI building in downtown Denver. I’m meeting with another new witness in the metro. In a few weeks, I’ll return to Virginia and take Brad’s old office. Nothing else has changed regarding your case. I can’t move you and you’ll have to make do in your situation for the time being.”

Claire leaned back in her chair. All right, she wasn’t sure she was ready to
move again, anyway, but what about the watcher? Why wasn’t Leo paying attention to that?

“What happened to Brad? I c
an maybe see why he isn’t on my case anymore. But you say he’s gone from his office and his cell phone. Why?”

“It’s not something you need to know.”

“Where were you before this? How long have you been a handler?”

“That’s not really any of your business, either.”

“You seem young for this position. I can say that because people say it to me all the time.”

“I’m old enough to know my job. I started in the Department of Justice fresh out of college and I’ve been there five years. My recent move into the U.S. Marshals Service will put me on the fast track up the ranks. I do my job, follow rules,
keep my nose clean, and in no time I’ll move up.”

“Is that what happened to Brad?”

“Brad didn’t follow the rules.”

SATURDAY MORNING, CLAIRE
dragged herself out of bed. Worries about Leo and the watcher kept her tossing and turning all night long. She made a pot of coffee, and after finishing a second cup, she remembered her date with Steve. The digital clock read 8:30, and he would be here in an hour and a half. Steve hadn’t mentioned bringing Marcus along and she’d forgotten to arrange for a babysitter.

Maybe she should cancel. But
it wasn’t fair to Steve to cancel at the last minute. And she really could use a distraction, especially since the weather was exceptionally nice for this time of year. All of the snow was melted off, and the temperature forecast was upgraded to reach sixty degrees. More importantly, she really wanted to see him. No sense pretending otherwise.

She
stood and went into the bedroom to retrieve her mobile phone, then dialed Angie’s phone number.

“
Of course, I’d love to watch the little tike,” Angie said. They talked for several more minutes. After Claire hung up, Marcus came out of his bedroom rubbing his eyes.

“Who were you talking to, Mommy?”

“The lady from next door. Angie. Do you remember her?”

“Yes.”

“Well, I’m going out for the day and I’ve arranged for you to spend the day at her house.”

“At her house?”

“Yes. She promised to teach you how to bake cookies, as long as you promise to help her eat them.”

“I can do that,” he said
, all smiles and nodding his head. He pulled a chair away from the kitchen table and sat down, dangling his bare feet.

“Oh, and
she said she’s taking you out to McDonalds for lunch and to play in their playland.”

“Y
ay!” He wiggled and then wiped the sleep from his eyes. “But I’m hungry now.”

“What would you like for breakfast?”

“Cinnamon toast. That’s my favorite. Nanny Kate sometimes makes it for me.”

“I know she does,” she said. “Cinnamon toast coming up.”

During breakfast, Marcus told her that he liked Angie a lot better than Kate. Claire tried to find out why, but he wouldn’t say. She’d heard a few minor complaints from him over the past few weeks, though nothing notable.

After breakfast, she helped him
dress. Then, looking at the clock, she decided there wasn’t time for a shower. She dressed in a comfortable pair of blue jeans and a red plaid cotton blouse, and then looked in the mirror at her messy hair that had begun to curl overnight. She gave it a quick brush through, not worrying about straightening it, and decided it looked presentable enough for an outing.

Claire
had to admit she was more eager about seeing Steve again than about sightseeing.

Ten minutes before Steve was due to pick her up, Claire
walked Marcus over to Angie’s condo and thanked Angie again for watching him on short notice.

This time, w
hen Steve knocked on her door, she greeted him with a warm smile and invited him inside. He glanced around her living room, and smiled. “If it’s okay with you, I figured we’ll stop and get chicken and fixings in Colorado Springs to take to the park.”

“
Of course. That sounds good. Let me grab my handbag and jacket and then we can go.”

“Where’s your son?”

“Oh, he’s next door. My neighbor, a retired lady, is watching him for the day.”

Steve nodded
, pulling the door shut behind them.

They
entered Steve’s Jeep Cherokee, and once they were seated and ready to pull away from the curb, Steve asked, “Have you ever been to Colorado Springs?”

“No. I’m not even certain where it is.”

He smiled. “It’s about an hour’s drive south of here. The scenery along the way is beautiful, though population sprawl has taken its toll the last few years. Do you snow ski?”