That Summer Night (Callaways #6) (15 page)

Shayla blew out a breath as Matt walked towards them with a confident step. Like Reid, Matt Kelton was a very attractive man in his early thirties. If she hadn't known he was a security consultant, she might have picked him for a musician. His dark brown hair was long and fell into his face as he walked. As he got closer, he gave them both a friendly and curious smile.

"Matt Kelton, Shayla Callaway," Reid said, making the introductions.

Matt gave her hand a shake. "Nice to meet you."

"You, too," she murmured.

"Thanks for meeting us out here," Reid said.

"No problem. What's this about?"

"Shayla worked with my brother in Colombia. He contacted her on Thursday morning asking for my help."

"She was your source," Matt said with a nod. "I'm not surprised. And I already knew who she was."

"You did?" Shayla asked, surprised by his words.

Matt nodded. "Reid asked me to look into Robert's activities over the last few months. You were part of his team, therefore you were part of the research."

She wasn't sure she liked the idea of someone digging into her life, but these days privacy seemed to be the least of her problems.

"There seem to be eyes and ears on Shayla," Reid said. "Someone tossed her apartment, and she got a visit from law enforcement. We didn't answer the door, and apparently they didn't have a warrant, because they took off after a few minutes. I'm hoping you can tell me what we're dealing with."

"I'm a miracle worker, but I usually need more than a few hours," Matt said.

"Really. I thought a few minutes would be enough with all your advanced technology."

Matt tipped his head. "Fair point. Here's what I can tell you so far."

"Robert's company, Abbott Pharmaceutical, has drawn the interest of a suitor, Branson Biotech. The owner of Branson has a sister suffering from Alzheimer's, making his interest in Abbott's new wonder drug both personal and professional. If the buyout goes through, the executives at Abbott will be very, very rich. However, Branson is also interested in a rival company, Hanover Chemical. They're in direct competition with Abbott and are working on a similar drug."

"But Hanover is behind Abbott in their development," Shayla cut in. "Or at least they were before the clinical trial in Colombia was wiped out."

"Exactly," Matt said. "Now Hanover may have the edge over Abbott."

Shayla frowned. "Are you saying that what happened at the clinic in Colombia was the result of some sort of pharmaceutical company war? I thought it was random. I thought it was local. That's what everyone said."

"It was certainly made to look that way," Matt replied. "But that's just one scenario I'm considering."

"What else?" Reid asked, his voice grim. "Why are federal agencies involved in this?"

"Abbott Pharmaceuticals apparently asked the FBI for help in locating your brother. They're concerned that he might have been killed in Colombia, or that he's been kidnapped. The State Department is also investigating, using some of their agents in South America."

"That doesn't explain why anyone would search Shayla's apartment," Reid said. "Or Robert's office for that matter. Neither of those searches looked like they were authorized by anyone."

"I don't know anything about that yet, however…" Matt paused. "I'm not sure I should tell you the rest. It has to do with Lisa."

Shayla saw the two men exchange a pained look. Matt obviously knew about Reid's past.

"Say whatever it is," Reid instructed.

"Lisa moved in with Hal Collins, a senior executive at Abbott right after Christmas. Shortly thereafter, Robert's research grant was cut in half. It looks like Robert was going to be on his way out once the trial was over," Matt said. "Clearly, Hal wasn't interested in keeping his new girlfriend's ex-husband on the payroll. But he couldn't get rid of Robert without jeopardizing the trial and the buyout." Matt paused, giving Reid a puzzled look. "You don't seem surprised."

"My parents already told me about Lisa and the new guy."

Shayla was surprised to hear that Reid had spoken to his parents. "When did you speak to them?"

"Earlier today."

"I thought you didn't talk to them."

"I made an exception."

"Had they heard from Robert?"

"Not for a few weeks. They were concerned. They basically told me everything Matt just said."

"Did you tell them Robert called me?" she asked.

Reid shook his head. "No. I was only there to get information, not provide it."

"How did your meeting with them go?" Matt asked. "It's been a long time, hasn’t it?"

"Since the wedding that never happened," he said tersely.

"Have they changed?"

"No. But maybe I have." Reid blew out a breath. "Is there anything else you can tell me, Matt?"

"Not yet. I'll keep you posted. In the meantime, be careful."

"I always am," Reid said.

Matt laughed. "You're almost never careful, Becker."

Reid tipped his head. "Fine, I'll be careful."

Matt turned to Shayla. "You're in good hands. This guy is one of the best."

"I'm beginning to realize that," she murmured.

Matt strode briskly back to his car and took off with the same whirlwind of dust that he'd created when he pulled in. As the dirt settled, they walked back to Reid's truck.

"What are you thinking?" she asked, seeing a frown on his face.

"That I need to do something I don't want to do."

"What's that?"

"Talk to Lisa."

She was a little shocked by his words. "Seriously? I can't believe you'd consider that after what she did to you."

"Believe me, she's the last person I want to see. But she's probably the only one who knows the relationship between Robert and Abbott Pharmaceuticals."

"And you think she'd talk to you about it now that she's involved with this other guy?"

"She might. If I give her what she wants."

"Which is what?"

"A chance to say she's sorry."

"Are you sure that's what she wants to say to you?" she asked doubtfully.

"Well, she did at one time."

"A long time ago," Shayla said. "Do you really want to stir up those old feelings?"

"I'm not worried about feelings. But let's table this for the moment. I'm hungry. What about you?"

"I could eat."

"Then let's eat."

"I feel like we should be doing something more important."

"Staying strong is important. And I always think more clearly when I'm not hungry."

"All right," she said. A meal would be a nice way to postpone going back to Reid's cozy houseboat.

It had been her idea to stay with him, but as the night loomed ahead, she was beginning to think that might have been her worst idea yet.

* * *

"You love the water, don't you?" Shayla asked, as they sat a table on the patio deck of Paulie's Pizza in downtown Sausalito, sharing a pitcher of beer, and waiting for their pizza to arrive. "You're never too far away from it. You even sleep on it."

"It's very peaceful, like a rocking chair," he said with a smile. "I missed the water when I was in the Middle East. That hot desert made me long for water. The sand was everywhere, in my eyes, in my hair. Sometimes I'd wake up with sand in my mouth. You could shower for days and still feel dirty."

"Sounds horrible."

"It certainly was a different landscape," he said.

"So tell me something, Reid."

"What's that, Shayla?" he asked with a smile.

She liked his lighthearted mood. It was a nice change. "Does the Army recruit out of GQ Magazine, because you, Matt and your buddy Jared from the bar are all very attractive."

"That is a pre-requisite," he said with a nod.

"And no one is married?"

"Of the three of us, no, but some of our other buddies, yes."

"And some of those other buddies work for Matt?"

"They do."

"Maybe you should seriously consider joining them. Matt seems like a smart, capable guy. And a small, private organization can probably move a lot faster than the Army, not to mention their ability to bend the rules and blur the lines, something you'd probably enjoy."

"You are a smart girl," he said, tapping her beer mug with his.

"That's what my IQ scores say."

"I wasn't talking about your IQ but about your ability to read people, assess situations."

"That’s part of my training as a doctor. Patients can't always tell you what's wrong, so you have to read their body language. You have to try to figure out where the real pain is coming from. For example, you think your pain is coming from your leg."

"I don't think that. I know it. I can show you the scar."

"Actually, the pain is coming from your heart."

"That's not the right diagnosis, Doc."

She ignored him, knowing that she was stepping into sensitive territory, but she couldn't stop herself. "You're not drinking every night because your leg hurts, Reid. You're mourning the loss of your career, your sense of self. You don't like to accept failure, and your body has failed you."

"Well, that's true. I do need to find a way to move on," he conceded.

"You're already moving on. And it's because of me," she said, giving him a smug smile.

He smiled back. "Really? You're taking all the credit?"

"I got you out of the bar, didn't I?"

"And almost got me killed."

"But I got you thinking about something besides yourself."

"And almost got me interrogated by the FBI."

"I'm sure it wouldn't have been your first time. You should be thanking me for interrupting your pity party."

"It was not that bad."

"It looked pretty bad to me. When I first saw you in the bar, I couldn't believe that your brother had sent me to you, that you were supposed to save the day. You did not look like a hero at that moment."

"What does a hero look like?"

"I don't know exactly; but I think they shave more than once a week."

He rubbed his grizzly jaw. "Some women find this sexy."

She refused to admit that she was one of those women. Thankfully, their pizza arrived, and their focus turned to food.

"You eat fast," Reid commented as she finished off her second slice.

She wiped her mouth with her napkin. "I'm the youngest of eight kids. I learned early on to get in fast and stake my claim."

"I wondered about the three pieces you put on your plate."

"I figured you for a fast eater, too. I wanted to make sure I had enough."

"I used to be faster," he said. "I'm trying to take more time with everything in my life, including food. The leg injury has forced me to slow down, and I'm starting to appreciate the new pace of my life."

"Really?" she asked doubtfully, picking up her next slice. "If I'd been living your life and ended up where you are now, I'd be bored out of my mind."

He smiled. "I can't get anything by you, can I?"

"Maybe it's time to stop trying. I understand men with bigger-than-life ambitions and drive. I grew up with a lot of them."

"The Callaways do sound impressive. So tell me again why you can't ask one of your bigger-than-life brothers to watch over you tonight?"

"I already told you—too many questions, followed by worry, then interference. That's not going to help Robert."

"You really want to help him, don't you? Are you sure you're not a little in love with my brother?"

The question was light, but there was a serious note behind his words. "Not even the tiniest bit," she said firmly. "I respect him. I admire him. But I am not in love with him, and I have never ever wanted to kiss him, not when he was married, and not after he got divorced."

"I wonder if Robert feels the same way about you. He obviously trusts you. You were the only person he called for help."

"I'm pretty sure he thinks of me as a little sister, and sometimes an annoying one. I asked him a lot of questions when we were in Colombia, and he was irritated with me. He told me to just do the work I was assigned and stop asking questions." Her words brought an odd gleam into Reid's eyes. "What are you thinking?"

"Just considering whether it was simple annoyance or if Robert didn't want you asking questions for another reason."

"Maybe." She hadn't considered that before, but in view of what had happened, she did wonder if Robert had been secretive for some other reason. She set down her pizza. "Do you think I'm in danger, Reid?"

He met her gaze. "I hope not."

"That's not very reassuring."

"You've been back in San Francisco for a week. You've been on your own, and nothing has happened. That's a good sign."

"You're forgetting about the car that almost ran us down. Unless, you think now that was a drunk driver?"

"The jury is out on that, but until we know for sure, I think we should stick together, at least until I can meet up with Robert."

"So you've decided to go."

"Still under consideration."

"You are so frustrating," she said with a groan. "Why can't you just commit?"

"Because I don't know what Robert is involved in. You may think he's some innocent victim, but I'm not so sure."

"I don't think that's why you're hesitating. But I can't force you to make a promise you don't want to make."

"Like I said before, I only make promises I'm sure I can keep. And I have until Sunday to decide." He paused. "Which means you're stuck with me for at least another twenty-four hours. If you don't want to stay with your family, then you and I are going to be spending a lot of time together."

"Then I hope you have a tux."

He raised an eyebrow. "Why is that?"

"Because tomorrow we're going to my brother's wedding."

Chapter Twelve

On the way back to his houseboat, Reid tried to think of a reason why he couldn't take Shayla to her brother's wedding, but he still hadn't come up with a good one by the time they arrived. While he didn't want to believe that Shayla was in danger, he didn't like what he'd seen at her apartment, and until he knew for sure she was safe, he was going to stay close.