Undercover Marriage (3 page)

“I could never pull this off,” Serena declared, her voice rising slightly, betraying her upset.

Josh had only seen her lose her cool once, when she’d heard the news of her brother’s death. For her to show this much of a reaction spoke volumes. Was it the undercover work she objected to, or was it that he would be playing her husband?

“Serena, think of all the innocent families who have been affected by this case.” Josh held her gaze. He needed to take this assignment.
They
needed to take this assignment. They’d worked too hard over the past six months to back down now.

The fact that going undercover with Serena would mean they’d be in constant contact with few breaks strung his nerves tight, but he couldn’t let that deter him. “We need to do this. We need to bring the ringleaders to justice before more hearts are broken—or anyone else is killed.”

A ripple of pain crossed Serena’s face before she narrowed her gaze on him. “You’re okay with this? You and me posing as husband and wife?”

“If that is what is required of us, then yes. I would think you’d want to do whatever it took to bring down Munders and the adoption agency. Even posing as my wife.”

The thought of pretending to be married to Serena—aka Susan Andrews—would present all sorts of difficulties. Not the least of which was the attraction he fought on a daily basis, and despite the fact that they had reached an uneasy truce these past few months, he could never forget that she blamed him for Daniel’s death. Nor could he ignore his own guilt, which made working with Serena so painful.

Playing the part of Jack Andrews would necessitate Josh’s tapping into his latent acting skills. In high school he’d had the lead role of Algernon Moncrieff in
The Importance of Being Earnest,
to much acclaim.

Though a part of him doubted he’d have much trouble giving a convincing act as “Susan’s” husband. Not with Serena playing Susan to his Jack.

But the question that knocked at his mind was: once this charade was finished, would they be able to go back to being partners?

* * *

Serena barely held on to her composure as three sets of eyes watched her. She forced her expression to remain neutral. She hated that she’d had a momentary lapse in poise when she initially realized what they were being asked to do.

Pose as husband and wife?

Her and Josh.

A loving couple wanting to adopt a child.

The thought of pretending to be Josh’s adoring wife sent her heart rate spiking and stirred up old feelings she’d long ago squashed. When she’d first met her brother’s friend, she thought Josh handsome and charming. It didn’t hurt that Daniel had loved Josh like a brother. But Josh had been taken. And Serena had a strict policy to never poach another woman’s man. Not that she had wanted to date Josh. Well, okay, maybe a little, even though he’d treated her like a sister and kept a proper distance between them. She’d admired his faithfulness to his girlfriend. There had been a lot about Josh Serena had admired and respected.

But that was before Daniel’s murder.

Now she tolerated Josh’s presence because she had to, not because she held on to some silly crush.

She dropped her gaze to the file in her hand. The dossier held a minimal biography of the fictional Susan Andrews as well as a birth certificate and a social security number. Both documents looked completely legit. Everything she’d need for a Missouri ID.

Even though this identity was temporary and would be used only for the purpose of bringing down criminals, a surreal feeling of loss of self invaded her.

This must be what witnesses felt when they were given their new identities.

The silence stretched as the men waited for her to say something. She thought about the children who’d been torn away from their mothers and sold off to couples desperate enough to purchase a baby through questionable sources.

Those little lives demanded she put aside her personal issues and do what was necessary to make sure no more families were torn apart.

“I’m in.” She slanted a glance to her “husband,” then quickly jerked her gaze away when her heart jumped.

She’d better learn to compartmentalize ASAP or their cover would be blown before it ever got off the ground.

THREE

“E
xcellent.” Agent Bishop glanced at Chief Harrison and exchanged a nod. Josh tugged at the collar of his shirt. “Welcome to Operation: Marriage.”

“Uh, don’t you mean Operation: Undercover Marriage?” Josh asked, earning himself one of Serena’s annoyed, you-think-you’re-so-funny looks.

Bishop chuckled. “Right you are, Marshal McCall.” He clasped Josh’s hand in a firm grip. “Glad to have you on board.” He released Josh to take Serena’s hand. “I’m looking forward to working with you.”

Bishop held on a little too long to Serena’s hand. Josh’s gaze narrowed. The soft smile she gave the agent pierced Josh with a spear of jealousy that both shocked and scared him. Daniel had made Josh promise that if anything ever happened to him, Josh would watch out for Serena. No way should he be feeling anything like jealousy—or anything else, for that matter—toward his partner.

Wife.

Pretend wife.

Daniel’s sister!

Get a grip, McCall.
This was just his job. A part to be played for the sake of a lot of kids’ safety, on behalf of justice. Nothing more.

Giving himself a mental shake, he turned to the chief. “When do we start this charade?”

“Immediately,” the chief answered.

“I’ll have a house set up for you within the hour,” Bishop said.

“Where will the house be located?” Serena asked. “If we’re posing as a wealthy couple looking to adopt a child at any price, we’re going to need to be set up in one of the more affluent neighborhoods.”

“On it,” Bishop said. “I have an agent securing a home in the Compton Heights neighborhood. You will also need a high-end vehicle appropriate for your cover as a bank executive. Stop by the BMW dealership on South Hanley Road. Ask for Dirk. He’s expecting you.”

Josh whistled between his teeth. “Wow, we’ll get to see how the other half lives.”

A car and a home in Compton Heights. The posh neighborhood was located on the near south side of the city in the shadow of the great water tower of Reservoir Park. The nationally historic neighborhood sported gated and tree-lined streets and houses that were mostly of the Victorian era with lavish yards.

A world unto itself with the convenience of being ten minutes from everywhere. A lifestyle Josh would never be able to afford on a marshal’s salary. But he didn’t regret the choice he made to join the U.S. Marshals Service. He wouldn’t allow money to hold the same appeal to him as it had to his father. Josh had strived too hard in the course of his life to be the opposite of the man who’d broken not only his mother’s heart but also Josh’s.

“Will we have operational support?” Serena asked.

“You will,” the chief stated. “You both remember Linda Maitland?”

Serena shook her head. “I don’t.”

“I do.” Josh remembered Linda well. She’d served as the administrative officer when he’d joined the St. Louis district office. She’d retired not long after.

“She’ll be coming on board as your support. Her cover will be an aunt who’s living with you.” Harrison exchanged a glance with Bishop. “We wanted someone we were sure wasn’t the leak but who would be familiar with our protocols.”

“There will also be an agent posing as the groundskeeper to provide additional support,” Bishop said. His pocket beeped. He withdrew a cell phone. “Excuse me.” He moved to the corner of the room and stood with his back to them while he took his call.

“Will we be able to pack clothing from home?” Serena asked.

Harrison regarded her kindly. “As Mrs. Andrews, you’ll be expected to dress the part.”

Serena blinked. “I better go shopping.”

“Turn your receipts in to Linda and she’ll make sure you’re reimbursed.” Harrison turned to Josh. “Your suits should be fine, though you should try to change your appearance as much as you can. You’ll need to leave each morning like you’re going to work. Agent Bishop will arrange for an office in the bank headquarters on the executive floor where you can continue with your investigation into Munders and the adoption agency.”

Serena frowned. “What about me?”

“You’ll be the devoted stay-at-home wife waiting to adopt a child,” Harrison explained. “You will definitely need to change your appearance. Work with Linda on that.”

Serena’s mouth pressed tight. She didn’t like the idea, which didn’t surprise Josh. She wasn’t the stay-at-home type. She was one of the most ambitious women he knew. A trait that would take her far. Her work ethic was one of the qualities that he admired about her.

Bishop clicked off his call and rejoined them. “Actually, Marshal Summers, there is a family in the neighborhood with several adopted children. We don’t know if they’ve dealt with Perfect Family or not. We’d like you to establish a connection.”

“Okay, I can do that,” Serena said with certainty ringing in her tone.

This Josh had to see. Serena’s no-nonsense, practical and professional demeanor worked in the field, but would it work in an affluent suburban neighborhood?

“Good. That call was from my agent in the field. The house is ready.” Bishop wrote an address on a sheet of paper and handed it to Josh. “Ms. Maitland will meet you there.” He handed them each a business card. “If you need anything, my numbers are on here.” He shook hands with the chief before exiting out the door.

“Okay,” the chief said. “You have your marching orders. Do us proud and get the goods on Munders.”

“We will, sir,” Josh assured him and filed out of the chief’s office behind Serena.

Burke Trier was the first to pounce with curiosity. “So what was that about?”

“Are you two really being pulled off the Munders case?” Bud Hollingsworth asked. “That doesn’t make sense. You two have been the one constant.”

“Yep, we’re pulled,” Serena stated with an exaggerated sigh. “It’s not fair. We’ve worked so hard to be taken out now.”

Burke gave her a funny look.

Josh stifled a groan. If this overdone display was any indication of Serena’s acting abilities, they were in trouble.

“We’re being reassigned to a FBI task force here in town,” Josh said, offering the cover story.

“For what?” Bud asked.

Josh shrugged. “Don’t know yet. We’re leaving now.”

Bud clapped him on the back. “Tough break. That must be why Harrison called me in.”

“Must be.” Josh gathered his things. “You ready, partner?”

Serena met his gaze. “Yes, partner.”

They left the building. In the parking garage, they decided to take Josh’s sedan and leave Serena’s compact. Driving through downtown St. Louis traffic, Josh said, “We should discuss the Andrewses’ backstory. Where we met. Why we can’t have children. What lengths we’d go to for a child.”

Serena slanted him a glance. “According to this, we met in college.”

“Okay. Where?”

She opened the file folder. “This says you’re transferring to St. Louis from Alaska.” She wrinkled her nose. “I can’t imagine living in Alaska. But first we met in Seattle at the University of Washington. You went to work for the bank right out of college and then we were moved to Alaska and now St. Louis.”

“Okay. Once we get settled in the house, we contact the adoption agency and tell them we want a child right away.” Josh drummed his fingers on the steering wheel. “What kind of person adopts a baby who seemingly appears overnight?”

“Desperate ones,” Serena said.

“If people want to adopt, they should use a reputable and legal agency that is regulated by the state they live in.”

“I would imagine the families that have adopted through Perfect Family Adoption Agency thought it was a legitimate agency. If the Munderses weren’t so good at hiding the illegal aspects of their agency, we’d have shut them down long before now,” she reminded him.

“True. But I still don’t get why anyone would not be suspicious if a baby was produced quickly without meeting the birth mother. Someone can’t just show up to an adoption agency and expect to have an infant in their arms within a short amount of time. We already know that Munders’s organization, working in Mexico, coerced Vanessa Martinez into giving up her baby, Isabella.”

Four months ago U.S. marshal Colton Phillips had been assigned to protect the thug who’d promised information on the illegal baby-buying scheme. In the process, Colton and FBI agent Lisette Sutton had stopped the illegal transfer of a baby they dubbed Baby C. The infant was eventually reunited with her mother. A win for the marshals.

“It’s not our place to judge what others do. People have to walk their own paths.”

“That’s very magnanimous of you,” he stated, a bit surprised by her soft attitude. It made him wonder what lay beneath the tough exterior she so valiantly exuded.

She shrugged. “If a couple had tried everything to have their own child and then were forced to wait months and months or even years to adopt through the state-run agencies, I could see how they’d turn to agencies that might be a bit questionable.”

“It sounds like you’ve given the subject some thought.” Did she long for a child of her own? Her unrelenting professionalism made him wonder what type of mother she’d be.

What type of wife?

The fact that he wanted to find out made him shift uncomfortably in his seat. He had no business letting his mind wander down such a dangerous path.

“Don’t be ridiculous,” she snapped. “I’m just hypothesizing.”

“No maternal pangs?”

From the corner of his eye he saw her jaw clench.

There was a moment of hesitation before she said, “No. But I do know what it’s like to desperately wish for something that you can’t have.”

She wasn’t referring to children or the case but rather to her wish that Daniel were still alive. He had the same desperate, useless desire. But Daniel was gone. His absence left a gaping hole in Josh’s life. The hole was even bigger in Serena’s life.

“Daniel would like this undercover idea,” Josh stated softly.

“Yes, he’d have relished playing the role of wealthy Jack Andrews,” Serena replied and turned to look out the passenger window.

Josh gave a quiet laugh. “Yeah, but I’d never be able to pull off the doting wife bit. My ankles give me away every time.”

She shook her head, but he saw the slight smile. A part of her clearly appreciated his attempt at levity, but she was obviously still too raw, still hurting from the loss of her brother, to laugh too much.

His chest caved in on itself under the heavy weight of guilt.

He pulled up outside his apartment building. “I know this charade of pretending to be my wife is going to be hard for you, Serena.”

She jerked her gaze to him. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“As professionals we need to put our personal feelings aside. Daniel wouldn’t want to be the reason we didn’t crack this case.”

Her brown eyes hardened. “I’ll do
my
job, Josh.”

The tone of her voice suggested that he wouldn’t do his. He bristled with offense. Old fears that he’d be like his father rose to taunt him. “Are you questioning my work ethic?”

“You weren’t there for Daniel when he needed you.”

Josh flinched; her words were a blow to the gut. He knew she blamed him for Daniel’s death. Having that bit of gut-clenching knowledge confirmed tore a jagged hole through him. “I had taken a personal day. Daniel understood.”

“But he called you right before he—” Her voice caught. “And yet you weren’t there for him.”

Josh’s heart contracted painfully in his chest. “Yes, he called me. I didn’t pick up.”

Daniel’s cell phone had been in his pocket when the police found his body. The last call had been to Josh. Josh still had the saved message on his voice mail. He didn’t have the heart to erase the message, but he also couldn’t listen to the sound of Daniel’s voice again.

He’d heard the message once, right after being informed of Daniel’s murder. Daniel had caught a call on a lead that might be something big and had wanted Josh to get “off his duff” and go with him. Daniel hadn’t said where or why.

Josh ran a hand through his hair. “Don’t you think I regret that every minute of every day?”

He had been wallowing, nursing his bruised ego, trying to come to terms with the breakup and Lexi’s accusations, and he had let the call go to voice mail.

What would Serena say if she knew Lexi had been convinced he had feelings, romantic feelings, for her?

He had no intention of ever telling Serena, because doing so would only be painful for them both.

“I don’t know. Do you?” she shot back, her voice filled with anger that matched the flames in her eyes.

“Of course I do.” He stared at her, not believing her implication. “Daniel wasn’t just my coworker but my best friend. I’d have gladly given my life for his.”

He felt her doubts and silent accusations like a thousand serrated knives carving him up inside. It was like facing his childhood all over again. He popped open the door, needing air and space. “What kind of unfeeling monster do you think I am?”

He stalked away. He didn’t need to hear her response. He already knew her answer.

* * *

Serena sat there watching Josh walk toward his ground-floor apartment. She’d hurt him with her words. Regret squeezed her in a forceful grip.

She couldn’t control herself where Josh was concerned. Her anger and grief made her tongue sharp, even though she knew better. Working with him these past few months had been excruciating. Every waking moment she struggled to curb her desire to lash out at him for her brother’s death.

Logically she knew whomever had hit her brother over the head was responsible for the murder, and she prayed that God would somehow, someday, bring the perp to justice.

But that didn’t stop Serena from heaping blame on Josh. He’d admitted to not picking up when Daniel called him for backup. Serena had no idea what Josh had been doing on his day off. For all she knew, his cell phone had been dead. She didn’t care.

Josh hadn’t been there for Daniel, his partner, her brother.

Now she couldn’t trust Josh to be there for her, not when it really counted. No matter how well she and Josh worked together, she could never count on him to have her back.

So what if a voice inside her head whispered she wasn’t being fair? So what if everyone deserved a day off? So what if Josh had had her back more times than she could count these past six months?