Free A Taste of Tragedy by Kim McMahill Page B

proud, but they were gone.
    “I’ll see what I can do. Is this the best number to reach you?”
    “Yes, it’s my cell. I’ll answer at home or work. I really do appreciate this. I haven’t slept well in about a week, and I have a feeling that if I could just talk to this Stan guy, it would put my mind at ease.”
    She prayed he would say something else. Hearing his voice was bitter-sweet. It reminded her of the most stupid and selfish decision of her life, but the sound of his reassuring tone still calmed her nerves, despite everything they had been through.
    He was an interesting and honorable man. Meticulous and detail oriented, but nothing ever seemed to ruffle him at home or work. He was always on an even keel, but he was no pushover. When she expected him to quit his job and follow her career, he had put his foot down. He had offered up compromises, but she had wanted it all, and instead, she ended up with nothing that mattered.
    “Have you been to the place in Sedona?”
    Relief swept through her at his question. She craved a conversation with him. “Yes, I went up there last weekend. That’s the main reason I took this job. Those few acres and the house are really the only links I have left to my past. I’ve always found a lot of happiness there.”
    “Are you happy?”
    Now it was Morgan’s turn to go silent. How could she tell him the truth when the situation was of her own making? She had no reason or inclination to lie to him. She had nothing to gain and nothing to lose from the truth.
    “No.”
    “I’m sorry. I’ll call as soon as I find your man.”
    The line went dead. Morgan hoped she had made the right decision calling her ex-husband for a favor. She really wanted to talk to Stan Jacobson to get a clearer picture of what had been going on around GCF and why he left so abruptly. Most of all, she wanted clarification on the information in the e-mails. Stan was probably the only person who could dispel the ominous feelings crowding her thoughts.
    If she were being totally honest with herself, though, part of calling her ex was the need to hear his voice to soothe her rattled nerves.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
     
    Devyn followed Gage to his truck. She stood back as he opened the door for her. She smiled at him before grabbing the handle and pulling herself up into the tall four-wheel-drive pickup with as much grace as she could muster.
    It was just lunch, but she felt like it was a first date. She had to get a grip on her inappropriate daydreams and her emotions where this man was concerned. He was a nice guy with great old-fashioned manners, so he was probably just being polite by asking her to lunch and opening her door.
    “Anything in particular you’re in the mood for?”
    “Something spicy,” Devyn replied.
    Gage chuckled. “Yes, I pegged you for hot and spicy.”
    He always did this to her when they talked, and she found it very frustrating. She was a great investigator, but she had no idea if there was a double entendre in his statement . Maybe I just want there to be, she chided herself.
    “Mexican food it is. So, how’s the Risky Research case going?”
    “I’m just thrilled the FBI is now formally investigating, and that Nick and I are the leads. We’re definitely getting a bigger picture of what’s going on, and the links between all the incidents are getting stronger by the day, including directly tying Frank to another incident. What we still don’t know, and I’d really like to find out, is Frank’s true identity. If we could figure that out, maybe we can backtrack until we locate the head of the snake. As is, I feel like we’re just barely hanging onto the tail.”
    “I have a feeling it’s a pretty long snake and extremely venomous. You have a lot more resources at your disposal than I do, but if there’s anything I can help with, let me know. If you just want to talk some theory through or have anything else on your mind, call me anytime, day or night.”
    He did it again