Free Mistaken Trust (The Jewels Trust Series) by Shirley Spain Page B

greeted, smiling widely and striding toward her with open arms.
    Rebuffing his invitation for a hug, she extended her hand. “Agent Hines.”
    Shaking her hand, he passed her a puzzled look. “Miz Andrasy, this is Special Agent Folsum,” Hines said mocking her formality as he cocked his head toward the trainee.
    Jewels looked over Agent Folsum. Young for an FBI agent, she thought. Maybe twenty-three, but wondered if he was older than he appeared. He reminded her of a slightly chunky, baby-faced Jimmy Smits.
    After climbing just two steps up the side stairs of the wraparound porch, Jewels paused. “Now what does the FBI want with me?”
    Though she didn’t know it, Jewels’ suspicions about Folsum’s age were right on. He looked nearly a decade younger than he was at thirty-one. Formerly a low-ranking FBI analyst, he had recently completed his Field Agent training at the FBI’s facility in Quantico. Anxious to exercise his new authority, he seized the opportunity to respond to Jewels’ inquiry.
    Skirting the edge of the flower bed on the sidewalk at ground level, he kept his eyes on her while hurrying his pace to get ahead of her slow ascent onto the porch. Clearly, he was positioning himself to beat her to the front door. Once about ten feet in front on her, Folsum stopped, thrust his hands on his hips, stood stiff and stared coldly up at Jewels. “Hold it right there, Miss,” he barked, purposely lowering his voice to sound authoritative. More threatening.
    Jewels had already been standing still and continued to do so. Annoyance swept her face. “What?” she said, with a hostile sigh. “You been practicing this take-no-shit look in front of the bathroom mirror and think you’re going to use it on me now?”
    Agent Folsum’s face heated up, but he continued to stare her down.
    Swiveling her head over her shoulder, Jewels shot Hines a dirty look, expecting him to say something, but he just stood on the sidewalk, looking up at her on the stairs. “Hmph,” she huffed, refocusing her simmering eyes on Folsum, “So now what? Gonna, shoot me?” Her tone and demeanor sarcastic.
    Folsum and Hines remained motionless at the edge of the fancy red brick walkway, gazing up at her.
    “Probably not a good idea,” Jewels badgered, stomping up the remaining few steps onto the porch, briskly walking about thirty feet toward the front door.
    The moment she started moving, Folsum sprinted into a dead run the length of the porch and up the front steps, cutting her off before she reached the entry. With hands planted on his hips and chest puffed out, he tarried, blocking Jewels from her own front door. It was that take-no-shit look again.
    Not in the mood for this crap, Jewels folded her arms across her chest, squared her shoulders and widened her stance, posturing for a standoff. “Ooooouuuuwww. Big, bad FBI man gonna try intimidation tactics to keep me from entering my own home?” Jewels taunted, fury building, becoming more and more pissed ... at Hines for not calling off his wanna-be enforcer.
    Folsum swiftly retrieved a pocket notebook and pen from the inside of his suit jacket, clicked the top of the pen, then engaged his machine gun mouth to rapidly fire damning questions. “The woman in the deli, exactly who was she to you? What was your relationship with her? Why did you decide to meet? How long have these meetings been going on—”
    “Enough,” Jewels angrily interrupted, gesturing a quick swipe of her extended thumb across her throat as if to cut it. “Do you have a warrant? Are you here to arrest me?”
    Folsum and Hines stood like statues, mute and unmoving. Befuddled looks washed their faces.
    Wagging her head in aggravation, “I didn’t think so,” she said with a huff. Narrowing her eyes at Folsum, she quickly looked him up and down, “Now get out of my way, young man, or I’ll call my attorney.”
    Folsum, once again red-faced, immediately stepped aside and backed down the steps, allowing plenty