Sapphire

Chapter 12

The two agents were standing outside of their apartment to make Shay sweat. It was Mateo's idea really, thinking that leaving her there for an hour without explanation would cause her to go stir crazy.

Alec wasn't so sure. Though he was only assigned to her a month ago, he knew everything there was to know about her. How many times she robbed men, how many cities she called home, and how she ended up in Valerie's house. She had a shit life so far so no, making her sit in a chair wasn't going to help anything.

"How was she?" Mateo asked, trying to entertain Alec with conversation.

Alec cleared his throat and glanced away. "Fine."

"Come on. She's got a rockin body, it had to have been better than fine."

"I mean it wasn't the worst sex in the world, I'll give you that." Alec muttered. Really though, he hated that he had to use that tactic to get at her. He liked to play by the rules, using conversation and gathered intelligence to turn a mark. Not threats and blackmail.

It made him feel dirty.

"Hey, I know you think it was wrong but how else were we going to turn her?" Mateo asked. They had had the same conversation numerous times before and they always ended in the same place. They couldn't use a civilian as bait, they couldn't follow her for risk of her fleeing again, and they couldn't detain her with the intel they had. Which was next to nothing.

"I know, it had to be done." Alec conceded. "Let's go back in and talk."

Alec opened the door and walked back inside with Mateo in tow. Shay lifted her chin to watch them as they moved in front of her, both of them crossing their arms and looking down at her.

"You've been quite the challenge to find, Ms. Warner." Mateo said.

Shay didn't react, her lips shut tight and eyes narrowed into a glare.

"You've left us quite a trail of stolen credit cards. All the way from one coast to another, right Kowalski?" Alec confirmed as he glanced at his partner.

Again, they were met with silence.

"If you're waiting for a lawyer, you're not gonna get one." Alec told her. "As you can see, we haven't officially arrested you."

"So what am I doing here?" Shay asked.

"I need to know about your relationship with Valerie Briggs." Alec said. It wasn't until a month ago that someone connected the dots, matching the description of the 'blue-eyed bandit', the girl who slept with guys and stole from them, with the deceased girl named Shay Warner, known associate of Ms. Briggs.

"I haven't spoken to her in two years." Shay informed them.

"You lived with her for quite some time, correct?" Alec probed. "After your parents died, she took you in."

Shay hesitated before answering. This was something Alec was afraid of, that her loyalties to the group might be too strong. That whatever fallout they had wasn't enough for her to turn completely and help put the group in jail.

"That is correct." Shay replied.

"Do you know the nature of Mrs. Briggs' business?" Alec continued.

"I know she killed people."

"Were you ever involved in or informed of the missions?"

"No. They kept me out of it" Shay replied, and Alec noted the bitterness in her voice.

"Are you aware that they are connected to five major assassinations that took place while you lived with them?"

Shay shook her head, though she didn't look surprised.