The Promise (The Protectors Book 4) Read online

“Not for a while, but I’d like to.”

  Bonnie frowned.

  She didn’t need to say what she was thinking. Ashley had never hidden her unwillingness to go back to Bozeman.

  “What made you change your mind?”

  Ashley shrugged. Harry and Special Agent Fallon didn’t look as though they were listening, but she wasn’t taking any chances. “Bozeman isn’t so bad. I visited mom’s grave while I was there.”

  Bonnie held her hand tighter. “How was that?”

  “Hard. I haven’t been to the cemetery since her funeral.” Ashley looked through the window. The lights of New York filled the skyline, giving everything a festive appearance. The reality of living in one of the largest cities in America was completely different. She’d forgotten how different until she’d gone back to Montana.

  “I called dad while I was in Bozeman. He wants me to stay with him and Trisha.”

  Bonnie’s eyes widened. “Wow. That’s not like him.”

  “I thought the same thing. Maybe his second marriage has changed him.”

  Bonnie didn’t look convinced. “Will you go to San Francisco?”

  “Not yet. I thought I’d wait until this is over.”

  “You could be waiting a long time.”

  Ashley leaned her head against the window and thought about Matthew. “I hope not.”

  ***

  Matthew turned off the TV and checked his watch. “She should have called by now.”

  Sean glanced up from the book he was reading. “She might have been held up. You know what airports are like.”

  “Jason said an FBI agent would be meeting her at the terminal. They wouldn’t want to stay for any longer than they had to.”

  “True.” Sean left his book on the arm of his chair. “You’ll get an ulcer if you keep worrying about her.”

  “I can’t help it. Ashley shouldn’t have gone back to New York.”

  “What did you expect her to do? Stay here and talk to the cows all day?”

  “She could have waited until her story was published.”

  “Her editor wants to see her. Have you called Jason? He might know what’s going on.”

  Matthew pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and found Jason’s number. “I’ll use your phone in case Ashley calls me on mine.”

  “It’s on the coffee table,” Sean said. “Why wouldn’t the staff at the airport let you tell her about the bomb threat?”

  “By the time someone verified our story it was too late. She’d already left.” Matthew called Jason’s number and held his brother’s cell phone to his ear.

  “Is everything okay?” Jason’s deep voice echoed down the phone.

  “I was hoping you could tell me. Have you heard from the FBI or the police?”

  “No. I take it Ashley hasn’t called?”

  Matthew sighed. “Not yet.”

  “Have you checked to see if her flight has landed?”

  “It landed more than an hour ago. Her phone keeps going to voicemail.”

  “She’ll call as soon as she can.”

  “That’s what my brother said.” Matthew ran his hand around his neck. He was worried and there wasn’t anything he could do about it. “Thanks for answering your phone.”

  “It was a welcome distraction. One of my kids has the flu. I wasn’t planning on getting a lot of sleep anyway. If you haven’t heard from Ashley by midnight, call me again. I’ll contact the detective who’s working on the case and see if he knows where she is.”

  “Thanks. Good luck with your sick child.”

  “Franky will be okay. At least his temperature is down.”

  After Matthew ended the call he handed the phone back to Sean. “Jason doesn’t know what’s happening.”

  “If you want something to do, you could make me a cup of coffee.”

  Matthew frowned, but headed toward the kitchen. Sean was right. He needed to do something or he’d go crazy.

  Halfway across the room his cell phone rang. “Ashley? Are you all right?”

  “I’m fine. I had to wait until we reached the FBI offices before I could call you. I hope you weren’t worried.”

  Matthew sank into the nearest chair. “No. I umm…knew you’d call as soon as you could. I guess by now you know about the bomb threat?”

  “Bonnie told me about it as we were driving into town. When did you find out?”

  “About three minutes after you said goodbye. The detective that Jason was working with called me as you were going through security. We tried to get you off the plane, but it was too late.”

  “It doesn’t matter. Someone from the FBI was waiting for me at the airport with Bonnie and Harry. I’ll talk to my editor and then find somewhere to sleep.”

  “Aren’t you staying with Harry?”

  Ashley started to say something, then stopped. “There has been a change of plans.”

  Matthew didn’t like the sound of that. “What’s going on?”

  “Someone broke into Harry’s apartment this morning. While the FBI is finishing their investigation, we have to stay somewhere else. It’s only for one or two nights. Hang on a minute.”

  Matthew heard someone talking in the distance.

  “I’m back,” Ashley said. “I need to go. Another FBI agent has arrived. I’ll call you in the morning.”

  “Make sure you’re safe. Don’t go anywhere that doesn’t feel right.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “I’m serious. Look after yourself.”

  Ashley sighed. “I will. Bye, Matthew.”

  “Bye.” The word was barely out of his mouth before Ashley ended the call. He stared at his phone for a few minutes before striding across to his laptop.

  Sean walked into the living room with two cups of coffee. “What are you doing?”

  “Booking a seat on the next flight to New York. Ashley needs me.”

  “Are you sure about that?”

  Matthew sighed. “No. But this time she doesn’t have a choice.”

  Sean left a cup of coffee beside Matthew. “What about the ranch?”

  He looked at the flight options that appeared on the screen. “I’ll talk to Nathan in the morning. There are plenty of ranch hands looking for work.”

  “I hope you know what you’re doing.”

  “So do I,” Matthew muttered.

  ***

  Ron Phillips leaned back in his seat. “We’ve published your article about Congressman Welsh in our online edition. It’s breaking news across all media networks. Tomorrow’s print and digital editions of The Daily Times will have the first of your follow-up stories, and your interview with Jasmine Alfredo.”

  “What about the bomb threat?” Ashley asked. “Won’t that make everything more difficult?”

  “We receive multiple bomb threats each year. This one is a little different, but none of the threats are taken lightly.” Mr. Phillips looked over the top of his glasses. “The phones have been running hot with interest from other news networks. The bomb threat has only fueled more speculation about Congressman Welsh’s activities.”

  “When will we be able to return to the office?”

  “The FBI has suggested keeping the building closed for the next couple of days. It will give them time to search each floor and find whoever is behind the threats. Regardless of what happens at work, you won’t be returning to the office until next week at the earliest.”

  Ashley frowned. “I can go back with everyone else.”

  “Congressman Welsh has some powerful allies. It will be better for everyone if you worked from another location. I’ve booked you, Harry, and Bonnie into a hotel for the next two nights. We’ll look at our options again in a couple of days.”

  “Do you really think that’s necessary?”

  “The FBI thinks it is, and that’s good enough for me.”

  The conference door opened and Special Agent Fallon walked into the room. “Congressman Welsh has released a press statement. When you’ve finished in here, com
e and see me. I’m down the corridor on the left-hand side.”

  Ashley took the piece of paper he gave her and read the statement. “He says he’s innocent.” She handed the press release to her editor.

  “No surprises there,” he muttered as he read the statement. “I can guarantee that most of his friends will be running for cover. Mud sticks, and in this city everyone wants to be squeaky clean. What do we know about Congressman Welsh’s life outside of politics?”

  “Not much. Politics is his life. Bonnie tried to interview his wife, but she wasn’t talking to anyone.”

  Mr. Phillips rubbed his jaw. “Try harder. Your story might shake a few stones loose. When that happens, we’ll have an avalanche on our hands. I want you, Bonnie, and Harry to be on top of any stories.”

  “What about the FBI investigation? We could get in their way.”

  “You aren’t writing for the society pages, Ashley. Keep going until you’re told to back off. When that happens, push harder. I want a story about Congressman Welsh’s life outside of politics by the end of the week. Harry can take the photos.”

  Ashley picked up the press statement. “Is there anything else you want us to do?”

  “Tell Bonnie to look for loose stones. Send the stories straight to me. I don’t want any information leaked to another paper.”

  “Okay. I understand.”

  Mr. Phillips pushed back his chair. “We’d better see what Special Agent Fallon wants.” He opened the door and waited for her to leave the room. “Let’s hope the security footage at Harry’s apartment has identified the intruder.”

  Ashley was only half listening to her editor. She was already thinking about ways she could talk to Congressman Welsh’s wife before Friday. It wouldn’t be easy, but it was better than looking over her shoulder for the person who had been following her.

  She just hoped Bonnie and Harry were happy to get involved. Because no one, including Ashley, knew where this story would end.

  CHAPTER NINE

  Ashley thanked the person she was speaking to on the phone, and ended the call. That morning, she’d discovered that Congressman Welsh’s former personal assistant Hazel Lewis, had stopped working for him halfway through his mayoral campaign. Her resignation had been immediate, and from what Ashley could work out, totally unexpected. For the last hour, she’d been trying to find her.

  “Do they know where Hazel is working?” Bonnie asked.

  “No. She isn’t listed with any of the large recruitment agencies in New York.”

  Bonnie hunted through the papers in front of her. “She moved from her last known address six months ago. Her family live in Maine. I’ll call them and see if they know where she’s gone.”

  “Good idea.” Ashley looked around the room they were using as their office. The hotel’s business center wasn’t large, but it had everything they needed.

  Harry had left earlier in the morning. He had a photo shoot booked at Times Square and after that, an appointment with a fashion designer. His schedule over the next few days didn’t leave much time for investigating Congressman Welsh’s life, but he promised to fit in what he could.

  Ashley re-read the information they already knew about Congressman Welsh’s family.

  His wife was involved in a number of charities and volunteered at a local mission. Their son and daughter went to a private school. Apart from the photos taken during Congressman Welsh’s mayoral race, Ashley couldn’t find any information that would help them.

  Bonnie left her phone on the desk. “You’re not going to believe this.”

  Ashley’s eyebrows rose. “Hazel is living in Maine with her family?”

  “No. It’s even better than that. She’s still in New York City. I spoke to her dad. Apparently, Hazel was fired from her job after she saw her boss with another woman. Congressman Welsh must have been desperate to make sure his wife didn’t know what he was doing.”

  “Why didn’t Hazel tell someone?”

  “She was afraid she wouldn’t get another job.”

  Ashley tapped her pen against her chin. “Did her dad say where she’s working?”

  “No, but I’ve got her phone number. I’ll contact her now.”

  While Bonnie called Hazel, Ashley called Jasmine Alfredo. A lot had happened in the last twenty-four hours, and she wanted to know if she was okay.

  But Jasmine wasn’t answering her phone, and neither were any of the staff at The Reaching High Foundation. With the number of people working in the building, it was unusual for everyone to have gone.

  “Grab your bag,” Bonnie said as she leaped out of her chair. “Hazel can see us in half an hour.”

  “Where is she?”

  “At the Manhattan Center. She’ll meet us in the ground floor café.”

  Ashley logged off her laptop and slipped it into its case. “I tried calling Jasmine at the Foundation. No one is answering their phones.”

  Bonnie picked up her bag. “Hazel will know what’s going on.”

  “Why would she know what’s happening at The Reaching High Foundation?”

  “Because she works there.”

  Ashley froze. “She works with Jasmine Alfredo?”

  “Not directly, but she has worked on some projects with her.”

  “What about Congressman Welsh?”

  Bonnie frowned. “I don’t know, but I can’t wait to find out why she’s working at the Foundation.”

  Ashley closed the door and followed Bonnie across the hotel foyer.

  She had no idea whether talking to Hazel would lead to more stories or a dead-end, but either way, they were about to find out.

  ***

  Hazel Lewis was a bubbly, twenty-something woman. Her dark brown hair swung forward as she nodded at something Bonnie said.

  For the last ten minutes, she’d been telling them about working for the Foundation.

  Regardless of how Hazel felt about her job, Ashley still couldn’t understand why she’d decided to work for Jasmine Alfredo. With Congressman Welsh being on the board and a senior project leader, Hazel must have seen him or even worked with him.

  “Did you enjoy working with Congressman Welsh as much as you do with the Foundation?”

  Hazel hesitated before replying. “At times, working for the congressman was extremely interesting. But when we had back-to-back meetings or social engagements, it could get tedious.”

  Bonnie sipped her latte. “I imagine there would have been lots of social engagements when Congressman Welsh was running for mayor.”

  “There were.” Hazel took a deep breath and looked at Ashley. “What you said in your article about him didn’t surprise me. He always seemed to live bigger and better than the next person. His salary as a congressman wouldn’t have allowed him to do half the things he did. I always thought his wife must have had lots of money.”

  “Why do you say that?” Ashley asked.

  “She always seemed so self-assured. Money was never an issue. While the mayoral campaign was running, they hired stylists and PR consultants to help them. They had a team who monitored everything they did, right down to the food they ate at the gala dinners and functions they attended.”

  Bonnie frowned. “Why would they worry about what they ate?”

  “Food is big business here. Some of Congressman Welsh’s biggest supporters were in the restaurant and hospitality industries. He didn’t want anyone thinking he favored one caterer, restaurant, or chef over another.”

  Ashley glanced at the clock on the wall. Hazel would need to return to work soon and they hadn’t covered half of what she needed to know. “Why did you resign from your role with Congressman Welsh?”

  Hazel looked at her hands. “I saw him…he was in his office…with another woman. He must have thought everyone had gone home. At first he was embarrassed and apologetic, but then he became angry. He made it impossible for me to work with him. I was already working long hours and I didn’t need more stress, so I left.”

  Bonnie tilted
her head to the side. “Who was he with?”

  Hazel bit her bottom lip. “I promised I wouldn’t say anything.”

  “You don’t owe Congressman Welsh anything. He defrauded The Reaching High Foundation of hundreds of thousands of dollars.”

  Hazel picked up her bag. “I’m sorry, but I can’t tell you.”

  Ashley’s eyes narrowed. If Hazel wasn’t protecting Congressman Welsh, it had to be someone else that had the power to make her life better or worse.

  “Was it Jasmine Alfredo?”

  Panic replaced the worried look on Hazel’s face. “No. It wasn’t her.”

  Ashley blocked Hazel’s exit from their table. “It wasn’t your fault. Why are you protecting her?”

  “You don’t know what you’re talking about,” Hazel whispered. “Jasmine hasn’t done anything wrong.”

  After listening to Jasmine’s heartfelt words in Bozeman, Ashley wasn’t so sure. “Did you know that Jasmine came to Bozeman to see me? She swore she knew nothing about what had happened until she hired a private investigator to look into Congressman Welsh’s life. I wrote a story about what an amazing woman she is and how her work had been sabotaged. I believed her when she said her charities meant everything to her.”

  “They do. It’s just…”

  “Just what?” Bonnie asked.

  Hazel’s hands gripped the strap of her bag. She looked around the café and sat down. “Jasmine called me the day after I resigned from Congressman Welsh’s team. She told me she had a vacancy at the Foundation. The job wouldn’t directly report to her, but it was a senior position with a much higher salary than what I had been paid.”

  “You didn’t think she was bribing you to keep quiet?” Bonnie asked.

  “I did at first, but she told me she wasn’t. She said that what I’d seen shouldn’t have happened and it wouldn’t happen again.”

  “And you believed her?” Ashley’s voice rose in surprise. This conversation was getting more bazaar by the minute.

  “I had no reason not to.”

  Bonnie leaned forward. “You didn’t think to ask other staff what they knew?”

  Hazel bowed her head. “I needed the job. I help support my family. If Jasmine was having an affair with one of her senior board members, it wasn’t any of my business.”