But what surprised her was seeing the tears in Piper’s eyes. Then Piper took hold of her hands. “When Viv told me the basics of your story, I knew you had been through a lot, but hearing it in your own words is compelling. And the events that have transpired with him coming after you recently and harassing you adds to the situation.” Piper looked away.
Something even more was bothering Piper. “What are you really thinking?”
“You have the perfect motive for murder.”
CHAPTER
TEN
On Wednesday afternoon, Layla waited for Scarlett’s arrival at her condo. They were going to have coffee before Layla met Viv and Izzy for dinner. They’d been texting each day, with Scarlett checking in to make sure Layla was safe.
After getting her college degree, Scarlett had gone straight to the DEA and quickly risen through the ranks by proving herself in the field on dangerous ops time and again. She’d worked with the Agency multiple times, and Scarlett had confided in Layla that the Agency had recruited her hard. But Scarlett had other ideas. She loved the thrill of fieldwork, but she also had diplomatic ambitions. Being at State opened different doors.
While Scarlett had never come out and said it, Layla thought that she might even have political ambitions down the road. And working in high-level diplomatic jobs at State was a great résumé builder. Layla had even considered whether State might be a good fit for herself initially, but the Agency needed her skills a lot more than State did, and Layla desperately wanted to serve her country in the best way possible.
When the doorbell rang, Layla went to tell the Agency guard that it was okay to let Scarlett in.
“Thanks for breaking away from work for coffee.”
Scarlett greeted her with a warm hug. “Of course. I had a few errands I had to run, so it worked out perfectly to swing by here. How’re you holding up?”
They walked into the kitchen. “Considering all that’s happened, I’m doing okay. Each new day, things seem to get more complicated.” Layla picked up the coffeepot and poured them each a big cup. “And you see my security detail is in full force.”
Scarlett sat down at the table. “Well, that’s actually a great idea. I’m sleeping better at night knowing you’re not here all alone. Those guys are highly trained and ready for anything.”
Layla scoffed. “Including monitoring my every move.”
Scarlett didn’t seem fazed by Layla’s sarcasm. “On that point, have you heard from the IG’s office yet?”
Layla shook her head. “No. It seems they’re operating on their own timetable, and that only adds to my already high stress level.”
Scarlett picked up her yellow coffee cup. “I know I sound very suspicious about this, but I can’t help it. What I haven’t told you yet is that I’ve lived through this process.”
“Really?” That came as a surprise.
“Yes. I was a young DEA field agent. An investigation was opened on my entire field team. They put us through the wringer, but I never, not once, showed weakness. In the end, they folded, we were all completely cleared, but that put a bad taste in my mouth forever when dealing with internal investigations. So if it seems like I’m coming in hot on this, I am.”
It was just like Scarlett to lay it all out there. It was one of the things that made their friendship work so well. Layla didn’t like passive-aggressive types. “Thanks for sharing that. At least I’m in good company.”
Scarlett smiled. “I did make some informal requests from my side to Langley.”
“And?”
“They’re being tight-lipped. Usually I can call in a favor and get what I need, but not on this one.” Scarlett sighed. “And that’s what really concerns me. Everything about this screams to me that they think they have something big on you, but they don’t have quite enough evidence yet to act on it.”
Layla groaned. “But I’m telling you, there’s nothing.” She had spent countless hours thinking about this, and absolutely nothing came to mind. She was a rule follower through and through. She had memorized Agency protocol from day one and had never broken it.
Scarlett patted her arm. “I believe you, but that’s all the more cause for concern, because it means someone set you up.”
“We talked to Bryce.”
Scarlett’s eyes narrowed. “That guy is a piece of work, but I don’t know that I can see him taking things this far. Anyone else you can think of on your enemies list?”
“My what?”
Scarlett lifted her hands. “C’mon. We all have one.”
Layla didn’t think she did, but now, staring at Scarlett, she wasn’t so sure. “I don’t try to make enemies.”
“Of course not, but our intentions don’t always matter. I’m sure there are other people at the Agency who would like to get rid of you. Think of your competition.”
“What do you mean?”
“Your contemporaries who want promotions and see you as a threat. It’s no secret that you’re a rising star with unlimited potential. You’ve already been rapidly promoted, leaving others in the dust. They can’t compete with the substance you bring to the table, so maybe someone has decided to play dirty to get what they want.”
Maybe Layla was living in too insulated of a bubble, because these things hadn’t crossed her mind.
“I can see I’ve unloaded a lot on you. I don’t want to stress you out, but I wouldn’t be a very good mentor or friend if I didn’t help you navigate these troubled waters, and to do so, you need to have your eyes wide open. You must fight for this the same way
