Special Ops Affair by Jennifer Morey

your husband was having an affair?”
    “He said Frasier didn’t go to you two for help,” she said with a hint of accusation.
    “Did you tell him your husband was having an affair?” Odie repeated. She didn’t want Calan to know they’d be looking for the woman. If he killed Frasier, he might kill her, too, to keep her from talking.
    “He also said Odelia Frank had her own agenda and it didn’t include Frasier’s welfare.” Then she turned to Jag. “He said she probably had you fooled.”
    Jag glanced at Odie and she could see his chagrin.
    “Who are you?” Heather asked. “How did you know Frasier? Why did he go to you for help?”
    “I’m afraid we can’t divulge that. We’re from a private organization, but we are investigating your husband’s murder. I’m guessing Mr. Friese isn’t comfortable with that and that’s why he came to see you.”
    She contemplated them. It wasn’t much, but it was a vague explanation. Maybe it would be enough.
    She exchanged a look with her sister and then turned to them. “He said Frasier was involved in something over his head and it got him killed.”
    “That much is true.”
    “What was it?”
    “Did he ask you anything else?” Odie asked instead of answering. “Is there anything else you told him that you haven’t told us?”
    Heather looked from Jag to Odie and then shook her head. “No.”
    “Thank you very much, Heather. You’ve been a big help. And again, we’re very sorry for your loss.” Odie started to turn, looking at Jag and telling him with her eyes that she thought Heather wasn’t saying something.
    He returned it with a similar look.
    “What was Frasier doing that got him killed?”
    Odie pivoted and faced Heather again. She didn’t answer. Telling her too much would only put her in danger.
    “Right,” Heather said derisively. “You can’t divulge that.”
    “I’m sorry,” Odie said.
    “Are you government? Calan Friese didn’t seem like he was, but you two do. He sort of scared me. There was something about him, you know?” She made a distasteful face.
    “Again, thank you for your time, Heather.” Odie turned with Jag and they started down the walkway. There wasn’t anything else to say, and Heather didn’t trust them.
    “Wait a minute.”
    Excitement and hope soared inside Odie. She knew when someone was about to spill something.
    “I lied to Mr. Friese. Frasier did go see a man once. A colonel in the army. Roth, I think was his name.”
    Chills prickled up and down Odie’s arms. She knew Colonel Roth.
    “I thought it was strange,” Heather went on. “I mean, why was he going to see an officer in the military?”
    “When did Frasier go talk to the colonel?”
    “I don’t know.” Heather paused as she thought. “Maybe a month ago. I kicked him out of the house shortly after that.”
    “Thank you. You don’t know what a big help you’ve been today. We’ll be in touch.”
    She and Jag left the building.
    “Oh, my God.” Odie had trouble catching her breath after she and Jag got into the car.
    “What’s the matter?” Instead of driving away, he kept the rental in park and looked over at her.
    “Colonel Roth? ”
    “What about him?”
    Jag recognized the name but didn’t understand the degree of her reaction. Of course he didn’t. Colonel Roth ran a Special Projects Directorate for Army Special Operations Command, but only she and Cullen knew how he was connected to TES. It was huge. Why was an engineer who was having an affair with a mysterious woman want to seek out someone like that?
    “Let’s go talk to him,” Jag said.
    She’d love to, but no way. “He’ll never agree to see us.”
    Jag sent her a sharp look. “Why not?”
    She just shook her head, overwhelmed with the implications. Roth had asked Cullen to look into Hersch after he’d met with Frasier. Had the colonel known there was a connection? Maybe not. Without being able to talk to Frasier, she might never find