Convicted (Consequences)

millionth time—he was her contact—he was Tony’s contact. In the three days since Tony arrived, neither of them had bothered to connect their contact . Before she made a decision one way or the other about her impending call, Phil’s voice refocused her thoughts.
    “Claire, do you have a few minutes?”
    She grinned. “Well, you know, I’m super busy.” He pulled out a chair at the umbrella table beside her. Although it was still morning, the intense sun warranted shade whenever possible. Phil’s shorts and shirt amused Claire. It was a much more casual look than he normally wore. “I thought you were going into town with Tony and Francis?” she asked.
    “I changed my mind. I’d like to talk to you privately for a minute.”
    Immediately, she bristled. She and Tony hadn’t breeched major topics in the last few days—no specifics; however, they had talked about trust—giving and receiving it. “Phil, I won’t lie to Tony.”
    “I’m not asking you to. I want to discuss something with you alone. I’ve no doubt he’ll give his opinion, but nevertheless, I’d like yours first.”
    Claire pulled herself up and sat taller as her legs remained outstretched on the soft chaise lounge. “What do you want to discuss?”
    “You know I have a few different phones?”
    Claire nodded.
    “By using a remote server with multiple redirections”—Phil paused, as if knowing Claire didn’t need the technical reasons—“never mind the how —anyway, I’m positive the phones aren’t traceable, nor are the ones you and Rawlings have. Earlier today, I turned on my old phone.”
    Claire wasn’t sure if it was his voice or his tentative cadence, but something about Phil’s speech brought concern to her consciousness. “I don’t know if you’re trying to or not, but you’re making me nervous. Please just say whatever it is. Do you want to leave?”
    “Do I want to? Not really. Security on this island isn’t a bad gig. Many would agree that I have the ideal job. The thing is that, when I turned on my phone, I had multiple messages from Ms. London.”
    Claire’s heart stopped, and she felt the blood drain from her face. “Why did you want to talk to me privately about this?”
    “I’m assuming that I still work for you ?”
    The way he emphasized the last word, Claire knew he wasn’t referring to her as part of a couple. “Theoretically, yes, you work for me.”
    He cleared his throat. “In my previous experience, it’s usually the person with the bankroll who tells me what I should be doing. Like when I was trailing you, Rawlings told me what he wanted. I don’t mind watching the sky for planes or the horizon for boats, but I think I could be more useful to you—to both of you—back in Iowa.”
    “Why?” Claire asked with increased volume and pitch coming through her one word.
    “None of her messages asked specifically about you. She asked if I’d completed my job. If so, she has another one for me. If I go, I could keep an eye on her and report back to you.”
    Claire knew it was selfish to want Phil to stay on the island; however, she couldn’t help it. She never would have predicted that having both Tony and Phil nearby would give her such an overwhelming sense of comfort. After the last few months, she didn’t know she’d ever experience this sense of peace again; she didn’t want to lose it so soon. Claire responded, “I don’t know what to think. I think we should discuss it with Tony.” Claire saw Phil’s grin and imagined his green eyes with golden flecks smirking behind the dark glasses. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
    “Three days—don’t you dare let the woman I spent a month with in Europe disappear in three days .”
    She looked down at her lap and exhaled. “I haven’t disappeared.” Looking back up, she went on, “It’s called team work . Part of that is refraining from making unilateral decisions.”
    Phil nodded. “All right, I’ll buy that. Now, how about that instinct we talked about? What’s your instinct saying about this idea?”
    Claire considered and replied, “It’s saying this is a good idea. If we don’t have someone back there keeping us informed, we’ll have no idea what she’s doing.” Before Phil could respond, Claire added, “That’s my instinct . My heart is telling me, not to let you leave. Everyone is safe here. If I could, I’d give you a list of people and tell you to have them all brought here. I’d even