"Think of a plain Jane or Jamie with an unusual gift, that scares the shit out of them."
"Do you know how long we've been chasing that bastard Byron Jacobson? I'll tell you; it's been years and millions of bucks." I didn't respond.
"You've made other tip calls, haven't you? Besides the couple you told me about."
"Yes. Quite a few."
"Do you know a guy names Cooms? One of our agents in the Midwest says his grandson was found after a weird tip. He wants to run down the tip and thank the guy who's responsible."
"The name doesn't ring a bell."
His deep breath echoed across the line. "Look, tell me what to do. This is like a first date and you're the most gorgeous girl on the cheer leading squad. I'm petrified I'll put my foot in my mouth and screw it up. This is so much higher than my grade level I'm getting a nose bleed. Just give me some guidance."
I was liking this guy, but still cautious. "I'm not dealing with the FBI, I'm dealing with Daniel Brennan, recent man of leisure. I'm in a precarious situation here. We both can help each other tremendously but it has to be on my terms. If any of this gets out, no more tips; it's finished. I mean it."
"Agreed. If those tips can continue, I'll do anything you say."
"First off; we can't have you or anyone near you making any attempt to find out anything about us. I mean it."
"Scout's honor. You keep your privacy."
"Don't bother to ask questions because you won't get many answers. I might gradually let you know some pertinent stuff but mostly you'll just get tips, as far as you're concerned, from an unidentified source. You won't know if the source is male or female, old or young, from the east or west or how long the tips will keep coming. You won't know how many people are involved or how the information is obtained. If you stop and think about it, ignorance is in your best interests. You can play dumb because it's the truth. You'll get tips from us and follow up on them the same as any tips. You can honestly say they are anonymous."
"Okay. I don't hear any deal breakers so far. But I take direction from upstairs. I may have to tell somebody something."
"You're a private citizen in a few days. That's when I'll be dealing with you. We're not doing this for the FBI in any sense. That's to their advantage too. I don't think an admission they were dealing with a psychic or someone with supernatural abilities would sit well with their suit and necktie image."