“Yeah, actually… I think maybe I am.”
“I’ll pass on that,” she added. “I think maybe I’d be happy with a BLT or something of that sort myself.”
“I’m pretty sure Metro has them on the menu.”
We stopped at the curb and waited for a car to cross in front of us. The sun was shining between a light scattering of clouds, and there was a soft breeze blowing. We were at the tail end of the unusual warm spell, so the temperature had only crept up near fifty and probably wasn’t going to climb much farther. Closer to typical for a Midwestern March, but then, this was Saint Louis. Weather always seemed to be a roll of the dice here, no matter how hard the meteorologists tried to nail it down. Even so, to me it seemed almost springlike.
As we waited for a second vehicle to roll by, I shrugged out of my jacket and slung it over my shoulder then slipped my arm back around Felicity. Once the lane was clear, we stepped off the curb and aimed ourselves toward her Jeep.
After a moment she spoke up again. “Do you think they’ll actually go for it?”
“Who go for what?”
“Letting you speak to Annalise.”
“Oh, that,” I replied. “I guess we’ll have to wait and see. They definitely didn’t seem sold on the idea, did they?”
She shook her head and pursed her lips as she frowned. “Even if they change their minds and will arrange it, I can’t imagine her attorney would be too happy about letting you then.”
“True story,” I agreed. “But, if she decides she’s willing to talk to me, and it’s her choice, then maybe there’s a chance. If the people with the badges will go for it.”
She fell quiet until we split apart, and I ushered her in front of me between a pair of parked vehicles.
“And what you need to talk to her about is the necklace,” she said over her shoulder, offering the words as a statement rather than a question.
“Yes.”
She slowed then stopped and turned to face me. “So do you maybe want to explain that to me now, or is it still a big secret?”
“Want, yes,” I replied, shaking my head. “But like I said, I can’t…not just yet.”
“Why not?”
“I made someone a promise.”
“Who?”
“Honey, I can’t really say…”
She studied my face for a moment then let out what sounded to be an abbreviated version of an exasperated sigh. “It’s a good damn thing I trust you, Rowan Linden Gant.”
“Yeah, believe me, I know.”
I felt a tickle on my side, somewhere even with my beltline. The soft vibration was quickly followed by a short chirp and a muffled feminine voice. I reached down and pulled my cell phone from its holder then glanced at the display. As I suspected it was notifying me that I had several new voicemails. I flipped the device open and scrolled through the missed calls. Every single one came from the same familiar number.
“Ben,” I said aloud, turning the display toward Felicity and holding it up for her to see.
“Aye, no surprise that.” She nodded, glancing at the LCD. “Better call him back before he works himself into a snit.”
I half chuckled. “This is Ben you’re talking about. I’m sure he already has…”
She turned and continued walking the dozen or so steps to her Jeep. As I followed along, I thumbed the button so the cell would dial the most recently missed call then placed it against my ear.
“It’s about time,” Ben’s voice issued from the speaker following the first half of the third ring. “I been tryin’ ta’ call ya’ back for two hours, but all I got was your friggin’ voicemail.”
“Whatever happened to just plain hello?” I asked.
“Simple. Our fast-paced lives and caller ID made it obsolete.”
“Listen to you…” I jibed. “Mister high tech social commentator.”
“Not a chance… I just heard some asshole say that on the news the other day. I think he was talkin’ about manners or somethin’, but it sounded like it would fit.”
“Yeah, I should have figured as much,” I grunted. “Well, I’m sorry for the delay in calling, but apparently I wasn’t getting a signal for the past couple of hours, so I just now got the voicemail notifications.”
In that moment anything resembling lightheartedness fled from his voice. “So listen, Row, did I understand your message right? You’n Firehair actually had a meetin’ with the Feebs this mornin’?”
“Unfortunately, yeah. We just got out of it as a matter of fact.”
“Unfortunately? That doesn’t sound good… So what’s the deal?”
“Long story short, Miranda is still trying to get to Felicity.”
“Yeah, you’ve been sayin’ that’d happen. But what’ve the Feebs got ta’ do with it?”
“Well, it seems that at the moment her plan of attack is to implicate Felicity in the murders.”
“Fuck me… We’ve already been down this road…”
“Tell me about it.”
“So they ain’t buyin’ into ‘er story, are they?”
“I don’t think so. At least, they say they aren’t, but I really don’t know for sure. We were talking to a pair from the BAU, and they weren’t exactly forthcoming with the whole story in the beginning. It took a bit to drag it out of them, and I’m still not convinced they aren’t leaving something out.”
“Not surprisin’. So, that just a hunch or did ya’ get a hinky feelin’?”
“A little of both, I think. Something weird is definitely going on. I just don’t know what it is. I’m not freaking out just yet, but I’m definitely just this side of worried.”
“Great… So, weird how?”
“Weird like maybe someone behind the scenes is calling the shots.”
“Could it just be chain of command?”
“Maybe, but I don’t really think so. It seems more like a pay no attention to the man behind the curtain sort of thing. You know, like the whole episode with the cops in NOLA suddenly dropping the charges against me because someone at the FBI requested it.”
“Okay, yeah. I get it. See why I hate the Feebs? You can’t trust ‘em.”
“Yeah, so what about Constance?”
“She’s the exception, not the rule. Speakin’ of Constance, you want me ta’ have ‘er make some calls and check some shit out?”
“Well, I’ll admit I’d sure like to know who it is I’m indebted to before he or she suddenly decides to collect,” I replied. “So, if you think she’d be willing I’d really appreciate it.”
“Yeah, well you know how she is. All I gotta do is mention it and she’ll start snoopin’. She may still be on medical leave but that sorta shit’s never stopped ‘er before. B’sides, it’ll give her somethin’ to do. She’s climbin’ the walls right now, and she’s still got two weeks left before they’ll even think about lettin’ ‘er back on the job.”
“I know, but please tell her not to get herself into any trouble over this. It’s mine and Felicity’s problem, not hers.”
“Yeah, like she’s gonna listen ta’ me. Get real.”
“I know, I know… It’s just that we owe her so much as it is. I don’t want her screwing up her career any more.”
“You ain’t gonna be able ta’ stop ‘er, Row. She’s kinda attached ta’ you two in case you ain’t figured that out yet.”
“Well, the feeling is mutual.”
“Yeah…okay… So let’s change the subject before this turns all fuckin’ sappy and shit,” he urged. “Listen, you doin’ all right today?”
I shrugged out of reflex. “As well as can be expected under the circumstances, I guess. I mean, I’m annoyed, but…”
He cut me off. “No, Kemosabe, I mean with the Twilight Zone and all.”
“Yeah, pretty much I suppose, why?”
“So, no bleedin’ or anything?”
