“We can at least fill them in on what we saw.”
She nodded. “Let me see how long I can delay this lunch meeting. The account is too big to blow off.”
“I understand,” I replied. “Maybe we can set something up with Constance for later.”
“That would probably be good.”
“Okay, we’ll be in the kitchen.”
“Go tell them I’ll be there in a minute,” she ordered.
“Are you feeling okay?” I asked.
“Fine. Why?”
“The attitude.”
“What attitude?”
“Look,” I started. “I know you’re angry about last night, but this barking orders at me is starting to get a bit old. I’m not your servant.”
She looked up at me and pressed her thumb against the off-hook button on the phone midway through dialing.
“I’m doing it, aren’t I?” she asked.
“Pissing me off? Yes.”
She let out a heavy breath, and I could see that she was forcing herself to ground. “No. Channeling,” she offered. “The whole domination thing. I’ve actually been getting off on being a bitch to you.”
“Damn,” I mumbled. “I guess I’m too out of it myself. That hadn’t even dawned on me. You know, between my headache and your libido, we’re a hell of a mismatch at the moment.”
“I’m sorry, Row,” she told me.
“I’ll get over it,” I replied. “But, you might want to consider hematite jewelry to accessorize. It might help you stay grounded.”
“Good idea.”
“Okay. I’ll be in the kitchen,” I said as I turned to go.
“Row?”
“Yeah?”
“I am still mad about last night though.”
“I figured,” I replied with a nod. “If you’re still mad later, you can beat me then.”
“I’ll take you up on that,” she offered. “But, you should know that I just might enjoy it way too much.”
“Well, that makes one of us.”
“Maybe I’m slow,” I said as I poured water into the coffee maker. “But it just now dawned on me why you’re here.”
“What do you mean?” Constance asked.
“Our friendship,” I replied. “You can’t tell me your boss isn’t hoping to get somewhere by playing that card.”
“It was mentioned,” she admitted with a shrug. “But the idea to send me didn’t come from my SAC.”
“Really? Who then?”
“Me.”
“You?” I asked, somewhat taken aback.
“Yes, me,” she affirmed. “Actually, you should probably thank me.”
“Why is that?”
“I had to do some fast talking to get him to go for it. After I got the call yesterday wanting to know the best way to approach Felicity…”
“And what did you say?” my wife interrupted, appearing in the doorway, her attention divided between the conversation and the task of applying her makeup with the help of the mirror in our dining room.
She was actually going to be leaving soon, but Constance had decided to pick up as much from me as she could, then check back with her later.
“Full riot gear and a prayer,” Mandalay replied.
“You didn’t…” I said.
“No, but I thought it,” she offered with a tired smile.
“Smart woman,” Felicity called through the doorway.
“Anyway,” Mandalay continued. “What I did say was that it would be best to let me do it… And then I spent thirty minutes convincing him I was right.”
“Why?” I asked. “Did you have to convince him, I mean.”
“Because of the fact that we’re friends,” she explained.
“So he thought you were too close to us to be objective,” I concluded.
“Which is why Agent Drew came along for the ride,” she added with a nod.
“What if you hadn’t been able to convince him?” I asked, curiosity getting the better of me.
“Truthfully? The approach could have been a bit more hostile.”
“Why?”
“Because the assumption was that due to your history your loyalties would lie with the MCS.”
“With Ben, yes,” I asserted. “Maybe a few others as well, but with Albright calling the shots? No way in hell.”
“That’s what I told him.”
“And?”
She shrugged. “He’s new in town, Rowan. He doesn’t know the whole history, just what’s on paper. And, to be honest, we didn’t know if you knew about Albright yet-which apparently you didn’t… Let’s just say it’s a good thing I convinced him to let me handle this.”
“Are you two finished?” Agent Drew asked, something akin to impatience trilling in his voice.
“Chill out,” Mandalay told him.
“We’re here to get information,” he replied. “Not for a friendly chat.”
Mandalay turned to him, and even though from my present angle I couldn’t see her face, the look in his eyes told me I was glad the glare was directed at him and not me. After a moment of thick silence, she said, “You smoke, right?”
“What’s that got to do with…” he started to ask.
“Why don’t you go ahead outside, Agent Drew. Have a cigarette and wait for me. I’ll finish up here.”
“Simpson said we were both…”
“I said,” she interrupted him again, the coldness of her tone unmistakable as she slowly over-enunciated the sentence. “Wait… out… side.”
The ringer on the phone suddenly pealed through the room, dissipating the uncomfortable aura surrounding the standoff between the two of them.
“If that’s Judy from Winzer-Lockhart, tell her I’m on my way,” Felicity called out.
I stepped across the room and snatched up the handset without even taking time to check the caller ID.
“Hello?” I said as I tucked it up to my ear.
I was greeted only with silence.
“Hello?” I repeated.
The quiet continued to be my only greeting, but as I listened I was certain I could hear the sound of someone breathing at the other end. I looked over at the caller ID box and saw that it was displaying nothing but a series of dashes. The number had been blocked.
I dropped the phone back onto the hook and let out a sigh. This wasn’t new. In fact, I had even been expecting it to start up again. I just hoped that my expectations and resignation to the fact hadn’t been what manifested its untimely return.
“Wrong number?” Constance asked.
“Not exactly,” I returned.
“The breather?” she prodded.
