“You think she’s got the device?”
“No. But she’ll know who does. Meanwhile, it’s great having you on standby.”
Callie shrugs. “It’s something to do till the next assignment.”
“Speaking of which…”
She looks up. “Yeah?”
“Darwin met with Homeland last night, so the next assignment could come any minute.”
“Good.”
I raise an eyebrow.
She responds, “Too much domestic bliss wears me down over time.”
I smile. “Trouble in Paradise?”
She shrugs. “You know how it is, living full time with a woman. Not to mention she’s a trapeze artist, with aches and pains and the attitude you get with circus folk.”
I look at her a minute.
“Do you guys ever…”
“What?”
I move my hand in a swaying motion, like a trapeze. Then say, “You know…”
“What’re you, sixteen?” she says.
“Sometimes.”
We’re quiet a minute. Then I say, “Seriously, Callie, what’s happened?”
“What do you mean?”
“Last time I was here you were walking on air. I’d never seen you so happy.”
She stares at the window a moment, then stands and walks over to it and adjusts the blinds. Turns back to face me and says, “You know what I do all day?”
“I can only fantasize.”
“I do absolutely nothing. Nothing but wait for your calls. I mean, I get up early, Eva’s sleeping. I go for a run, or work out, or lay out by the pool, or go shopping, or get my hair and nails done, but nine times out of ten, I’m doing all those things alone.”
“Could be worse though, right?”
“I’m bored out of my fucking skull! We can’t go anywhere because Eva’s life is wrapped up in that God-forsaken show. She sleeps till noon, rehearses till six, performs till ten.”
“Doesn’t she ever get a day off?”
“Tuesdays. But she’s always recuperating from one thing or another. And lately, she’s supposedly been visiting her mother Tuesday nights.”
“You don’t believe her?”
She sighs. “You don’t want to hear all this bullshit, do you?”
“I do. You never talk about your personal life.”
“Shows you how desperate I’ve become.”
“You think she’s cheating?”
“I…no. But she’s distant. And last week when she went out, she took a bag.”
“She spent the night?”
“No. But she didn’t bring the bag back.”
“Maybe she gave it to her mother.”
“Maybe.”
I study her face. “What have you done?”
She shakes her head. “God, I can’t believe it’s come to this.”
“Tell me.”
“I put a tracking device on her car.”
“And if you find out she’s cheating?”
She sighs again. “I’ve given up my days and nights for this woman. I moved away from my home in Georgia. You know how much I loved living on the lake.”
“I do.”
“It’s not like I’m old, or ugly…”
“You’re the most beautiful woman on the planet Earth.”
