It ended up being an extremely long day. Because we didn’t get to headquarters until late in the afternoon, I wasn’t able to sign the rental paperwork to take possession of the keys to the condo. I wasn’t wild about the idea of staying the night in a motel, but the idea of staying with McShae was even less attractive to me. I could only imagine what his place would be like: beer cans and pizza boxes on the floor; women’s panties in couch cushions.
Come to think of it, that sounded like exactly what my apartment had been like before I hooked up with my ex-wife.
After being issued my black Chevy Blazer, McShae talked me into following him to Friday’s for dinner. The rain had slowed to a trickle, but even with the reprieve it still took us well over an hour to get to the restaurant. These people down here had no idea how to drive. It wouldn’t surprise me in the slightest if half of them didn’t even have a license to be on the road.
By half past nine we had finished our meals and were talking about the case over a few frothy beers.
“Trista already has a boyfriend, so she won’t be the angle to work. Her boyfriend owns a local club. It’s a real happening place to be,” McShae said expertly.
I set down my beer. “Are you aware that the seventies have been over for decades?”
He took a swig of his beer and continued, finding no humor in my sarcasm.
“It’s called Blaine’s Rain. You should be able to find Trista there at least four nights a week.”
“Party girl?”
“Not really. She seems to spend most of her time there sipping on the same club soda or glad-handing guests with Blaine. Anyway, she’s a waste of time. She’s friendly and all, but I don’t think you’ll be able to get into her personal life fast enough.”
“That leaves me with this Jenna chick, right?”
“Unless you want to turn your charms on Blackstone directly, I’d say so.”
“What kind of intell do we have on her? I need something to go on besides living across the hall.”
McShae set down his beer and leaned forward with a flash of comraderie.
“This will not be an easy one, Caldwell. She doesn’t leave the condo much. She has not been observed with a boyfriend of any sort, so at least that gives us an angle to work. She does her grocery shopping every Thursday morning around eleven and she has dinner with her sister’s family every Sunday evening. Other than that, she hasn’t been observed out of the house unless she is with her sister or Trista.”
“So basically,” I began, “I have my work cut out for me.”
“Pretty much. Is that going to pose a problem for you? We can always place me in the condo, but I’m afraid my superiors don’t have much faith in my undercover abilities. They don’t think that I have the kind of personality that makes women want to tell all.”
Why didn’t that surprise me? “I’m not worried about it.”
“Well, I’m glad that you’ve got this all figured out. You can expect to hear from me at least once a day. I’ll help you ‘move in’ tomorrow morning.”
Great, I’m stuck with a partner who likes to use finger quotes when he talks.
“After that, I’ll check in by phone to check on your progress and give you an update on what we’ve uncovered about Blackstone that day. I’ll pop by as needed to add credibility to your cover story. I’m your best friend from college who got you your job with the consulting firm. Remember, if I’m your friend, you have to at least pretend that you like me,” McShae said.
“Which office is in charge on this one, McShae?” I had been dying to know since before my arrival in Dallas.
“Technically, my office is because most of the manpower is from here. However; because of your boss’s, um, affiliation with the Director, your office will have jurisdiction on this one. You’ll report to D.C. and I’ll handle the contact here.”
At least I didn’t have to report to him.
“What time can I sign the lease and start to move in?”
“Eight a.m. sharp. The moving van pulls up at a quarter of nine.”
Let the games begin.
© 2009, Sydney Katt. All rights reserved. Unauthorized use of content will result in dragon attacks.
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