Page 28 of Hidden Depths

“What’syourexcuse?”

“Work.”

“You said you were stressed. But working hard isn’t such a bad thing, especially if you love it.”

“Love is such a strong word. I don’t know if I would go quite that far. But I do put a lot of myself into it.”

“I forgot to ask what it is you do.”

“I work for the Department of Justice.”

“Justice is a noble goal.”

“Yeah.”

He rolled up his sleeves while they walked, and she noticed marks on his wrists. Her thoughts immediately went to the worst-case scenario, so she forced herself to ask the question.

“What happened there? Looks like you’ve been restrained.”

“I was.”

“Please don’t tell me you’re an escaped convict.” She meant it as a joke but couldn’t help scanning the street around her, mildly reassured that she had plenty of witnesses.

“I almost said yes, but I can see you’re a little jumpy about it for real.”

“Sorry. I’ve got some stuff in my past. It makes me overly cautious.”

“Then let me assure you I’m not a bad guy, although the marks were made by cuffs. It happened during a training exercise.”

“You got that from training?”

“We go pretty hard. Things can get very competitive, but you should see the other guy.”

“What is it you do for the Department?”

“Desk jockey.”

She glanced at him, making her perusal obvious as she looked him over. He did not have the physique of someone who spent their days at a desk. “You’rea desk jockey?”

“I’m flattered. But yes, they require a certain level of fitness for everyone.”

She knew that wasn’t true. She’d had a lot of contact with the DOJ during Lansky’s trial. They did not all have the same build. You always knew which guys worked in the field. If Tom was telling the truth about who he worked for, then he was lying about what he did for them. And she suspected he was lying about where he got those injuries. It didn’t mean he was a bad guy, it just meant he wasn’t being honest.

Then she remembered the guy from the market. She’d convinced herself that he was no one, but what if he was? What if the feds had sent someone to check up on her and make sure she was safe? But why not tell her? If Tom was here for protection, why didn’t he say so?

“Have you enjoyed living here?” he asked her after they’d walked a block in silence.

“More or less.”

“What did you leave behind you in Virginia?”

“Nothing.”

“Nothing? No family or friends?”

A knot formed in her stomach. She needed to turn the subject off herself. “Not really. I was finished with school and needed a change. So, what case are you working on now?”

“Case?”

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