Page 21 of Capitol Matters

I swayed back, brow furrowed. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Avery spun away to prance toward his acolytes. “Allright, everybody!” he shouted. “We’re gonna take five—”

“Ten!” I called after him. “I said ten minutes!”

“Taketen,” he corrected. “Then we open this place like a cracked melon.”

Groans of complaint rose from the group, but I didn’t hang around to hear them out.

Discarding my cigarette, I walked quickly back to Holland’s car. I opened the door and dropped into the seat, my mind churning to come up with an innocuous reason we needed to leave the area as soon as possible.

“I didn’t know you smoked,” Holland muttered, scrolling through her phone.

“Constantly,” I replied.

I checked the dashboard screen for the time: 9:32 AM.

“Have you eaten today?” I asked.

“Breakfast, yeah,” Holland replied. “Why?”

“I haven’t, and I’m starving.” I pulled the door shut. “There’s a gas station a couple miles down the road. We could stop by there. I’ll get something quick.”

She watched me for a moment, long enough that I added, “If you don’t mind.”

“Fine.” She shifted into drive.

Her mood had remained somber since her earlier confession. A shortcoming she hadn’t wanted me to know about. She’d been the same when we were kids, perfectionistic and prideful. I’d known how to cheer her up then. Couldn’t hurt to try again now.

“Hey, no rush coming up with stuff for me to do,” I said. “It sounds like what you really need is some help.”

As we passed the alley where Avery and his crew were gathered, I rotated my torso to block as much of the passenger side window as possible.

“This consultancy gig is a job, right?” I asked.

Holland nodded.

“So, put me to work.”

Several seconds passed while she considered my suggestion. Finally, a scarce smile curved her lips. “We’ll see,” she said.

With the alley and its occupants behind us, I relaxed. So far as I could tell, the investigator suspected nothing about my proposed breakfast run. Even if we didn’t make it all the way to the gas station—and I had to go without a meal—we would at least be far enough away to keep ourselves clear of danger and Avery clear of arrest. The rookies, too, I supposed.

“Thank you,” Holland said in the growing silence. “For being gracious.”

I chuckled. “I don’t think that word has ever been used to describe me.”

“I take it back, then.” Her smile became teasing. “Don’t want to damage your bad boy persona.”

“Bad boy?”

“Or whatever it is you’re putting on here.” She swept her hand in an all-encompassing motion.

I smoothed my suit coat. “I think you’re confusing persona with personality.”

Holland shook her head. “I know your personality,” she said. “This isn’t it.”

Quiet descended more heavily this time. I watched the sideview mirror as downtown shrunk into the distance.

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