Page 59 of Saltwater Memories
Chapter 21
The coffee at this cafe was disgusting. Mike leaned back in his chair, shooting a glance at the front door. Still no sign of Amanda.
Maybe he was getting too used to Starbucks? He’d tried a new latte that week – something with pecan, toffee and whipped cream. Mike fully expected that it’d be terrible, but he was wrong. Starbucks had done it again. The latte was delicious, and he’d had four of them since. He’d always had a sweet tooth – just like his mom and his sister. He and his sister had more in common than she probably realized.
Mike had yet to tell Margie about his retirement, though; maybe now was the time? He was hoping that he wouldn’t need to involve her in his ongoing investigation – or anyone else, for that matter. But Amanda’s repeated interactions with the Dirk Gold Group employee meant that she was already involved.
He peeked at his watch – just a bit after noon. Maybe he’d missed Amanda again? Maybe she’d gone to a different restaurant?
Just then, the door opened and she walked through, head down and eyes on her phone. Mike watched as she stood in line, placed an order, and then waited just a few feet from his table.
“Excuse me, Miss?” Mike said softly, setting down his newspaper.
She didn’t flinch. She stood there, scrolling through her phone and skillfully ignoring him.
He smiled. He was sure that she’d heard him.
“Miss? You dropped your taser.”
She turned around, mouth open. “I’m sorry?”
He smiled, lifting his baseball cap slightly. “Hello Amanda.”
“Mike?” She looked over her shoulder, then back at him. “Sorry, I hardly recognized you with that hat and weird facial hair.”
He nodded. He wasn’t particularly happy with how his beard had grown out, but it did the job. “That was kind of the point. Can I walk you back to your office?”
“Sure – I guess.”
Her order was up. Amanda grabbed the bag and headed for the front door; Mike followed.
Once they were outside, she started pelting him with questions.
“How did you know where I was?”
“I’ve been keeping an eye on you.”
“Oh. Am I in danger?”
“I don’t think so, no. You really seem to like that restaurant. What is it that you keep ordering – the caprese?”
“Wow, you reallyhavebeen stalking me. But your intel is off.”
He smiled. “Is it?”
“I don’t like the sandwich. My boss does – she sends me out to get it for her, almost every time she sees me. I’m getting really sick of it.”
“Wow.” He let out a whistle. “That’s a far walk for lunch.”
“You’re telling me. How long have you been in Seattle?”
“A few weeks.” He paused. Should he tell her that he’d had no trouble following her for the past two weeks? She was incredibly easy to track. It would probably just scare her. Better not to mention it.
“And…have you found anything interesting?”
“Sure. I’ve been trying to figure out what Lenny is up to.”
“Ah. Well, all I know is that he owns some properties on San Juan Island, and DGG is buying them from him.”
