Greg Kane paced the miniscule office. Three strides and he reached the wall and had to start over. It wasn’t very satisfying.
He took a seat at the conference table. It held six chairs. Another wouldn’t fit no matter how much someone might want it to. The room wasn’t much longer than the table. He’d never been able to figure out why the room was so small.
Drumming his fingers on the table, he hummed to himself. He could pull out his phone, but what would he look at? Ugly, yet cute puppies? Grumpy cats? He didn’t have children, and he didn’t have a girlfriend.
He had work.
His friends were from work as well.
So, just work.
He rubbed his hands over his face. Stubble grazed his palm. He’d wanted to shave before coming to the District Attorney’s office, but he’d been told to come immediately and not to dawdle. So, here he was not dawdling, and where was the DA?
Who knew?
He leaned back and crossed his legs. The chair almost flipped him.
Quickly, he righted himself and leaned over the table to keep it from happening again.
He started to get up and go to the front desk and find out what was taking so long. As soon as he made the move to rise, the door opened.
“Sorry to keep you waiting.”
Greg grunted.
Todd Jefferies, the city’s assistant district attorney, took a seat and slid a file folder toward Greg.
“That’s a report that was filed with the local police station stating that Tony Demarco has gone missing.”
Greg lifted his gaze so fast he was almost dizzy.
“Before you ask, I have no other information. I’m not even sure who filed the report. There doesn’t seem to be a record. And now there is no record of the filing.”
“You took the actual one?” Greg drew in a swift breath.
Todd leaned forward on his elbows. “Look. No one knows that Tony was working for this office. If someone kidnapped him that means they might have figured it out. We need to get ahead of this before that happens. It’ll ruin our entire case against the Rosa Cartel. I need you to find him.”
Not to mention taking and tampering with evidence would ruin the case. Greg kept his mouth shut and massaged his temple. “Well, that’s not going to be easy.”
“I know. The DA and I have a plan, but I don’t know if you’ll like it.”
“Let’s hear it.”
“Let one of your officers infiltrate the family under the pretense that we need Tony’s help.”
Greg laughed. “Which one of my officers is going to be able to do that? The Demarcos have had weekly raids on their house and place of business for years. They’ve probably seen every officer in the city at one time or another.”
“Then get someone from outside the city. Just get someone.”
Greg closed his eyes. He had an idea. He didn’t know if it would work, but if it did…
“I might know someone.”
“Then get them in here ASAP. Give them whatever they need. I’ll be calling you.”
Jefferies grabbed the file and left the room just as suddenly as he’d entered.
Greg called Quinn. “I need a phone number.”
****
Ericka leaned her head back against the headrest. The plane seat was tinier than she’d hoped, but it could have been worse. It could have been a military transport plane.
Over the last couple of weeks before her departure, she’d attended a wedding and a retirement party. She lifted the hem of her shirt and closed her eyes. The material of her shirt was silky, not unlike a wedding gown. Maybe one day she would stand before the altar. Although she had her doubts. Mae was much more suited to it than Ericka.
Turbulence caused the plane to shake and Ericka opened her eyes and grasped the arms of the chair. She licked her lips and tried to tap down her fears.
Fear.
She’d experienced and witnessed a lot of incidents of fear recently. Bill retired because he became afraid during the hostage crisis. Who could blame him? Personal experience, as well as making a mistake with someone else’s child, had caused him to want to step back from the case, then it had caused him to want to step back all the way.
She didn’t like it, but she understood.
Ericka stared out the window. White puffy clouds that looked like cotton balls dotted the brilliant blue sky.
The blue reminded her of Greg’s eyes.
It was hard to believe she would see him soon.
The flight from Knoxville landed at LaGuardia International Airport at precisely 5:40 PM. Ericka was late by ten minutes. Not that she expected anyone to be waiting.
The plane taxied to a stop on the runaway. Given permission to disembark, Ericka stood on tiptoes and retrieved her carry-on bag. In line, she followed the other passengers off the plane. She wasn’t sure but she thought she smelled fish or sewer. Maybe it was the East River she’d heard so much about. She might ask someone local if she got up the nerve.
Crowds gathered around the luggage carousel. She grabbed her unique suitcase. It was a hard-shelled rectangle covered in stickers from every city or country she hoped to visit one day.
So far, being an agent for the FBI had kept her close to home in Tennessee and now sent her to New York. The military had fulfilled some, but nowhere near all the stickers she’d accumulated.
Outside the terminal, luggage in hand, she hailed a cab. The apartment she’d found online was little more than an address in her hand. She could only hope the cab driver could find it and that it didn’t cost her a fortune to get there.
Luggage in the trunk, she handed the driver the paper.
He looked at it and looked up at her. “You sure?”
That statement didn’t bode well for her pocketbook. “Yes, please.”
She opened the door to climb into the back seat but stopped.
“Stone! Stone!”
Backing out of the car, a smile tugged at her lips. “As I live and breathe, Greg Kane.”
“Get your stuff; I’m here to take you to your place.”
The cab driver seemed relieved. Greg helped her roll her luggage to his parked car, a dark green sedan with tinted windows.
She’d known she’d be seeing him, she’d come to New York to work with him, but seeing him now was still a shock.
He climbed behind the wheel as she settled in the passenger seat. “You look good. I like the long hair.”
Ericka lifted a strand and twirled it around her finger. She liked her hair as well. When they’d been overseas, she’d kept it short for practicality.
She cleared her throat. “I was about to say the same thing about you, not the hair of course. Yours hasn’t changed.”
He chuckled and moved his hands on the wheel back and forth as if nervous. She understood. She had a case of nerves as well.
“Let me see the address for your apartment.” He took the paper. “Sorry my team couldn’t help you find something. The whole group has only been together for a little over a month. In fact, they’re still trying to decide what to call our unit. We consist mostly of ex-military, computer geniuses, and people with unique skill sets. The mayor and police commissioner are expecting amazing results. Hopefully, we can fulfill their desires.”
“Thanks for thinking of me.” Maybe she shouldn’t be thanking him so soon. But at least in her case if the unit didn’t work out, she had a job to go back to, him not so much.
He frowned and shot a quick glance in her direction. “The Bronx?”
“I looked up the most affordable borough and this is what I found.”
“All right, let’s go see what we got.”
They drove in silence for a while. Occasionally, Greg would point out a landmark. Ericka would never remember them. It was a good excuse for him to show her again later, maybe more up close and personal.
The drive was taking quite a while. She gnawed her lip. This wasn’t a good thing, even she knew that.
“Hmm, where exactly is our office?”
“Queens.”
“Oh.” She bit her lip. “That is where we just left, right?”
“Yes.”
“So, um, I’ll have quite the morning commute.”
“Depends on traffic, but yeah. And with no car you’ll have to take the subway and then a bus, maybe more.”
“Oh.” Not good.
“For now, I’ll send an officer to pick you up.”
“Thank you.” Car would have to go on her list immediately. However, after riding with Greg she wasn’t sure she wanted to drive in the city. It was full of tiny one way streets and tight turns, not to mention aggressive drivers.
“No worries. I’m just getting familiar with the place myself. It’s a far cry from North Carolina. I’m thankful every day for my GPS.”
They parked in front of a decent looking apartment building. There didn’t seem to be an actual parking lot, just a few drop-off spots with meters.
Kids played outside across the street in a well maintained park. So at least the place was family friendly.
“I’ll come in with you.”
She started to protest, but decided she would like his company.
The entrance was narrow, but well kept. Behind a glass partition a man smoking a large cigar was yelling at a small television playing a black and white TV show.
“Excuse me?”
“Yeah.” He didn’t turn to face her. Just slapped the television on the side and muttered under his breath.
“Excuse me?”
He finally trained his attention on her with one eye. The other remained looking off in the distance.
“Glass eye, want to see?”
She’d tried not to stare, guess she hadn’t tried hard enough. “Uh, no thank you. I rented an apartment online, um, 417.”
He turned to a filing cabinet and pulled out an envelope.
“May I see proper identification?”
She pulled out her driver’s license.
“Tennessee, huh? Far away from home.”
She nodded. Greg was waiting patiently behind her, but she could tell he was listening and observing their surroundings. Glad someone was able to. The gentleman in front of her was very distracting. He looked like some hotel manager from a bad sitcom.
“Looks legit. I already got your deposit and first month’s rent. Plus, I let those rent furniture guys in so you’re all set.”
“Thank you.”
“No problem.” He turned back to his television. “Stupid snow.”
She headed the only direction she could go, and Greg followed. The elevator was out of order. She was glad to only be on the fourth floor. Climbing stairs everyday would at least tone her calf muscles.
Huffing and puffing, she reached 417 and opened the door. The apartment was smaller than she’d imagined. Like a postage stamp.
The bed took up most of the living area, dining area, and kitchen area in the studio apartment.
The bathroom was at least a good size with a walk in shower, a decent sized sink cabinet, and utility closet for linens.
“Wow. I feel completely responsible for this.”
“It’s not that bad.” Well, it was, but she wouldn’t admit it.
“It’s not that good, either.” Greg walked the length of the apartment in four strides. “Let me find you something else. You can stay with me until then.”
That was a generous offer, but not a good idea. She’d had feelings for him before and it didn’t seem like they had left her. The twinge of excitement at seeing him and working for him had come with his first call. Seeing him in person made her heart want to flip.
“I’ll be fine. I have a six month lease. That’ll give me time to find something else.”
“Are you sure?”
“Absolutely. Now you go and let me get settled.”
“What about food?”
She bit her lip. That was a problem she hadn’t considered.
“Why don’t you get settled. I’ll go buy a few staple items, pick up some dinner, and we’ll catch up.”
She did need food and toilet paper.
“I’d like that.”
“Lock this door. I’ll be right back.”
Ericka locked the door and plopped down on the bed. The metal frame creaked with protest.
Maybe moving to a new city had been a bad idea. She’d left big open spaces for a matchbox. At least she wouldn’t be home much. Starting a specialized unit had to keep one in the office a lot, right?
At least she certainly hoped so. Otherwise, she’d find a park to visit. Already the walls felt like they were closing in.
If not for the incident, she wouldn’t have taken Greg’s offer. But it had happened, and she needed a fresh start. This was it, no matter how small her apartment.
****
Greg arranged the bags of food in his hand so that he didn’t drop them on the long trek up the stairs. He was in good shape, but he was still out of breath when he knocked on the door.
He shifted from foot to foot. He would have gone to Chinatown to pick up food, but it was too far from Ericka’s apartment. Not that one could really call that place an apartment based on size.
It was more like a hole in the wall. Mice had more room.
He should have made time to find her a place. Picking her up every day would cut into the workday, plus he’d be forced to feel sorry for her. He didn’t really need more reasons to think about her. He did that often enough anyway.
The door opened. She had changed into a shirt which showed her tanned arms and had the face of a pug on the front. A pair of jeans with holes in the knees hugged her slim figure. And no shoes.
Her toes were moving in the rug that sat before the door. Her pretty toes with pink nail polish.
“Oh, food!”
She took the two bags from him and set them on the minimal kitchen counter. How would she ever be able to prepare a meal? There was no room for anything.
“I only got a few things. I’ll take you to the store tomorrow after work and you can get everything you need.”
“Great.”
She sniffed. “Is that mu shu chicken? I love mu shu chicken.”
“I remember.”
They’d shared the dish when they returned home between tours. It hadn’t been at a fancy restaurant or a restaurant at all, it had been in the airport.
More importantly, he remembered everything about her.
They stood at the kitchen counter to consume their meal. She picked up a piece of chicken and popped it into her mouth. Then she licked her fingers. Same as she had done before. He’d been waiting years to see her do that again.
That warm feeling that had filled him before, filled him again.
“Oh, sorry. I haven’t offered you any.”
She handed him a container. He was slightly disappointed. Although he had no idea what he would have done if she’d fed him a piece with her fingers.
He might have proposed.
“I’ll just put up the cold items and we can eat together.”
She hummed under her breath. He waited until she sat before he took a bite.
“Should I say grace?”
“Yes, please.”
She bowed her head before he spoke.
“Lord, thank you for this meal and for the good company. May our work be blessed by you. Amen.”
She opened her eyes, a smile on her face.
“Let’s have it. What are you thinking about?” He knew that look. He’d seen it every time she had something funny she wanted to share.
She shrugged. “Nothing other than that time Dan got us lost in the bush and put grubs on the menu.”
He groaned. Just thinking about the event made him want to gag.
“That’s the reaction I remember.” She laughed. “Then he asked you to bless the ‘meal.’”
She started laughing harder. He thought he might need to give her mouth to mouth soon. Not an altogether bad prospect.
“Do you remember what you said?”
“Indeed, I do.” He rose to his feet. “Lord, may we be truly thankful for the grubs we are about to receive. And I was thankful until I took that first bite and puked all over the captain’s shoes.”
“The captain’s face was priceless!”
She would remember his most embarrassing moment. Why couldn’t she remember his heroics? When he had rescued her from a fire fight. Or when they had performed an infield operation together and saved a kid.
He finished and wiped his mouth on a napkin.
“While I’ve enjoyed the reminiscing, I should probably be going. Someone will be by to pick you up at about eight in the morning.” Although he knew it would be him. Honestly, sharing wasn’t on his agenda. Not now that he had her back.
“Okay.” She wiped her hand on a napkin.
He rose, and she followed him to the door.
He seriously hated leaving her, but he would have to sometime. She might like to get comfortable in her surroundings, unpack, or something like that. Not that there was much room for any comfort or unpacking.
“It’s okay.”
Obviously, she’d felt his hesitation. “I’ve been alone for a long time now. I’m a big girl.”
“Trust me, I know.” He hadn’t meant to be so intense when he spoke, but it came out that way.
He took one more deep breath and stepped out into the hallway instead of closer to her like he wanted to. “I guess I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Yup.”
“Make sure to lock your doors. And call me if you need me.”
“Of course.”
“Oh, before I forget.” He drew out his card and passed it over to her. “My number.”
She held it between her delicate fingers. “Thank you.”
He took one more step back. “Tomorrow then, I guess.”
“Yup, tomorrow.”
He forced himself to turn around. He stayed in the hallway until he heard her door close and lock, then he headed for the stairwell. He wasn’t looking forward to going home. The quiet would only make him think about her more.
Maybe he should get a cat.