Page 22 of Anarchy Missing

“How do you know him so well?”

“Who?” Randy blinks at me.

“Lincoln Wade,” I snap. I feel so bitchy right now. Like I haven’t had my morning coffee, but it’s dinner time. Maybe I’m just really hungry?

“I knew him once. Back when were in high school.”

“Oh. So why don’t you just go interview him? See what he says?”

“Because he’s going to lie, Lulu.”

“If I do this, I’m not wearing a wire.” I say it firmly, like this is non-negotiable.

“Fine,” Randy concedes.

“And I don’t want to be followed.”

“Unacceptable,” Randy says. “That’s standard protocol.”

“No,” I say, standing my ground. “If I’m being promoted to informant then I work this case alone. That’s what informants do. At least while they’re gathering evidence. If I find anything out, then you guys follow me and we bust them. That’s my condition or I’m not doing it. I don’t want people following me. And I don’t want him being suspicious. If his friends are as dangerous as you say, then I don’t want to risk my own safety.”

It’s a whole lot of bullshit. I just want to get some time alone with Case and not be wondering if anyone is critiquing my reactions.

Randy agrees to that, the food arrives, and once I am eagerly chowing down my chicken fried rice, I’m feeling better again. Randy isn’t even getting on my nerves as we work through dinner and make a plan for tomorrow.

The next morning Cait is there when I walk in to the sixth-floor offices, handing me some more of that delicious cinnamon coffee. “I admit,” I tell her with a smile, “I dreamed about this coffee last night.”

“Oh, you like it?” she asks. “It’s from that new coffeehouse down on C Street. City Coffee, it’s called. I’m going back to grab some to take home. I love it too. Do you want me to pick you up some?”

“Yeah,” I say, stopping to take a long sip. “I’d love to wake up to this every morning.”

“Consider it done,” Cait says, skipping off to deliver cups to other people in the office.

Randy and I spend the rest of the morning planning out every detail of the interview tonight. I’m sitting down with Marla Bast from Channel Nine at four o’clock, and it’s going to air during the six o’clock news.

Randy is back together today. Predictable dark blue thousand-dollar suit, red power tie, and perfectly coiffed hair.

But somehow, he’s sexy again. God, I don’t know why I’m so hot and cold with this guy, He’s never been mean to me. In fact, all day today, he’s been nothing but sweet. He even bought me lunch at the new pub across from City Hall. And we didn’t even eat at our desks.

“Are you nervous?” Randy asks. The TV people are here, micing me up and doing my hair and makeup.

“A little,” I admit. But not about the interview. I’m nervous because I know Case is going to know I’m back in town tonight. He might even try to call me. Maybe I should stay late tonight? Just in case he calls the office?

“Lulu?” Randy asks. “Did you hear me?”

“No, what? Sorry. I was thinking about the interview. I’m so nervous.”

“Just be yourself,” he says in a low voice. I know that’s so the TV people don’t catch anything unusual in our conversation. “You’ll do great.”