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“Not gonna work,” Griffin said. “You don’t know the subtleties of this case. She might unwittingly give you a clue, and you’d miss it. It has to be me.”
Adam shot Ben a smirk that shouted “I-told-you-so” before he tossed the chicken wing bone into the basket. “Hey, I was just trying to help a brother out.”
“I guess you’ll have to depend on that legendary charm of yours,” Ben added.
Griffin sent his friend an unamused glare.
“Dude,” Ben continued. “We all know I’m the brains of this trio.” He gestured at Adam. “Adam is, and always has been, our enforcer. And you? You’re the Rico Suave of the group. You’ll figure something out. You always do.”
“Well, I hope it happens soon. The wedding is next week.” Griffin scrubbed a hand down his face, glancing at the passersby on the sidewalk as he did so.
He did a double take when he saw Marin striding toward the Metro station across the street.
“Speak of the devil,” he murmured as he rose to follow her. “Metro card.” He frantically patted the pockets of his jeans. “Damn it! I need a Metro card to go after her. Ben, give me your Fast-Pass. You always have enough fare on yours.”
“Seriously, dude? I need it to get home tonight.”
In a few steps, Marin would be on the escalator. If Griffin didn’t catch her now, he’d lose her. “Adam will drive you home. You’re both going to the same damn place. Now, come on, man, this is serious.”
Ben huffed as he slowly pulled the card out of his wallet. Griffin snatched it out of his hand before jumping the iron railing that surrounded the café and jogging down the sidewalk.
“Don’t worry folks,” Adam joked. “He likes to think he plays a cop on TV.”
Ignoring the honking horn of a cab, Griffin made his way across Connecticut Avenue and ran onto the escalator, dodging tourists who didn’t know well enough to stand on the right side. Once he’d reached the bottom, he spied Marin pass through the gate and head to the northbound platform. He swiped the pass and followed her to the escalator leading down that way.
“Marin,” he called out from the top.
She stumbled slightly as she stepped off the escalator before turning to face him. The look on her face warned him she was still prickly. Griffin hoped the legendary charm Ben seemed to think he had wouldn’t fail him.
* * *
Agent Keller took the steps two at a time. There was no reason for him to hurry; the surprise at seeing him in the subway tunnel had rooted her feet to the floor. Marin couldn’t move if she tried.
After their encounter last night, she’d gone home and downed a hefty glass—maybe it was two—of wine before soaking in a hot tub. She’d spent today hiding out in the chocolate shop, meticulously pasting the sugar image of the White House to the cookies. The task was mind-numbing, but she was at least able to hide in plain sight. Now she was looking forward to another glass—or two—of wine and a bath. Unfortunately, the reason for her being so discombobulated was bounding down the subway escalator after her.
“Agent Keller,” she managed to say. “I’m starting to get the feeling that you’re following me.”
“Griffin.” He sounded winded, as though he’d been running.
“Griffin?”
“Griffin. It’s my first name.”
“Oh.” Because, what else could she say?
The metro was normally busy at this time on a Friday evening. Tonight, with all the tourists in town for Easter and the Cherry Blossom Festival, the platform was shoulder to shoulder with people. Griffin stepped out of the path of the escalator and indicated that she should follow. Like a lamb to slaughter, she did.
“And I was following you tonight.”
His admission startled Marin even more.
“I was hanging out with some friends when I saw you walk by the restaurant,” he said. “I wanted to talk to you. To ask you something.”
“To ask me something?” Anyone listening to their conversation would think that Marin didn’t have the strongest handle on the English language.
“It’s about the wedding you need a date for.”
Marin’s breath froze in her lungs.Was he serious?He wanted to rub it in that she didn’t have a date to Ava’s wedding? She didn’t want to have this conversation with Agent Keller.Griffin. She wanted wine and a bubble bath. Marin shook her head. Then she allowed the sea of tourists to propel her in the direction of the train tracks.
