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“Not now. When you’ve been in the field for a few years, you get a feel for the speed of a job. Sometimes you have to dig in quick. Other times, like this, you don’t rush. You let things unfold.”
“You sure?”
“Yes.”
“Okay. So I’ll find the professor. Are you going to wait for me here?”
“No. I spotted a café around the corner. I have the feeling we’ve got a long day ahead of us, so I’m going to grab a coffee. You want one?”
“No, not yet. I had one a few hours ago. Not ready for my second yet.”
Aaron gave Lewis a quick once-over in surprise. The desk jockeys usually drank more coffee than anyone. But he was glad his new partner had turned down the drink. Lewis was already too peppy and Aaron wasn’t sure if he could endure any more. As it was, he couldn’t be sure he wouldn’t end up biting Lewis’s head off by the end of the day. Maybe he did need to take a break.
“All right. I’ll meet you out front in twenty.”
* * *
Aaron didn’t look back as he headed down the sidewalk in a quick stroll. Out of habit, he scanned the surrounding vehicles and the faces that passed him by. He was sure one shifty-eyed guy who passed him was carrying either drugs or an illegally concealed weapon, but he was focused on the coffee and the day ahead.
The café was busy when he entered, but the line moved quickly. He ordered his drink, gave his name, then stood to the side with the others.
His gaze continued its scrutinous roam around the room but paused when he made eye-contact with a woman who was watching him. He was used to women looking at him. He was aware that plenty found him attractive, but this woman’s look was more curious than admiring. It should have been a nice change, but he found it mildly deflating.
Her face flushed and she looked down. She was very pretty, and under normal circumstances, he may have gone over to talk to her. But though his eyes lingered on her longer than necessary, he didn’t consider himself in the market. Especially now. He wouldn’t make anyone a suitable partner with the mood he was in all the time.
“Aaron!” His name rang out from the counter and he retrieved his coffee. When he turned, the woman was behind him.
“Hi, sorry,” she said, biting her lip as she blushed again. “Sorry. It’s Aaron, right?”
Aaron looked at his cup where his name was written in large capital letters, although it was missing one of the a’s. He held it up to her. “How’d you guess?”
She smiled shyly, looking at the floor while she tucked her hair behind her ear, but when she lifted her eyes back to his, an element of mischief that hadn’t been there before was mixed with her embarrassment. “Aaron Pritchard?”
His eyes narrowed. “Now that is clever. Do I know you?”
She beamed. The smile lit up her face and stole his breath for a moment. “It was a long time ago. I’m not surprised you don’t recognize me. I only barely recognized you but waited till your name was called to confirm it was you.”
Aaron studied her face, running it through his mind, but couldn’t connect it to anyone. “How long ago are we talking?”
“I was about eleven when you moved away. You would have been around sixteen, I think.”
His mouth opened slightly when he noticed the green flecks in her brown eyes. He remembered them. He’d seen those eyes in a young girl’s face quavering in fear. Tears brimming as she looked to him for help. He’d also seen the same wide smile.
“Sydney Carpenter. I don’t believe it. Look at you all grown up.”
“It’s not Carpenter anymore.”
“Oh, right. You’ve gotten married?”
“No. My mom finally left my dad. I changed it to her maiden name after that. But look at you. In a suit and everything. From what I remember, you used to wear T-shirts until they rotted off of you.”
Aaron laughed. “Yeah. My dad hated it.”
“So what are you up to these days?”
He wanted to impress her and didn’t know why. “Special Agent Aaron Pritchard,” he said, pulling out his badge.
“Wow. You’re an FBI agent? Your dad must be proud.”
