had outstanding situational awareness, which meant he noticed everything in his environment. In Pike’s world, the things you didn’t notice could and would hurt you.
As the man drew closer, Pike saw a tattoo on the side of his neck. The ink suggested a gang affiliation, but Pike couldn’t see it clearly enough to tell. He wondered if Azzara had lied, and now Mendoza’s friends were upping their game, or maybe Azzara had not had time to call off the dogs.
The man left the crowd to take a position behind a street vendor selling hats and T-shirts. Now he was on a cell phone, and Pike wondered whether he was talking or only pretending.
Pike said, “We’d better go.”
Dru’s face drooped in exaggerated disappointment.
“Wow. This is a short date.”
“Is this a date?”
“It could be.”
Dru made an effort to pay, but Pike put down cash and told her they didn’t need to wait for change. When he glanced over again, the man in the orange shirt was gone.
Pike was trying to spot the man when Dru noticed, and turned to see.
“What are you looking at?”
Pike stepped in front of her, hoping the man hadn’t seen.
“Don’t look.”
She stepped to the side, trying to see—
“Is it one of those guys?”
Pike slid in front of her again.
“It’s nothing to worry about.”
She was frightened, and now Pike felt irritated with himself. He took her hand. It was soft, but firm beneath the softness.
“We’re fine. Come on. I’ll walk you home.”
Pike squeezed her hand once, then let go, but he could feel her tension as they walked back to the shop.
On the way, he touched her back to stop her twice, pretending to window shop so he could check for shadows, but the man in the orange shirt was gone and no one else was following.
When they reached the corner, Pike paused again. He checked the cars lining the curbs, the rooflines, the nearby shops, and the gas station across the street. Wilson’s sandwich shop was quiet and undisturbed, but now Dru walked as if she were brittle. Her confidence and ease were gone, and Pike felt a sense of failure. He had lost control of the moment, and Pike did not like losing control.
She said, “Are we okay?”
“We’re fine. I overreacted.”
She shook her head.
“You don’t look like the overreacting type.”
He followed her to her car, the silver Tercel parked directly behind the sandwich shop.
“Want me to come in with you?”
“I’ve done all I can with this place, believe me. I have to see about Wilson.”
Pike nodded, the two of them facing each other, neither of them moving to leave.
“Listen. Thanks. I mean it. I know I keep saying it, but thanks.”
“Can I see you again?”
Her smile returned.
He said, “A date.”
She smiled wider, but the smile vanished in what Pike read as a wave of uncertainty.
He said, “What?”
She pulled a slim billfold from her pocket, flipped through a card carrier, and showed him a picture of a little girl. The girl wore a fluffy dress and stood beside a green couch.
“This is Amy. My sister’s taking care of her until we know whether or not I can make it out here.”
Pike said, “Pretty.”
“Love of my life. She’s three now.”
Dru stared at the picture a moment, then slipped the billfold back into her pocket. She looked at Pike, then glanced away with a shrug.
“I dunno—I guess I just wanted you to know.”
Pike nodded, sensing she was afraid he would not want to get involved with a woman who had a child. He asked her again.
“Are you going out with me or not?”
Her white smile flashed again. She dug out her cell phone and asked for his number. Pike told her, and watched as she sent him a text.
“This is my number. Call me. I’d love to go out with you. On a real date.”
She put her cell phone away, then went up on her toes, and kissed his cheek. Pike cupped the small of her back as her body pressed into his. Pike was moved. She had given him a secret piece of herself when she told
As the man drew closer, Pike saw a tattoo on the side of his neck. The ink suggested a gang affiliation, but Pike couldn’t see it clearly enough to tell. He wondered if Azzara had lied, and now Mendoza’s friends were upping their game, or maybe Azzara had not had time to call off the dogs.
The man left the crowd to take a position behind a street vendor selling hats and T-shirts. Now he was on a cell phone, and Pike wondered whether he was talking or only pretending.
Pike said, “We’d better go.”
Dru’s face drooped in exaggerated disappointment.
“Wow. This is a short date.”
“Is this a date?”
“It could be.”
Dru made an effort to pay, but Pike put down cash and told her they didn’t need to wait for change. When he glanced over again, the man in the orange shirt was gone.
Pike was trying to spot the man when Dru noticed, and turned to see.
“What are you looking at?”
Pike stepped in front of her, hoping the man hadn’t seen.
“Don’t look.”
She stepped to the side, trying to see—
“Is it one of those guys?”
Pike slid in front of her again.
“It’s nothing to worry about.”
She was frightened, and now Pike felt irritated with himself. He took her hand. It was soft, but firm beneath the softness.
“We’re fine. Come on. I’ll walk you home.”
Pike squeezed her hand once, then let go, but he could feel her tension as they walked back to the shop.
On the way, he touched her back to stop her twice, pretending to window shop so he could check for shadows, but the man in the orange shirt was gone and no one else was following.
When they reached the corner, Pike paused again. He checked the cars lining the curbs, the rooflines, the nearby shops, and the gas station across the street. Wilson’s sandwich shop was quiet and undisturbed, but now Dru walked as if she were brittle. Her confidence and ease were gone, and Pike felt a sense of failure. He had lost control of the moment, and Pike did not like losing control.
She said, “Are we okay?”
“We’re fine. I overreacted.”
She shook her head.
“You don’t look like the overreacting type.”
He followed her to her car, the silver Tercel parked directly behind the sandwich shop.
“Want me to come in with you?”
“I’ve done all I can with this place, believe me. I have to see about Wilson.”
Pike nodded, the two of them facing each other, neither of them moving to leave.
“Listen. Thanks. I mean it. I know I keep saying it, but thanks.”
“Can I see you again?”
Her smile returned.
He said, “A date.”
She smiled wider, but the smile vanished in what Pike read as a wave of uncertainty.
He said, “What?”
She pulled a slim billfold from her pocket, flipped through a card carrier, and showed him a picture of a little girl. The girl wore a fluffy dress and stood beside a green couch.
“This is Amy. My sister’s taking care of her until we know whether or not I can make it out here.”
Pike said, “Pretty.”
“Love of my life. She’s three now.”
Dru stared at the picture a moment, then slipped the billfold back into her pocket. She looked at Pike, then glanced away with a shrug.
“I dunno—I guess I just wanted you to know.”
Pike nodded, sensing she was afraid he would not want to get involved with a woman who had a child. He asked her again.
“Are you going out with me or not?”
Her white smile flashed again. She dug out her cell phone and asked for his number. Pike told her, and watched as she sent him a text.
“This is my number. Call me. I’d love to go out with you. On a real date.”
She put her cell phone away, then went up on her toes, and kissed his cheek. Pike cupped the small of her back as her body pressed into his. Pike was moved. She had given him a secret piece of herself when she told
Similar Books
