Chapter 4
Jake was never so happy to watch a woman walk away from him. Still, he pretended to be disturbed.
“Thanks for nothing, man,” he said. “What the hell are you doing here anyway?”
Vinny chuckled. “She’s cute. A little curvier than your last one but I like it. Too bad she said she’s involved with someone.” He spread his arms out. “Look at it this way, I saved you the pain of being shot down. I told you, I visited a friend in the hospital. And I wanted to grab a cold six-pack for the ride home. What are you doing so far out of your neighborhood?”
His undercover assignment had all the safety measures in place to prevent discovery: a different state, lodging under his assumed name, and a safe distance from the fraud and public corruption case he worked with Courtney. He’d been riding his motorcycle, exploring on his bike the day Vinny drove off the road in front of him and Jake had logged more than one-hundred miles and was two-plus hours away from his apartment. Running into Vinny here, in the nearest grocery store to the undercover apartment was highly improbable. None of the Cabacolli clan had ever been observed by other agents in this neck of the woods so the Bureau’s Special Agent in Charge had deemed it safe for Jake to pursue the friendship with Vinny. Apparently, it wasn’t far enough.
The FBI knew the comings and goings of every member of the Cabacolli family and never once in the two years they’d tailed him had Vinny grocery shopped. What the hell was he doing here? And the bigger question: was his cover blown?
Nothing to do but play it out. “Well there’s a lesson for you, Vinny, never travel far from home without adequate refreshments in your car. I’m surprised you didn’t send your driver in for the beer.”
Vinny shrugged. “The parking lot was so crowded it would have taken longer to find a spot than for me to jump out of the car while he circled around. But you’re right. Supermarkets aren’t really my thing.” His eyes dropped to the basket dangling from Jake’s arm. “What about you?”
Jake mimicked Vinny’s shrug. “Unlike you, I don’t have someone to do my shopping. I rode my buddy up this way to pick up a car he bought. I’m not even sure where we are but like you, a cold beer sounds good.” He nodded to his basket. “I figured I could grab some groceries while I’m here. I’m on the bike, though, so I’m limited to one bag.”
Vinny nodded. “Let’s hang this weekend. You free?”
If he was suspicious, Jake couldn’t tell. “I think so. I’ll give you a call.” He didn’t wait for Vinny to ask more questions and instead set off for the beer aisle. He wanted to find Kenna and make sure she didn’t leave the store until Vinny was gone. Ensuring that Vinny didn’t see the car she drove or spy her license plate would ease his mind.
Fortunately, Vinny introduced him using his undercover name. That was another safety precaution. An undercover identity always included the agent’s actual first name, so there’d be no missteps if someone hollered from across the room, but a different last name.
Had he introduced himself to Kenna yesterday using his full name? He couldn’t remember.
Jake grabbed a six-pack and walked toward to the front of the store. Reading the informational signs hanging over each aisle, he glanced down the rows in search of her. Vinny moved through the checkout line as Kenna emerged from the far aisle. Jake rushed to block her cart, and she rolled her eyes.
He placed both hands on the front of the shopping cart. “Look, I know I’m a pain in the ass. I promise to leave you alone. Just do me this one favor and don’t check out yet. Wait before you leave the store.”
Her head shook slowly in disbelief. “Why, pray tell?”
“Because I’ll go away and leave you alone if you do.”
The corners of her mouth tipped up. “For that, I’d do just about anything. How long do I have to wait?”
He raised his forefinger to signal one minute and sauntered to the front window. No sign of Vinny’s new black BMW. Maybe Jake was paranoid and it had all been just a coincidence. But he didn’t believe that. Walking back toward Kenna, he noted she didn’t have many groceries in her cart beyond juice, lettuce, oil, and vinegar. She must not cook meals for that boyfriend of hers.
“I can’t go into detail but, believe me, you don’t want to socialize with Vinny. He’s not a good person.”
She arched one perfect eyebrow. “Oh, and you are?”
He had to hand it to her, she made him smile. The feeling pleased him. “Yes, ma’am, I am. I promised to leave you alone and I will but please take this.” He removed a pen and pocket-sized notebook from inside his leather jacket. After jotting down his first name and undercover cell number, he tore the sheet from the spiral binding. “Don’t throw this away. Just tuck it in your purse and if you ever see Vinny again, let me know. I swear, it’s important.”
Kenna eyed the paper for so long, he didn’t think she would accept it. Finally, she reached for it. “I’ll be happy to never see either of you again.”
That hurt. But he promised to leave her alone so he muttered his thanks and walked away. He fiddled long enough at his bike to see Kenna carry one plastic grocery bag to her car and drive away. He scanned the parking lot for at least five more minutes, long enough to reassure him that no one followed her.
~ ~ ~
Jake immediately called Courtney, knowing this encounter with Vinny had to be documented and dissected. Courtney was his lifeline to the administration, his contact agent, since an undercover agent never went into the office. Her phone number was blocked so if any unsavory characters stole Jake’s cell phone, there would be no connection to the FBI. The coincidental run-in with Vinny didn’t sit well with Courtney either and they agreed on a neutral meeting spot where Jake’s supervisor could hear the details first hand. At the restaurant, Courtney planted a friendly peck on Jake’s cheek in case they were being watched. But Jake assured her he hadn’t been followed. He’d driven miles out of his way before heading to the restaurant. The milk and cheese might be a casualty of the trip but he was okay with that.
“Do you want out?” his supervisor asked after Jake recounted Vinny’s appearance.
“No, not yet. Let’s run this a tad further. He wants to meet this weekend. I’ll gauge his attitude toward me and then we’ll decide. I might simply be overreacting.”
“What the hell was he doing so far from his home base?” the boss asked, knowing there would be no answer. “You watch your back, Jake. This feels bad.”
“Yes, sir. Don’t worry. It’s probably just a fluke.”
At least he hoped so. For his sake as well as Kenna’s.