DECKER HAD COME HOME from Brown’s to find Jamison still asleep. He caught a few hours of sleep, showered, and changed. By the time he was done, Jamison was up and dressed and sitting at the kitchen table.
“You need some food,” said Decker. “And so do I. Let’s go.”
They drove to a nearby restaurant and ordered breakfast for lunch.
Thirty minutes later Jamison put a last mouthful of scrambled eggs in her mouth while Decker finished his third cup of coffee. He eyed her closely. “How are you really doing?”
“Better actually than I thought I would. Which makes me feel guilty.”
“Some people just have it coming, and the guy last night did, Alex. But then I’m biased since you saved my life in the process.”
She looked despondently over at him. “Maybe I’m just not cut out for this. I was thinking before that maybe I should just go do something else with my life.”
“Maybe you don’t need to think about that right now.”
“But I do, Decker. I mean, I’m not getting any younger, and I have to make decisions about my life.”
“You’re a good investigator. Ross would not have brought you on if he didn’t think that.”
“Come on, Decker, Bogart brought me on because of you.”
“Why would he have needed to do that? And you were the one who deduced that Dabney was maybe a longtime spy because of how quickly he found someone to buy his secrets. Even if it turns out not to be the case, I didn’t think of that, and neither did Ross or Todd.”
“I’m not saying I don’t have my moments.”
“You have more than moments, Alex. Look, if you want to bag it and go do something else, fine. But don’t do it because you think you’re not cut out for this, because you are.”
She looked at him hopefully. “Do you really think that? You’re not just saying that to make me feel better?”
“As you know better than most, that’s not how my mind works.”
“But I did kill a man,” she said, her expression turning dark again. “I’m not sure I could face doing that again.”
“This job doesn’t call for us to get into shootouts with people. Alvarez wasn’t tied to our work at the FBI. So that may very likely be the first and only time you have to draw your weapon.”
“Apparently not if I keep hanging around with you.”
“You need to get your mind off it. Luckily, we have a very complex case to solve.”
“Hey, do you want to call Melvin and have him come with us? He’s had some good ideas on this too.”
Decker hesitated long enough that she looked at him suspiciously. “What is it?”
“Nothing.”
“Come on!”
“It’s nothing.”
“Decker, you’re a shitty liar.”
“I just think we need to let Melvin sleep in.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know. Just a feeling.”
“Decker!”
“He had a long night.”
“What do you mean by that? He went home the same—” She stopped and stared wide-eyed at him. “Holy shit. Are you not telling me what I think you’re not telling me?”
“Alex, I don’t even know how to begin to answer that question.”
“I’ll ask you a simpler one then. Did Melvin sleep with Harper Brown?” Her voice had risen to where people at two other tables stared over at them.
“Why do you think that?”
“Why do I think that? Hello, it couldn’t have been more obvious that she wanted him.”
“It couldn’t?”
“Oh, come on, for a guy who misses nothing, you really have a blind spot sometimes.”
Decker looked nervously around before focusing on her. “It’s none of our business what they did.”
“You need to tell me everything right now.”
“Why?”
“Because technically I work for Melvin.”
“So?”
“Decker, I swear to God if you don’t tell me I’m going to make such a scene right here and now.”
Decker sat up. “Okay, okay. Yes, they…spent time together at Melvin’s hotel.”
“And how do you know this?”
“I went over to Melvin’s hotel late last night. Well, it was really early this morning. You were asleep. I’d called him but he didn’t answer.”
She looked at him incredulously. “Oh, really? And what, you were worried?”
“All right, I deserved that.”
“And then what?”
“And then I saw Brown come out. I followed her to her house and we…talked.”
“You talked about what they did?”
“No. I mean, not really. It was mentioned, but it wasn’t like I wanted to hear details,” he said, flustered. “They’re both consenting adults. They can do what they want.”
“They had just met a few hours before!”
“Alex, what do you want me to say?”
“What did Brown say?”
“She said, well, that they were mutually attracted to each other. And that it was just…you know, sex,” he added uncomfortably.
“Does she normally jump into the sack with someone she just met?”
“She says she doesn’t.”
“And you believed her?”
“I wasn’t going to interrogate her about it, for God’s sake,” he said heatedly.
“She works at DIA. Don’t they have rules against this sort of stuff?”
“I don’t know. And now I wish I hadn’t told you.”
“Melvin is your friend. Aren’t you worried about him getting hurt?”
“Yeah, I am actually. I told Brown that.”
“And what did Brown say?”
“That she didn’t want to hurt him. That maybe they could have a relationship.”
“Oh, please. She’s going to dump him.”
“You don’t know that.”
“Yes I do. Do you really see this lasting?”
“So what if it doesn’t? Maybe Melvin just wanted sex too.”
“Melvin is different.”
“Maybe he is. But he’s also a grown man who can make those decisions for himself.”
“So you’re not going to do anything?”
He looked at her in amazement. “What exactly do you want me to do? Tell them they can’t see each other because I said so? Christ, Alex. Listen to what you’re saying. Next you’ll be wanting me to pass notes to him like we’re back in middle school.”
Jamison slumped back in her chair and stared off. “This is all so wrong.”
“Look, I know you have a problem with Agent Brown.”
“And I’m surprised you don’t since she keeps lying to us.”
“That’s part of her job.”
“Oh, great, so now you’re defending her? Again!”
“I’m not defending anybody. I’m just stating a fact.”
“What do facts have to do with any of this?” she snapped.
An elderly man dressed in a suit and felt cap, who’d been sitting at the table next to theirs, came over on his way out.
“My dear late wife and I used to have arguments just like this. Every marriage has its ups and downs. But don’t worry, you two will work things out.”
He tottered off, leaving Decker and Jamison staring openmouthed at each other.
“Great, now we apparently sound like an old married couple!” exclaimed Jamison in disbelief.
Decker jumped up. “I’ll go pay the check.”