Chapter 10
It amazes me how no one finds anything suspicious or wrong about the way Nina presents herself. I can't say that anyone at this table is particularly morally sound, but there has to be some honor among thieves, right?
Not thieves, per se, either.
I don't know if that's even the phrase to use.
That's not what's important, but my whole issue is the fact that she gets to go unchecked just because she's cute.
Yea, I know she's cute—I can see that with my eyes.
She's adorable, and that's fine, but it's a lie.
All of it's a lie.
So, here I am at a fucking barbecue restaurant because somehow Redd accepted the invitation via calendar and is here.
He won't even answer my calls or texts without having a buffer between. He has to check that everything I'll say will be important enough for a meeting. But he must have some sort of filter for barbecue and to make his way for every opportunity that includes it.
My ribs sit untouched as I wait for Nina to finish telling him everything that happened at the watch.
He's not overly engaged, more so in his analysis mode, where he's just taking in information without responding at all.
It leaves a big opening for Nina to go on unimpeded about all the events.
She tells him about when we got gas, at what point I sneered at her, and even some of the smaller conversations we had outside of what we actually saw happening in that building—that we saw the man we're looking for, and that we think he might be able to be identified by Liezel once she's able to get back to us.
He nods, taking a long sip from his drink, and then asks, “Anythin’ you'd like to add, Vert?”
“No,” I say, because she literally told him about even the weather condition of where we were. “Seems like Nina could have went by herself.”
Then he chuckles, to which she feels extremely smug vindication about. Since she's sitting beside Redd, she's able to stick her tongue out at me without him being able to see.
I've got something for your tongue, little—
“What's next?” Redd asks. “Heard back from Liezel? If she’s got a name I can start diggin’.”
I decided to push my food aside, since I’ve lost my appetite thinking about how unknown my time in Atlanta will be.
I want to see my daughter, and not over video call.
“Next is figurin’ out if we're able to get this man alone to see if we can come to terms with how big this operation is, and if they have any plans to move next.”
Redd has no problem eating his food, stuffing candied yams into his mouth before asking, “Will you need more men? I’ll approve any request if you need the support. From what I can tell they don’t have small numbers and can spare the men to protect whoever they deem important.”
“No,” I assure him, knowing that we have what few men we have left, spread pretty thinly. “I have what'd you call her?” tossing a thumb her way, “Rainbow Pixie Bright here.”
“Oh,” she says, eyes glittering in the dull lighting of the restaurant. “I like that so much. What a sweet name.”
“Redd,” she says playfully, slapping his shoulder, “that is such an adorable name.”
He shrugs. “I've got away with words.”
I grimace at their comfortability with each other.
Why can't her and I have that kind of rapport?
Oh yeah, because she's fucking insane.
The side of her that Redd is seeing is more tame that I ever get. I’m stuck wondering again, if it’s just me that sees what’s clearly there or if she is just that good at hiding it.
“Well, if we're done here,” I start, standing from my bench.
But Redd says, “We're not.” I sit back down and listen to what my first regent has to say.
“You're gonna have to write this up. Matter of fact, I'm gonna need a written report so that I can add this to the file. We need to be able to keep track of all these movements. I do appreciate the lunch, but we still have to do things formally.”
I don’t mind doing the paperwork. Even criminals gotta make sure everything is running smoothly if they expect to be making money for long.
But, I doubt that anyone ever makes Nina do something close to paperwork.
Call it petty or whatever you’d like but with how she tries to get under my skin, a little bureaucracy couldn’t hurt her.
“I'm sure Rainbow Pixie Sprite can take care of it.”
“Oh my gosh, I actually could…” She begins, her to-go box already packed and ready. “But you see, I really think this is more of your wheelhouse. I'm kind of more like special teams, if you will.”
“Special teams?” I question. What is she talking about?
“You know, like football, how they have like one role.
And my role actually is two roles, one being cute, which, as we can see, I have nailed down today.
I mean, do you see how well the purple and grey go with the white frosting and pink cake design on my shoes?
It's kind of like a neutral anyways–frosting, that is.
But my other role? Kind of useless right now, considering we're still looking for suspects.” She looks to Redd for confirmation.
“Right,” Redd says, following her analogy for special teams but not understanding what she means about her second role.
Either because he doesn't actually know or because he doesn't care to know. But I know what that other role is clearly now that I’ve been shown her skills first hand.
“But I am aware we'll need to make sure that we have all the information possible because we don't want to mess this up. We don't know the exact scale and scope of what was going on with Colton and Geno before I took Geno out, and now we might have somethin’ even more intricately interwoven into Lafayette than Dupont.”
“Do you think there's more people within the family that could have flipped sides?” I ask.
Redd sighs, looking around the restaurant before responding, “There's no tellin’, to be completely honest. I'm learnin’ more and more that it's difficult to know who to trust anymore.” He shakes his head.
“Once we get this write-up, then I'll talk with Blue, and we'll figure out what we want to do next as soon as Racquelle gets back from Mexico.”
“Okay,” I say, not sure what this means for me. It’s not a resolution to the issue here but maybe it’s an opportunity for me to get back home. “Do you need anything more from me?
“Hang tight for now. I’ll keep my ears to the ground and send you where we need you. Seems like Nina might be magical after all. We’ve already got a lead with her help.”
She beams at him and then at me, “See? Magical.”
“I’ve got ears,” I grumble, now truly ready to leave the restaurant. “Pack it up. Let’s go.”
“Well, thank you for lunch,” she says to Redd. “My ride is departing. Should we plan for another?”
“I’ll let you know,” he says but I’m moving toward the doors before I hear her call out after me.
We’re in my rental car before she huffs and huffs and then huffs again. Taking my cue as she fully expected, I ask, “What’s wrong with you?”
Her pout is severe as she questions, “Do you really not think I was helpful?”
“In what way?”
“To the stakeout! I’m not just a body, you know? Thanks to my insight, we likely have a lead. Like Redd said. You don’t think so?”
Pulling out of the parking lot, I follow the directions to her place. “Nina, I don’t doubt that you are useful. My issue with you has nothin’ to do with any of that.”
She gasps. It's sharp and tangible in my chest. As if her hurt or offense belongs in my hands or deserves my notice. “You have an issue with me?” I dare not look at her face to observe the emotions she conveys clearly with her voice.
It takes me a moment to gather composure. “You recklessly involved me in coverin’ up one of the most egregious federal offences in the world. What would have happened if I wasn’t there this time?”
She rolls her eyes in disbelief. “The same thing. That guy would be gone and the alligators would have a fun time disposing of what remains of his body. We worked well together. Does that not matter to you at all? We were a team.”
“And there is no reason that should be the case. What business do you have in makin’ this kind of choice?
You just like it? Is it fun? Should I be nervous that you’ll try to take me out too?
” Physically, I know I would win in an outright fight with Nina, but she must have something up her sleeve that has allowed her to get her way in the end.
I fear that whatever it is could get me too.
I can’t place the hurt on her face. I don’t understand why she looks offended and I’m annoyed that I’m second guessing the very reason for my own anger because of it.
Her round eyes no longer glimmer with the smug satisfaction she had at dinner. Instead they are a thin line of distrust that compliments the frown she wears. “I wouldn’t feel so safe if I were you. You could at least pretend like you considered my side for once.”
“You don’t have a side. You have a problem.”
“I do, in fact.”
This ought to be good. “I’m no therapist, but I’m all ears.”
“Why bother? You’ve formed your opinions about me and I’ll leave them how they are.”
I thought that she would eventually say something more to me before I dropped her off but she doesn’t. It’s the first time there has been real silence in the car between us but instead of relief, it feels like held breath.
When I pull up to the sidewalk, I open my mouth but she’s out of the door and over to the lobby before anything comes out.
What was I going to say anyway?
Sorry?
What should I be sorry for?
If it weren’t for her own actions, I wouldn’t have the opinions I have.
Even as I head back to my hotel, I can’t shake the feeling that maybe I’ve missed something. It’s ridiculous and wrong but I don’t know what else to do to resolve these suspicions.
Nina has something that she’s hiding and it’s something more than bodies.