Five minutes later weâve ordered. The waiter returns with two glasses of Chianti. The ambience is romantic, a little too romantic for my liking. Dangerous.
I guess Marco senses it too, and weâre both silent. I can almost hear us both trying to think of a topic of conversation. Stupid, really, weâve never had difficulty before. Itâs just that I canât seem to think straight.
âSo what did you think of your first look at East Potomac Park?â Marco tries.
âPretty.â I pause. âExcept for the dead body.â
âThatâll always spoil a first impression.â
We both laugh a little.
âAre your folks still coming out in the spring?â he asks.
âLooks that way. Iâve put in for my leave, just waiting for Rivers to approve it. I can only get a week though.â
âWell, you havenât done your time yet, not like the rest of us Bureau boysâ¦and girls.â
âNo.â I smile at his last-minute addition. Women are moving their way up the ranks of the FBI, but weâre still outnumbered by almost six to one. It can be pretty boysy. But law enforcementâs like that all over the world.
A beat of silence again.
âSo, where are you going to take your folks?â
âIâll show them around D.C. a bit, then I think weâll go to New York and Boston for a couple of days. Theyâre flying in via Hawaii.â I roll my eyes. âThen L.A. to visit Dadâs family.â
âDoes he miss the States?â
âNot anymore. He said he did at first, but that once we were born his family was in Australia anyway.â
âWe?â
I take a sip of wine and compose myself. âI meant me. Once I was born.â
Marco pauses and looks as though heâs going to pursue the matter. No one here knows about my brother. About what happened to him all those years ago. Itâs in my file obviously, but I donât volunteer the information. Even at home not many people know about it. I never even told Matt. Even with him I didnât drop my final layer of defenses. Sometimes I wonder if Iâm even capable of it.
Time for a topic change.
âNo doubt theyâll give me a hard time about my new job.â
âAt least theyâre consistent,â Marco says with a smile.
During the Henley case I told Marco about my parentsâ distaste for my chosen career. They thought I was heading along such a sensible path when I studied psychology, but I never lost sight of my ultimate ambitionâto save people.
âMy parents hated it when I was on the force in Melbourne and they hate it even more now that Iâm thousands of miles away.â
âAnd hunting serial killers.â
âYeah, that too.â I smile.
âYou can never please parents.â Marco shrugs.
âYours too?â
âOh, yeah.â He drags the words out. âMy dadâs devastated Iâm not following in his footsteps. But whoâd want to be a politician?â
âIâd have to agree with you. Is he retired?â
âNot yet. He keeps promising Mom ânext year,â but next year never comes.â
âIs your mom patient?â
âShe has to be to put up with him.â
I smile. âAnd you never thought about politics?â
âNot really. Iâve seen what my folks have been through.â
âHeâs governor somewhere, right?â
âUh-huh. Governor of Massachusetts at the moment, but he had high hopes.â
âTop office?â
âYou got it. And when it was obvious he wasnât going to make it, I was his second chance.â Marco takes a sip of wine. âLike I said, no pleasing parents.â
âThereâs time for you yet.â
âYou and my folks could be a team.â
I laugh. âNo, I think Iâd have to take your side on this one.â
Marco changes the topic. âHawaiiâs nice.â
âYouâve been
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