My smile is grim. “Please do.”
“Sounds like a plan. And, you know, whenever we get our schedules worked out, feel free to bring blondie along for the ride.”
There’s the lie. No way he wants Odd to hang out with us.
“I’ll make sure he’s there.”
The second we hang up, I turn to Odd. “He’s the one responsible for all of the shitty intel. He’s the one who’s doing it, I’d bet my right nut.”
“Well…since you already lost that one, maybe don’t bet on your reproductive organs,” he quips, even as his expression shadows. “Why would he do this?”
“We used to have an arrangement.”
His mouth drops open as his eyes narrow at me. “Wait, wait, wait. Why didheget an arrangement and I didn’t?”
“Because he and I were the same rank.”
Odd growls. It’s cute.
“Okay, fine. Because I was already in love with you and that would have been a catastrophe.”
Odd continues to grumble under his breath, then holds up a finger.
“Another ball joke? Really?” I chuckle, kissing the tip.
He waves me off, rolling his eyes. “No, but now I’m going to think of one just because. Hear me out, though. He clearly knows what we’re doing, but he hasn’t turned us in.”
“I know. It makes me nervous.Why isn’t he turning us in?”
Scratching his scruff, he starts to think aloud. “I wonder if hecan’t. And if that’s the case, the real question is…why can’t he turn us in?”
I shake my head. “Gotta be because he’s dirty as fuck.”
I simultaneously slump into my chair and get real clear on what needs to happen. “I’m bringing in Jake.”
“Good call.”
I don’t know if Odd fully understands how fraught it is to involve Jake like this, but his approval is helpful.
We move to the couch, and I give myself approximately thirty seconds to get my face right, then I bring Jake up on video chat.
“Hey, boss, and, um…Odd. What’s the occasion?”
Our unmade bed is visible in the background, but we’ve got bigger fish to fry. “The Bastrop file. You have an off-line version of it, correct?” I ask, crossing my fingers. Odd looks on, curious but quiet.
“Of course.”
“I figured, but I still wanted to check. Did you find anything suspicious in it? Did any of the data look like it had been interfered with?”
Jake shakes his head, pausing to kiss his fiancé.
“Bonjour, DB! And…Odd.” Jean-Pierre says, smiling into the camera. Looking to Jake, he asks, “We have reservations in a little over an hour, should I cancel them?”
“Jean-Pierre, good buddy,” I say, answering for Jake. “I may have fucked up your dinner plans tonight.”
He shrugs gracefully. “That’s the good thing about being married. I have many, many more opportunities to sweep my husband off his feet.”
Jake’s eyes go wide and he glares up at Jean-Pierre. Odd grabs my hand, his eyes crinkling with happiness.
