“Really? Why?”
“If a jury agrees with me, then Brantley will spend many years in prison. Given his father’s history of evasion, plus his access to both private planes and dignitaries in non-extradition countries, any judge who would bond out Brantley would put their reputation, and maybe career, on the line.”
It’s taken me the better part of a month, but it’s sinking in that Brantley might actually be guilty. Even my dads seem to think it’s a good idea to steer clear of the Whitakers, at least until all of this blows over.
Speaking of, Truett isn’t the only one I’ve been stalking. I’ve continued to do a little light tracking on my fathers, mostly for practice. I haven’t uncovered anything even remotely nefarious, so I still have zero clue as to why True and Silas find them so intimidating. Their businesses are on the up and up, they give a ton of money to charity, and they love traveling to hang with their friends.
They’re exactly who I’ve always thought they would be.
I did, unfortunately, uncover more unwanted intel on their sex life. All I can say about it is this: while it’s not unreasonable that two long-term, devoted partners would enjoy a third from time to time, I could’ve done without the soundtrack. Now I get the ick every time Baba calls DadHabibi.
I’m seriously considering asking Aunt Hedy if there’s any way to hypnotize this trauma out of my brain.
*Shudder*
I guess there’s such a thing as being too good at reconnaissance.
Fine. I attached the tracker to Truett’s car. I’m not too proud tosay that it made all the difference in the world, and I am once again the King of Spy Land.
Also, I discovered that stalking in well-lit areas is not that scary. Even when Truett doubled back that one time on Rainey, I managed to dive into a narrow alley. I was sure he’d seen me, but when he passed by, he didn’t even look in my direction. I was well-hidden by then, of course, but it’s good to know my reflexes are on point and I didn’t blow my cover. Score one for The Rami Man.
Rami Nation?
Eh, I’m still workshopping it.
Point is, Silas was onto something with this stalking thing. Sure, it’s an ethically gray area, but I’m not stalking True to harm him. I’m not even butthurt about his rejection anymore. Now, it’s just for fun.
My only real disappointment is that I thought I’d at least get to see what kind of person he’s into, see how I stack up, but he hasn’t hooked up in weeks. Sure, Marley was flirting with him at the charity barbecue, but he seemed to shut her down pretty quick.
Maybe that’s why following him into some of these places feels like we’re dating. I mean, he’s been to my favorite sushi restaurant, goes to the same farmers’ market I go to, and even went by himself to a new Argentinian restaurant that ended up having a chimichurri salmon dish to die for.
We’re compatible in so many ways, and I still don’t know why he doesn’t want me. Or why the fuck it bothers me so badly that he doesn’t.
I obviously have enough self-respect to walk away when a man isn’t interested, but I’m just following him for fun at this point.
Maybe if I keep telling myself that, I’ll believe it.
14
TRUETT
Question:how can someone so smart be so fucking bad at something?
While it’s true that not everyone is suited to the art and science of spy craft, you’d think the guy who double majored in Applied Neuroethics and Immersive Communication Design before the age of twenty would either decide that stalking was unethical or be better than this.
Yes, I looked up his academic record. Sue me.
I remembered that one of the guys on my roster—something I enjoyed before my life became a twenty-four-seven pantomime—had gone to Harvard with Rami.
He was surprised when I called to ask about Rami, but didn’t mind giving me a little more background. They’d been on the fast track together, which basically meant they could test out of the pre-reqs if their scores were high enough.
Since they were both from the Hill Country, he reached out to Rami to see if he wanted a study partner for the tests. At fifteen, Rami only needed help with the calculus exam. According to the guy, the only real academic weakness he couldsee was that Rami struggled when something didn’t come easily.
He struggled, but he was dogged. The guy said Rami kept at calculus until he finally understood it and then passed that exam with the same nearly perfect scores that he got on all of the other pre-reqs.
Thissoexplains the stalking.
I figured if I could keep my routine consistent—boring—he’d give up pretty quickly. Unfortunately, this baby bird idea from the three butchers means he thinks he’s successful at the whole spy game, which, perversely, makes him want to do more of it.
