“Yes.”
“So what are you doing here?” she said.
“Needed to talk. I don’t travel in the usual ways and I find any time after 2 a.m. is the best time to be alone without most people moving around.”
“Okay. How did you find me?”
“I may live mostly off the grid, but I do know how to findsomeone.”
It was clear he was being evasive.
“Well, you found me,” she said.
“By now I’m sure you’ve run my fingerprints.”
“You did that on purpose?”
“Yes.”
“Why? Why couldn’t you just tell me?” She remembered his jacket from the military and it still pained her that this man lived this way and what painful reminders he had on a daily basis.
“I wanted to see if I could trust you.”
Katie always relied on her instincts, but for some reason she found Buck difficult to read. She couldn’t seem to ascertain if he was friend or foe. “So by me doing my job, you can trust me?”
“Something like that.”
“So you also probably know that we ran your background and history in the Marines.”
“Yes.”
“Why keep a secret if you boldly abducted me?” Katie shifted from her position and moved closer to him.
“Just as you know about me, I know about you.”
Again, his words seemed to stick in the air. She knew there was more to this conversation than what was said on the surface but she couldn’t quite catch it.
“I can see that you’re troubled,” he said.
“Yes.”
“I know these cases have burdened you and your partner. But it isn’t as big as you think.” He took a deep breath as if he were in pain. “You’re working too hard at it.”
“Enlighten me.” Katie was beginning to grow weary of these secret meetings and wanted him to get to the point.
He paused for a bit before continuing. “I know you’re going to visit my brother.”
Katie was surprised due to the fact they had just decided tovisit him. Buck seemed to read her well. It made her think he had been more than a soldier, perhaps a type of undercover asset.
She couldn’t see him smile, but his eyes squinted, indicating that he knew what she might be thinking. “I can see you’re trying to profile me again.”
“I think that would be most difficult,” she said.
Cisco stood up, sensing Katie’s uncertainty. The dog eased closer to her, leaning against her left leg.
“When you talk to my brother David, make sure you get all the information from his stabbing incident.”
“Why? What does it have to do with my case?”
