“I haven’t told him yet. I’m still running errands.”
“You shouldn’t be running errands at all,” he admonished. “That’s what I’m for. Getting you what you need.”
“Well, your people didn’t check whether our safe house was halfway clean, so I’m getting bedding, towels, and cleaning supplies. Oh, and steak and a baked potato for James so he’d agree to let me go alone.”
“You two need to stick together.”
“I’m fine. He’s fine. And I’ve only been gone a little over an hour.”
“You’re not thinking about giving Nicole Knox the file, are you?”
“She’ll have to pry it out of my cold, dead hand.”
“You’d have to get it out of the safe in Skeeter’s office first,” he said with a short laugh.
“Yeah, well, this isn’t about having the physical file. She must know we’d make copies. I suspect she wants to know what’s in it so she and her son can brace for blowback. My father doesn’t even know what’s in it. He claims if I give it to her, she’ll pretend none of this ever happened.”
“Do you believe that?”
“Of course not. I don’t think he does either. This is only about protecting himself.”
“Would you do it for him?”
“The cold, dead hand statement still applies. He made his bed. Now he can lie in it.”
He was silent for several seconds, then said, “I appreciate the update, but I’m guessing that’s still not why you called.”
“No wonder James keeps you around,” I teased. “Along with a whole host of other reasons. But you’re right. There is something else.”
I told him that I’d been thinking of reaching out to some of my old sources in Little Rock.
“Are you asking for permission?” he asked.
“You know how to cut to the chase.”
“I don’t see any reason not to.”
“James won’t like it if I do this alone.”
“You’re right. He won’t.”
“But he’s also not a hundred percent. He got a headache from riding in a car in broad daylight. I know recovery gets harder the more concussions you rack up.” I took a breath, knowing I needed to tread carefully. “I don’t want to piss him off, but you and I both know we’ve been hiding too long. I need to do something.”
“What exactly are you asking for, Harper? My blessing to defy my boss?”
“No.” I shook my head. “I don’t know what I’m asking.”
“I’m sure you’ve realized he’s protective of the people he cares about. Which means he’ll probably fight you on this. Hard.”
I laughed. “I’m not deluded enough to think that’s why he’ll fight me on it, Carter.”
“Sounds like maybe you are if you think you mean nothing to him.”
My heart skipped a beat. “I didn’t call to hand you a does he like me, check the box note.”
He chuckled. “I should hope not. We don’t have the technology to hand physical objects through a phone call.”
I groaned.
