He turned and grinned at me. “Why not?”
“Uh… maybe because we’re trying to keep a low profile?”
“No one will be looking for us there. They’ll be checking out the shady motels around the I-30/I-40 corridor.”
That made sense. The corridor was a suspected hot spot for trafficking. And by staying downtown, we’d be close to it without advertising ourselves.
“He’ll probably make reservations at The Morrison. It’s downtown and close to the I-30/I-40 interchange.”
“You told him to get it for four nights. You think we’re gonna solve this that quickly?”
“No, but I figure we’ll need to move somewhere else by then.”
He had a point.
I sat back in the chair and watched as he finished plating the food, then set the dishes on the table.
“No arguments?” he asked, a smug grin tugging at his mouth.
“Would you entertain one?”
He sat down and held my gaze. “Maybe.”
I stared at him, surprised.
“We’re a team,” he said, dropping his attention to his plate. “And while I’m a great idea man, I’m not opposed to considering other options.”
Something in my chest tightened at the word team. I was pretty sure James didn’t do teams. Not unless he was the coach.
“Why do I get the feeling you weren’t always open to other ideas?”
He didn’t answer right away. Then he said, “I wasn’t opposed. I was more … dead-set on bein’ right.”
“And now?”
“I still believe I’m usually right,” he said, glancing up. “But Little Rock is your turf. You might have a better idea or two.”
I couldn’t help grinning. “Why do I think that was hard for you to admit?”
“Not as hard as it would have been five years ago,” he said, like it pained him to admit it. “I’m an evolved man.” He picked up a steak knife and started cutting. “Now how does this downtown hotel location work with your contacts?”
“I have three to check in with. One downtown. One south of town. And another out by the industrial park.”
“I have a few people,” he said, not looking up. “I doubt they’ll be eager to see me, but they’ll talk.”
“We’re not going to torture anyone,” I said adamantly.
He gave me a blank look. “I didn’t say anything about torture.”
“I’ve seen some of your interrogation techniques,” I countered.
He returned his gaze to his food. “We’ll play it by ear.”
We ate in silence for a few moments while I turned his plan over in my head. It wasn’t the worst idea … except for one part.
“You’re going to need to sit some of this out. You shouldn’t overdo it.”
He shook his head. “I’m not letting you do this alone.” When I started to protest, he held up a hand. “I’m not doin’ anything alone either. After dealing with Nicole, you know the Knoxes are ruthless. We need to be each other’s backup.” His eyes cut to mine. “You have your sources and I’ve got mine. We’ll see what we can find—giving each other space when we need it but remaining close by—then figure out what to do next.”
