We walk down several stairs and are welcomed by an Italian-looking man.
“Mia bellissima amica!” he says loudly when he sees Avery, and they hug intensely. “Ciao!”
“Antonio,” she answers him, “Che bello vederti, amico!”
I don’t understand Italian. But from what I can tell, they are very familiar. I make a mental note in my mind.
“Ho bisogno di un tavolo per due,” she says, and Antonio confirms something, pointing us towards a table in the back. The restaurant, held in all black, is packed, but for her, he seems to have a table in an instant.
We get the menu and wine without asking. I refuse intentionally; Antonio doesn’t take no for an answer, so I push back my jacket to show him my badge.
“That was completely unnecessary,” says Avery.
“I decide what’s necessary,” I say as I glance at the menu. A menu with things on it I’ve never heard of before. There aren’t even prices on the menu.
“I don’t think this here is in the federal price range for lunch,” I say and close the menu. I feel out of place, and I dislike eating what I don’t know.
“You’re not paying. I am.”
Of course she is.
This was a mistake. A big, big mistake.
7
AVERY
PLAYLIST: MOVE LIKE U STOLE IT – ZZ WARD
“So tell me, what are your longest open cases?” I ask Shaw to steer the conversation elsewhere because I can see she is close to losing her mind.
I am testing how far I can go right now, because this here is a whole new level of fun. I planned to cut the ankle monitor, but I might play this game for a little while. Out of one reason. It keeps me close to the investigations and therefore gives me access to information and seized art, but that’s not what interests me most. It’s the thrill. The thrill of fooling the entire FBI right under their nose.
And if I am able to make her trust me enough to give me access to information, I might be able to get not only the hat after but all else I need with much less effort than I originally thought.
Meaning I will point the FBI to every artifact I need and snatch it from right under their noses.
A grin wants to fight its way onto my lips because my plan is absolute genius.
“There is a list in my office,” she says.
“I want it now,” I say.
“Well, you don’t always get what you want because you say so,” she snaps at me. I laugh. Because the thing is, I do. I get everything that I want, whenever I want it.
I take my phone.
“Rossi,” I say, a grin cracking on my face because I will make Shaw so mad with what I am about to do. “I need a list of all cold cases our friends from the FBI have.”
Shaw rolls her eyes and stares at me in utter disbelief.
“The full in print or digital?” asks Rossi.
“Print.”
“Got it.” Rossi has always been very efficient.
“Thanks, I’m at Antonio’s,” I say.
