“With everything, right?” Lang had also joined them.
“It’s too soon to know” was all Kelly let herself say. She liked her fellow workers here—a lot. But telling them anything, even that she really was interested in Alan the security guy, seemed like too much information, at least for now.
She only hoped she would soon accomplish all she had set out to do here, and assist Alan in his success, too.
Then, when Stan was somehow stopped, she would be thrilled to shout it all to the world.
Including her new friends here.
* * *
On his brief walk back to Government Plaza, Alan called Judge Treena on his specially encrypted and secure phone, but she wasn’t available. Instead, he spoke with his immediate superior officer at the CIU, Director Walt Jones, who reported to Judge Treena.
“Nothing new,” he told Walt, a sixtysomething former army colonel who had been in government security for over fifteen years. “As I told Judge Treena before, I am in contact with our missing subject and keeping an eye on her. At the moment, she’s not in my way and hasn’t been recognized, so I wouldn’t suggest you send a team to extract her. She might actually be an asset to my assignment.”
“You know that’s against policy,” Walt stated.
“I do, but I also know this isn’t the first time this protocol has been used.”
“Interesting. You after a new main squeeze as well as a collaborator?”
“I only want it to look that way to people here so our collaboration will go more smoothly.” No way would he tell his superior, or anyone else associated with the Identity Division, that he actually felt attracted to Kelly.
Besides, unlike the other situation they alluded to, there was no way he’d wind up getting that close to Kelly. He’d do his job here, she’d help because it might wind up fixing things for her nephew, and when they were done with that they’d be done with everything else, as well.
“Well, all right, though you know I’ll discuss this with Judge Treena. If she says otherwise, you’ll need to deal with it.”
“Understood.” Alan said goodbye and hung up.
He did understand. Whether he would comply was another matter—and he found this realization disturbing. He was all about obeying orders. That came from experience.
He was now on the sidewalk a block away from the plaza. His thoughts roiled from the recollection.
It had been years since he had been a navy SEAL. He’d joined the military right after college and excelled there as he always had in school. He’d attributed his success to getting along with people—and following orders, especially in the navy.
But on one mission in the Middle East, nearly his last, when he and his team were given orders to avoid attacking an enemy despite a clear threat to civilians on a fishing boat, he saw a fellow officer choose to attack—but the enemy force was prepared. The fellow officer came out of it okay, and so did the fishermen, but another man on that mission was shot and nearly killed.
Though he could understand why the officer who chose to disobey had done so, the incident reinforced Alan’s determination to follow orders, and to despise those who refused to.
Which made his camaraderie with Kelly especially difficult, despite the good reason for it.
Alan noticed now that he was surrounded by people outside the government building. Many headed up the steps while others exited. The building was tall, a faux marble, and fairly regal-looking for a town this small, although it was the West Coast and relatively upscale. It would be a nice location to grow up in, maybe, as Kelly’s alter ego had done.
He hurried upstairs with the crowd and headed to the security office on the first floor to check in. None of his colleagues were there, which didn’t surprise him. They’d be up on the fourth floor, preparing to observe the proceedings in the council meeting room and its environs that afternoon. Alan headed there as well.
The hallway was full of people, and not only city council members and their assistants. Some were people Alan had seen with Stan recently, businesspeople he apparently was friendly with for whatever reason—although Alan suspected it was mostly for Stan’s own financial interests. Maybe these people were simply generous with their donations and campaign contributions, but Alan wouldn’t be surprised if more than one was engaging in bribery.
The group all seemed headed for the meeting room. Seeing Dodd down the hall also observing gave Alan some relief. From a security perspective, things appeared under control.
As the hallway emptied more, Alan saw Councilwoman Regina Joralli exit from her office near where Dodd stood. The all-business president of the council immediately placed herself in the middle of the remaining group and made her way to the front of the line to enter the meeting room.
Then Stan emerged from his office, and he wasn’t alone. The woman with him was the same one who’d been with him and others earlier when they’d left the Haven—also the same woman who had been with him at Tony’s Lounge the other night.
The woman Kelly had expressed an interest in getting to know better in case she happened to be Stan’s current main squeeze. What was her name?
Dora something, wasn’t it?
It now looked as if this afternoon’s meetings might present opportunities Alan hadn’t anticipated.
He felt antsy waiting for the rest of those in the hallway to file into the meeting room, and was glad when he could finally follow.
The room was crowded, but all council members were seated around the table in the middle. So were some visitors, including Dora, who unsurprisingly sat beside Stan.
Would Alan get an opportunity to speak with her to get more info on who she was, so that he would have more than her first name and the town of Blue Haven to plug into his secure data sites?
As it turned out, he learned a lot more just standing there keeping an eye—and ear—on things than he’d anticipated.
And wouldn’t Kelly be surprised?
* * *
This felt like a real date.
Alan had picked Kelly up at her apartment a few minutes ago, after she returned from work, showered and changed into one of the few pretty dresses she had brought along. It was silky and pale blue, with short sleeves and a slim, knee-length skirt.
“So we’re going to the Blue View?” she asked. Previously, both over the phone and when he had insisted on coming upstairs to get her, Alan had seemed in a strange mood, as if he had information he was happy about but wasn’t sharing.
Well, maybe she would learn what it was.
“Yes, we are.” Alan glanced toward her briefly as he drove his gray SUV through Blue Haven in the direction of the cliffs holding the elite restaurant.
Alan hadn’t been near Kelly when she’d overheard Stan talking to the business guy beside him at the Haven, asking if he had ever been to the Blue View. Even so, were they headed there because Alan had reason to believe Stan was there, perhaps with the man he’d been chatting with?
But her goal wasn’t to follow Stan around—unless he was taking his son out to dinner at that expensive restaurant, which Kelly doubted, at least not without some ulterior motive.
“Sounds good to me,” she said, contemplating how to find out what Alan was really up to. “Is this just to give more credence to our acting like a couple here? Do you think some of Stan’s cronies will be there? Even if they see us there, that doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll look at us as anything but a security guy trying to impress a restaurant server, so they’re unlikely to open up and answer questions about their businesses or their relationships with Stan.”
“You’re right, but I learned something today that will potentially make this dinner particularly enjoyable. And even if nothing comes to pass on that front, we should still have a good time. Oh, and in case you’re wondering, I’m paying. A security guy may not make a lot of money, but he earns more than a waitress, and besides, this security guy wants to be seen as someone trying hard to impress the server of his dreams.”
The grin he shot at Kelly was cute and sexy and made her feel all warm inside—as if what he was saying were real. But of course she knew better.
She smiled nevertheless. “Thank you, sir. I’ll definitely be impressed.”
“That’s good. Any idea what kind of food they serve there?”
“I know what they used to serve, but let me check.” Kelly looked up the menu on her phone, and they discussed the possibilities as Kelly refused to gulp or comment on the high prices. Alan clearly knew what he was getting into.
They quickly passed through the streets of downtown, and Alan started up the narrow, winding road that led up the nearby mountain toward the developed cliff-side area containing the Blue View. Kelly hadn’t been there since returning to this town. She hadn’t gone there often before, either. There were a few expensive shops near the restaurant and a resort hotel, but not much else there, and Shereen’s budget as a schoolteacher hadn’t allowed for too many visits to that exclusive area.
Twilight approached, but fortunately streetlights lined the road. They met a few cars coming down the hill, and Alan caught up with a short line of vehicles heading the same direction. The road circled the mountain somewhat, and from some angles the skyline meeting the ocean was visible and breathtaking.
Eventually, they reached the restaurant, where the side of the mountain had been carved into a large, flat area where businesses were located. Alan parked the car, then, as Kelly opened her door, went around to help her out of the passenger seat.
A perfect gentleman, Kelly thought. Or at least that was the impression he wanted to give—not that he had to do anything like that around her, and she doubted anyone else was paying attention, though she noticed a few other patrons getting in or out of cars around them.
“In case you’re wondering, I made a reservation,” Alan said as they strode through the parking lot and up to the front door of the restaurant.
“Great idea.”
The Blue View looked chalet-like despite the fact that this area in Southern California got no snow. It was one story high, had several angled slopes to its roof and appeared to be constructed out of reddish wood. Its walls were filled with huge windows, and in the dim light Kelly could see the tall ceiling inside as well as some tables.
“Nice place,” Alan remarked as they entered through the wide door.
“Sure is,” Kelly agreed, looking around. It was much as she remembered from the very few times she had been here before—quaint and elegant and filled with people dressed for the occasion.
The seats half circling the entrance were filled, apparently with people waiting for tables. There was a tall wooden stand nearby with a clipboard on it that must be used by the maȋtre d’, although he wasn’t there at the moment.
But soon someone approached the stand—a hostess, not a maȋtre d’.
A familiar-looking hostess.
Really? Stan Grodon was flirting with a mere restaurant hostess? Or was there more to the story than that?
For the person who approached was none other than Dora, Stan’s date the other night and the woman who had been with him at the Haven that day.
Kelly glanced at Alan in amazement.
Before he stepped forward to give his name to the woman greeting them, he shot a glance toward Kelly...and grinned.
Chapter 13
Alan hadn’t intended this moment to be a test of Kelly’s sharpness and ingenuity...or maybe he had for reasons even he considered inappropriate right now. She was smart. She had motives of her own. But they were working together now, no matter what she had done to get here.
He could have—should have—warned her whom he felt fairly sure they’d run into here, since Dora had indicated she would be at the Blue View tonight at the time of the reservation Alan had asked her to make for him.
The look Kelly shot him now appeared both justifiably puzzled and angry. But she turned her head immediately and looked at Dora as he stepped forward to confirm their reservation.
“Of course, Alan,” Dora responded warmly. “So glad you came.” She wore a nice tailored dress, nothing like the sexy, sparse outfit they had seen her in with Stan at Tony’s Lounge, nor the professional business suit she had worn that day at Government Plaza. No matter what she wore, she was one attractive lady, which undoubtedly was a major factor in Stan’s apparent interest in her.
But since Alan had learned earlier that day that her parents, the Shallners, had bought the Blue View Restaurant a few months ago and she was instrumental in helping them run it, he had no doubt that her family’s money was another reason for Stan’s interest.
Kelly had mentioned a desire to befriend Dora. They hadn’t discussed exactly why yet, but he suspected she wanted to learn what Dora knew about Stan—and maybe, Eli. Alan thought it was a potentially good idea.
In fact, the situation could work out really well since these two women were both in hospitality and both worked at restaurants—notwithstanding the major differences in the nature of those eateries and their connections with them. If some camaraderie developed between them, Kelly might be able to learn something useful from this woman in whom Stan Grodon appeared to be interested.
Now, once he and Kelly were seated and had a modicum of privacy, Alan would explain this to her and help her come up with a way to start chatting with their hostess.
If it made sense, he might even apologize.
It turned out he didn’t need to explain anything. As Dora picked up a couple of large menus from the stand and encouraged them to follow her, Kelly inserted herself in front of Alan and beside the other woman. “This place is so wonderful,” she gushed. “It’s my first time here. I’ve only been in Blue Haven a short while, and I’m a server at the Haven Restaurant. I really like it there, but it must be amazing to work at a place like this.”
Of course Kelly wouldn’t know that Dora was part of the family that owned this place and might somehow embarrass herself. But he could step in and interrupt if things seemed to be going south.
For now, Dora just turned toward Kelly. She was shorter than Kelly and had to look up through her clearly false eyelashes. Her hair was a pale blond that also didn’t look real, and she gave the impression of being a model, or at least having a model’s grace and looks.
Some of that could be said for Kelly, too, at least partly thanks to the new look she had been given by the Identity Division, complete with darker, wavier hair and different contours to her attractive face and body than she’d had before she’d had her identity changed, been put on a diet and exercise regimen despite not being overweight to begin with, and taught model-like comportment. Alan had seen Shereen’s before photos when he was given the undercover assignment here to gather evidence to support Shereen’s claims against the apparent murderer of her sister.
“My family owns a restaurant in LA,” Dora was saying now.
Alan had a difficult time hearing her as he walked behind them, but the crowd noise here wasn’t as loud or boisterous as at the Haven, and he suspected the wall paneling improved the acoustics—it was undoubtedly expensive.
“But my parents decided to expand our interests,” Dora continued, “and learned that this place was for sale. They jumped on it, and I was delighted to take over managing it for them.”
As far as Alan could tell, she was doing a good job. Even if she wasn’t, she might have access to her family’s money.
“That’s so cool,” Kelly said. “You know, I’d really like to get together and talk to you about it. I love my job at the Haven, and working right in downtown Blue Haven is wonderful. But this place is so outstanding. I realize you might not be looking for new servers or, even if you’re open to the idea, I might not be your ideal candidate, but I’d like to at least discuss it with you.”
They had maneuvered around rows of tables covered in attractive white cloths, many with decorative carafes of wine in the center and nearly all occupied by richly dressed patrons. They had just reached a table near one
of the vast windows overlooking not the ocean but the parking lot. Under other circumstances Alan might have requested a different one, but he didn’t want to undermine what Kelly was up to, so this would be fine.
Besides, he suspected they would be back here again soon, maybe often, at least until Kelly had sucked all the information she could out of Dora.
“We’re always open to finding more good help,” Dora said as Alan pulled the chair out for Kelly. “We’re not looking for anyone at the moment, but maybe soon. In any event, I’d be glad to talk with you about your experience and whether you could fulfill our needs.”
“That would be so wonderful!” Alan was amused by Kelly’s assumed gushing personality. “Soon? Maybe tomorrow morning? I have Sundays off.”
“How about around ten?” Dora asked. “Things are generally manageable here at that time on Sundays.”
“I’ll be here.” Kelly’s smile was huge, and she looked excited. This could lead to fulfillment of her goal, Alan realized, so why not? Dora knew Stan and might have some useful knowledge about him.
On the other hand—well, Kelly would need to be careful and discreet in the way she asked.
Somehow, he had a feeling she would do just fine.
* * *
“Why?” Kelly demanded quietly once Dora had handed them their menus, told them to enjoy their meals and headed back toward the front of the restaurant.
“Why what?” Alan asked.
“I assume you knew Dora would be here, but you didn’t tell me. Why?”
She had an idea, though. It was a test of sorts. How would she handle herself in a situation like that, surprised yet needing to play it correctly or blow a potentially good source of information?
Before he answered, she went on. “What would you have done if I’d made a scene, tried to pounce on Dora here to get any insight she might have on Eli? You could have prepared me.”
Alan just smiled, damn him. “I’d have taken over if you started to blow it. But I knew you’d figure things out and handle them right. I kind of thought of it as a game as well as a test, and you won.”
Covert Alliance Page 12