Page 75 of Liar's Point
“That was nice of her,” Cassandra said.
“Yes.” He sighed. “She’s matchmaking, too, in case you didn’t pick up on that. Sorry.”
Cassandra glanced over her shoulder as Leyla walked behind the coffee bar and disappeared into the back.
“I didn’t realize your sister worked here.”
“This is her shop.” Alex picked up his coffee and took a sip. “This and the Java Place over at the Windjammer Hotel. You been there?”
“No.”
She looked down at her croissant and pinched off the crusty corner, hoping to cover her nerves. She hadn’t expected to see Alex right now. She had needed to get out of her apartment, where she couldn’t shake the feeling that someone was watching her. Between the anonymous card on her doorstep and the phone call, she’d been so unnerved she couldn’t sleep last night. Was this just her paranoia rearing its head again? Or did she have a legit reason for freaking out right now? She was so confused, she didn’t know anymore. So she’d needed a break from her apartment, but she hadn’t counted on bumping into anyone she knew and having to make conversation.
“Everything okay?” Alex asked.
“What?”
“Your food.” He nodded at it, and she realized she had pulverized the bite of croissant into tiny little flakes. “Yes. Fine.” She tore off a bigger piece and put it in her mouth.
He looked her over as he set down his coffee cup.
“So, I’m glad I ran into you,” he said. “I was going to call you today, see if you wanted to meet.”
“Oh?”
Something about his expression put her on guard.
“Have you made headway on the will?” she asked.
He nodded. “Yes. Some.” His brow furrowed. “But that’s not really what I wanted to talk about.”
She just looked at him.
He took another sip of coffee and then slid the cup away.
“Cassandra...” His voice was lower now. “Is there anything you want to tell me?”
“What do you mean?”
He looked at her, as though waiting for her to answer her own question. His blue eyes were steady and patient, and she suddenly remembered her grandfather giving her that same look when she was a child and she’d accidentally broken the model sailboat in his office.
She stared at him, determined to wait him out.
“So, I ran a quick background check,” he said casually.
“Why?”
“Habit.” He shrugged. “I’ve represented a pretty broad spectrum of people over the years.” He paused. “Some of my clients don’t always fill me in on relevant data.”
She stared at him, not blinking. He didn’t blink either.
“What’s your point?” she asked.
“Well. I wanted to get some more info.”
“About?”
He watched her for a moment. “For instance... your driver’s license is outdated.”
