AllFreeNovel
Share Us
She points to the big screen and explains, “I searched all sedan models made from oh-five to now. Using that list, I’m running a cross-check with the DMVs of all Virginia counties east of Richmond. I’m also building a lineup of night pictures to see if I can identify any details to narrow down the search.”
I’m stunned. It’s true what they say. The woman’s a genius, and it’s entirely possible that my being here will only slow her down. The trouble is, I know I won’t be going anywhere even if I should.
“What can I do to help?”
She looks at her lap and lifts a shoulder. “I don’t really know. I’m not used to having anyone working with me.”
Birdie said the words as if they left a foul taste in her mouth. She’s disappointed. Looking up sharply, Birdie speaks fast, like she’s just gotten an idea. “Do you know a lot about cars?”
I’m no expert, but I won’t give her any reason to dismiss me. Trying to sound confident, I answer, “As much as the next guy.”
“Then maybe if I see something familiar in one of the security feeds, you could help identify the car faster.”
“Sure. I can do that.” Any excuse to stay, I grudgingly admit.
Birdie pulls the spare chair behind the desk and settles me next to her, pulling up the night shots on one of her desktop flat screens. On the other is a map of the area, zoomed in on my neighborhood.
She takes me through her route home that night, only turning up a few gas stations and corner stores along the way. Two hours later, we’ve checked footage from every available camera with automatic upload, and none offered views of the cars passing by.
Birdie’s face falls as she closes the last view. “That was a complete waste of time.”
She reaches up and squeezes the back of her neck, and my fingers itch to take over and massage the soreness for her. Instead, I stand and stretch. “Let’s take a break, yeah?”
It’s just past six, so I pull out my phone. “Do you like pizza?”
Birdie looks down at her middle and says, “Obviously.”
My temper flares at her disparaging reply, not for refusing to give a simple yes answer but for feeling the need to deride herself because of a food she likes. Birdie’s low opinion of her beautiful body is quickly becoming a trigger point for me. To keep from saying something about it, I step out of the room, asking what she likes as I move.
I’ll eat anything, so I order a single pie with Birdie’s request for pepperoni and bacon. Then I take a much-needed minute to make sure I’ve cooled off.
When I return to the office, Birdie has switched seats for the next leg of our investigation.
“I’m not even sure this is going to work. I didn’t pay much attention because I figured it was you. I didn’t even see the taillights, only the red glow on the street as the car drove away.”
She starts pouring through the nighttime images of the various sedan models. She’s looking for a match to the headlight shape, size, and placement on the car that followed her. “Don’t worry about it. If something sparks, we’ll chase it.”
“And if it doesn’t? I’m inclined to think I was just being crazy. It’s not like I’ve ever noticed anyone following me before. And no one’s done it since.”
Her voice was so heavy with self-doubt that I sit on my hands to keep from reaching out. “You’re way too observant to imagine or miss a tail. Whether it was a one-off thing or not, I don’t know. I’m sure you’d feel better if you could at least rule out the possibility that one of your targets is out for revenge.”
Two fingers pinch the bridge of her nose, highlighting how tired she must be after working for fifteen hours already today. “I guess you’re right.”
We settle in and continue through the seemingly endless list of sedan models, Birdie quickly dismissing some and pausing on others. The pizza arrives forty minutes later, which is good timing because even my eyes are beginning to cross.
Taking the pie to the kitchen, I sit at the table while Birdie grabs some beers and water from the fridge. We dive in without plates, and after the first bite, I ask, “Is this, intel work, what you saw yourself doing?”
Birdie shrugs as though uninterested in the topic. “As a kid, I wanted to be a vet or a marine biologist. But I grew up. I learned that life is sometimes about doing what you need to do, not what you want to do.”
I recognize her carefully constructed answer for what it is, resignation. This life isn’t the one she wanted to live. That could only mean one thing; guilt drove her here. I just can’t imagine what she could have done to owe a lifetime of penance.
We finish dinner in silence, the quiet as comfortable as our light teasing last night. The lack of conversation does allow me to think through our strategy. “Hey. If we’re thinking one of your targets could be the blue sedan, why aren’t we checking the DMV to see if any of them has a blue sedan registered to them.”
Birdie wipes her mouth and shakes her head. “I already checked. No match. However, I found plenty of known associates and family members that do. I still need something to match or eliminate them.”
“Damn. I never realized how tedious your job could be.”
Birdie dismisses the comment, unimpressed with her own efforts. “It takes patience, dedication, and the sacrifice of any semblance of a social life.”
