Page 75 of Code Name: Harbor

I tune Marcus out as he catches her up. I watch as she blows on the coffee, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear. She looks normal. She looks like Connie having a normal morning after a bad weekend.

I watch her and I don’t trust it. “Connie.”

Her head swivels my way as Marcus falls silent. “Yeah?”

“We good?”

There’s a hesitation. It’s small, the kind you wouldn’t see if you weren’t looking for it, but I’m zoned in on it.

She smiles at me. “Yeah, Finn. We’re good.”

She holds my eyes a second longer than she needs to, perhaps to convey her authenticity, and I don’t know what to trust so I let it go.

“Steveston pickup at midnight,” I say, sliding the chart toward her. “Marcus is running it solo. You’re off this one.”

Her face changes a fraction. “What? Why?”

“I need you in town. Janelle’s running short for Margaret’s collector dinner Tuesday night and she needs another body.”

It’s a fabrication. The collector dinner’s real, but Janelle has it covered. I make it up on the spot and watch to see how she takes it.

Her eyes flash with anger. “Come on, Finn. That’s not fair. I was counting on this cut and I’ve never let you down, not once. So don’t be an ass. Let me run with Marcus.”

A slight pulse of relief hits me as that was the response I was hoping for. Connie isn’t a pushover. Had she meekly accepted my decree, it would have meant she was feeling guilty for something. The fact she’s fighting me on it seems like we’re truly okay.

“Fine,” I say with a curt nod and tap my finger on the table. “But don’t be late again.”

“Sure thing, boss,” she says caustically. Classic Connie and that too makes me feel a bit better.

She and Marcus go through the run logistics. I half listen, instead studying Connie to see if I can detect anything else that will fully assuage my worries. I watch her hands when she reaches for the chart, I watch her eyes when she answers Marcus’s questions about Walt’s signal and the Coast Guard window. She seems locked in.

She seems normal, as if our fight three nights ago was nothing.

Connie’s very good at this work and always has been. She doesn’t make mistakes and is a valuable member of this team, all other things put to the side.

Twenty minutes later she stands. “I should go shower and put on actual clothes.”

She picks up her bag and squeezes Marcus’s shoulder the way she always does on her way past. She turns to me and hesitates for half a beat, then leans in and kisses my cheek. It’s short… feathery… seems to be without any more meaning than a quick apology.

Then she turns for the steps and trots out the way she came in.

Marcus and I look at each other.

“What do you think?” I ask.

He lifts a shoulder. “Seems all right. Maybe she’s decided to accept things with Josie.”

“Maybe.”

Or maybe she’s already turned on me.

“What do you want to do?”

“I don’t know yet. Keep her close and watch her. Don’t tell her anything that doesn’t need to be told.”

Marcus nods once and rises from the table. “I’m going to run errands. Watch your six, boss.”

“You too.”