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“When did they stop coming around the house?” Graham asked after he savored some of his coffee. “I see some newspaper articles on the wall dating back to 1997.”
“Some are from 1995 and 1996,” Brook admitted, having combed through every criminal report that she could get her hands on from those prior years. “It wasn’t a sudden thing. It’s hard to explain, but I guess the two of them gradually stopped coming around about a year or two before 1997.”
“And you don’t recall anything unusual that might have caused their disassociation?”
“No,” Brook replied, frowning when she tried to bring back memories from so many years ago. “We used to go to summer camp in the mid-nineties. I interviewed every camp counselor from those years a long time ago, but no one could remember a situation or event that involved Jacob.”
“Was there an event that occurredwithoutJacob?”
Brook slowly shook her head, but the truth of the matter was that she wouldn’t have been privy to such a thing. While she’d attended the same summer camp throughout their childhood, she’d been with a different age group.
“Not that I’m aware of,” Brook replied cautiously, her mind working overtime now that Graham had planted a few more seeds. She’d overturned every part of their lives, including that specific camp. Had she missed something? It was a question that she often asked herself. “Did you ever go to summer camp?”
Graham flashed her a wicked smile before sharing stories from his own childhood. He full admitted to being a handful, but that didn’t surprise her.
A half an hour turned into an hour and then some.
He had the ability to make her want to forget her obligations and the promises that she’d made to herself so long ago. It was as if time had suspended, and while she wasn’t one to get into the spirit of the holiday, she found that she wanted to give herself a small present…a short break from her life.
“And your mother?” Brook asked. “You mentioned that your father has passed on, but what about your other family members?”
“No one can keep up with my mother,” Graham said with a laugh. He rubbed his eyes with exasperation. “She’s on a European cruise, but she’s scheduled to be home in time for Christmas.”
“Does she live in D.C.?”
“My mother lives on my estate,” Graham divulged with a grin. Brook had a background check conducted on him last year, and she didn’t recall that piece of intel being included in the reports. “I have a few aunts, uncles, and cousins in the area, as well. Mom travels so much that it seemed pointless for her to have a house of her own sitting empty all the time. The estate has two smaller homes on the back of the property with their own entrances. It seemed simpler to have her close by, too.”
Brook tried to picture Graham’s mother to no avail.
“You haven’t been out to the estate.” Graham finished off his second cup of coffee without taking his gaze off her. “We’ll have to remedy that soon.”
And just like that and with those few choice words, the bubble around Brook’s small break from reality burst.
There was no need to meet Graham’s mother.
None.
Besides, Brook was confident that Graham and his mother would want to share the holidays without interference from their business.
Brook was his business partner.
“I should be back early next week.” Graham leaned forward and set his empty mug on the coffee table. “Christmas is in a week and a half. You haven’t mentioned a holiday party for the firm.”
“A holiday…” Brook let her voice trail off as she struggled with a reply. She cleared her throat as she attempted to put herself back into her normal routine. Graham had obligations to fulfill when it came to his contract with the government, and she had a profile to draft. “We technically only have four employees, Graham. Six if you include both of us.”
“I know for a fact that the Bureau hosts holiday parties, but I’m going to go out on a limb and say that you never attended one.” Graham rested his left forearm on his knee as he quietly regarded her before continuing. “We also have a law firm representing us, an accounting firm that handles our business, and now a private security firm that we have contracted out for the next three years. Social events like a holiday party display how we value those relationships. On a side note, there is also nothing wrong with having a small celebratory drink with the team right before the three-day weekend, as well.”
Brook tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear, struggling against the urge to get up off the couch and find a hair clip. While there were some workdays that she could leave her long black hair free from containment, there was something said for composing oneself into a professional package.
Business suits were her armor.
They gave her a sense of control, which she had sorely lost throughout the evening somewhere between fruitcake and parties. Maybe between fruitcake and his mother. She wasn’t sure which, and it didn’t matter. Right now, she had the urge to defend her choices when she’d worked for the Bureau.
“A lot of those holidays were spent working long hours,” Brook amended, recalling one Christmas how she’d spent days locked up in her tiny office that should have remained a storage space. “Cases like the one we’re working now don’t take days off, if you know what I mean.”
“I’m heading back into what could potentially be a war zone. Trust me, I know exactly what you mean. Still, give it some consideration.”
“It’s a little late in the month,” Brook pointed out as she stood from the couch. She’d only been following his lead, but she didn’t want his departure to be uncomfortable. She leaned down and picked up his cup, along with hers. “Don’t you think?”
