Intersection (7 page)

‘Me too,’ the agent thought to herself, ‘me too.’

lex stood in the kitchen drinking a cup of coffee and reading a file at the counter. She was in jeans and a white blouse, her hair no longer pulled back in a ponytail, but falling freely on her shoulders. Cassidy entered the room and felt her entire body freeze. Alex was gorgeous and Cassidy was noticing it. “Good morning,” Cassidy said trying to process whatever this was she was feeling.

“Hey, there,” Alex smiled. “Did you get some sleep?”

“I did, actually. Dylan slept through the night for a change.” Alex looked at the woman curiously while she reached into the cabinet and pulled down a mug for Cassidy. “Thanks… yeah… he’s been having some nightmares.”

Alex never dismissed anything as unimportant. She searched Cassidy and saw her concern. “What kind of nightmares?” The agent asked cautiously.

Cassidy’s gaze narrowed for an instant but then she let the hint of a smile show. She had fallen asleep thinking about how Dylan had laughed harder than she had heard in a while with the agent and she knew whatever Alex was asking it was out of concern. “I don’t really know…he’s six, but he says he sees lights in his room… red lights and white lights and he gets scared.” Alex sipped her coffee slowly. Cassidy noted that the agent’s expression seemed to tighten. “What is it?” Cassidy asked nervously.

Alex set down the mug and shook her head. “Nothing…. Just something his principal said.”

“What?” Cassidy said, growing worried.

“Sounds like cameras… you know… flashes,” she explained. “Obnoxious,” she muttered.

“Oh my God…I never put that together…I can’t believe…”

Alex looked at the woman with reassurance. “Why would you? It’s what I do…..just seems unfair… he’s just a kid.”

Cassidy grinned. Alex was clearly irritated by the idea that the press had upset Dylan and she found that incredibly endearing. “He likes you,” Cassidy said.

“He’s a neat kid,” Alex responded taking another sip of her coffee and straightening the papers in her file.

“Always working?” Cassidy inquired.

Alex shrugged slightly, “well, let’s just say I always have homework.”

Cassidy laughed at the explanation. “Understood.” She started back out of the kitchen with her coffee in hand. “I have to go get Dylan ready….Chris will be here in an hour. Guess that means I will get to meet your partner too.”

“Lucky you,” Alex kidded. Cassidy just smiled. She was curious what she might learn about the agent during the brief visit.

Alex was sitting on the floor with Dylan who was busy explaining how his trucks could be superheroes when the doorbell rang. Alex watched as the blonde woman’s posture stiffened and she took in a deep breath. Cassidy dreaded Saturday mornings. She hated being apart from Dylan and seeing her ex-husband was still uncomfortable. They had been together since Cassidy was a freshman in college. He was graduate student and a TA for a class she was taking in Political Science. He was handsome and intelligent and passionate. He had noticed her immediately and she loved his attention. He made her laugh and she was drawn in by his charisma and intellect. The truth was that she loved him, in her own way, but she wondered if she had
ever been in love; with anyone. He showed her a whole new world and she reveled in that, but she never felt connected to him in the way she imagined real love would feel. Perhaps it was just the romantic in her; that’s what she told herself for many years. Over time, and after Dylan, she just couldn’t keep up the facade. He was away most of the time, always worried about moving up and frequently seen in the company of other women. She enjoyed the adventure of meeting new people and travel, but she had grown tired of feeling like an afterthought in his life and she needed to be herself. With a deep breath she opened the door and smiled. “Chris…”

“Cassie,” he said. “How are you?”

“Fine,” she answered as she watched him head into the living room. She noticed the man walking behind him. He had a kind face, she thought, as he extended his hand.

“You must be Alex’s partner,” she said. “Nice to meet you,” the teacher offered her hand.

“And you, Mrs. O’Brien.”

“Just Cassidy…come in… please… I think my son is torturing your partner with Tonka trucks in the living room,” she giggled.

“Fallon, Agent Brian Fallon,” he answered following her through the large doorway.

Alex had managed to reach her feet and Dylan was chatting up his father. “Daddy… I won a ribbon, but Alex… she won ribbons too,” he said turning to point to the tall woman standing behind him.

The congressman smiled. “I’ve heard a great deal about you, Age… I mean…Ms. Toles… you have a very powerful fan base,” he extended his hand.

Alex nodded her appreciation. “Don’t believe everything you hear,” she commented, beginning to make her way across the room to Fallon. Cassidy looked on unaware of the smile that completely overtook her face. Dylan was acting out Alex’s hurdle scenario to his father with his trucks. As Alex approached,
the two women locked eyes. Cassidy’s smile grew a little wider and she made her way toward Dylan and his father to give the partner’s some space. “Fallon,” Alex said.

“Playing with Tonka trucks? You feeling okay?” He jested.

“Funny,” she said. “Anything to report?”

“No…not really…not yet… but I think you’re right…I mean about it being personal.” Alex looked over at the family that had gathered in the center of the room. She unconsciously bit her bottom lip and scratched her head with her thumb, a signal to Fallon that she was worried. He had seen that before. Agent Toles was watching the group very closely and Fallon noted that her gaze focused squarely on Mrs. O’Brien. “So, is she as difficult as they say?”

“What?” Alex snapped back.

“The congressman’s wife….I mean is she the backbreaker they say.”

“Ex-wife,” Alex said dryly, “and I don’t know who ‘they’ are… but no.”

Fallon looked at his partner quizzically. “Easy there… killer….you’re not…..no way…”

Alex shot her partner a look of stern warning. “I’m just concerned, Fallon. ….They’re a nice family.”

“OOOkayy… Well, that’s good because Brackett would be heartbroken.”

“What the hell are you talking about?” Alex was clearly annoyed by the entire exchange. As she turned to face her partner, Cassidy looked over and saw the agent’s obvious irritation. She gently pried a truck from Dylan’s hand wondering what the pair was discussing. “Fallon… I am not interested in anything with Brackett….let’s just stick to the case, okay?”

“What’s with you, Toles? You’re taking all this kind of personal.”

“I’m not… I just have a bad feeling, Brian,” she looked back at Cassidy.

“You’re sure that’s all?”

“Of course,” she turned back to him. “Can you run some background on the reporters that have filed stories and the photographer’s with photo credits of the family?”

“Sure,” he said. “Why?”

“Just a feeling.” Fallon swallowed hard. There was one thing the senior agent had learned in his three years with his partner; her ‘feelings’ usually were right and that usually meant trouble.

The congressman was headed toward them now as Cassidy scooted Dylan along in front of her. “You apparently have another fan,” the congressman said to Alex. “My son is determined to become a hurdler,” he smiled. Fallon felt his own eyes widen. Alex somehow had managed to be personable with this family in less than three days. He had been with the agent nearly every day for three years and they seemed to know as much about her personally as he did. “Thank you,” the congressman said earnestly to Alex.

Alex nodded as Cassidy came even with her stance. “Not at all, Sir.”

“Call me, Chris,” he said warmly. “Come on, bud,” he said to Dylan who stopped and looked up at the two women before him.

“Have fun with daddy,” Cassidy bent over and kissed her son.

“I will,” he hugged her tightly, not letting go for several seconds. Cassidy kissed his head and whispered something in his ear prompting him to slowly release his grip on her and look up at Alex. Before she could speak he had grabbed her waist. “I’ll bring home my big truck to show you,” he said.

Alex smiled. “I will look forward to that, Speed Racer,” she whispered to him.

“Keep her safe,” the congressman instructed looking at Cassidy. Cassidy inhaled a sad breath, feeling his concern was genuine.

Alex nodded her understanding as he passed through the door with Dylan nearly tripping him. She walked side by side
with Fallon. “Send me everything you can get on those press folks,” Alex said.

“Toles?”

“Yeah?”

“You’re really worried,” Fallon said.

The agent sighed watching the congressman climb into the waiting car with his son. “I am.”

Cassidy had poured herself another cup of coffee and was headed to the kitchen table where Alex was scanning through some files. “What you got there? … Or is it top secret… Alias stuff?”

Alex laughed and looked at Cassidy teasingly, “Alias is CIA… this is more you know…Gillian Anderson than Jennifer Garner.”

“Ohh….I see,” Cassidy quipped back. “Not into that whole disguise thing? Prefer the little green men?”

“Not so much for the little green
men
either,” Alex joked and then felt her cheeks flush, realizing what she had just unwittingly revealed.

Cassidy felt a slight lump in her throat and was amazed by her own response. “So… Gillian or Jen?”

Alex looked at the woman with surprise and gave a slight nervous chuckle. “MMM… tough call…. Gotta’ go with Gillian.”

“Interesting,” the small blonde woman mused with a smile.

Alex changed the subject. “So…what’s on your agenda today?”

Cassidy saw the name on the top of the file and sighed. Alex winced a bit. “I’m sorry Cassidy… it’s…”

“You don’t have to explain Alex….I get it... I just hate it.”

Alex’s lips wrinkled. “So…really, what are your plans?”

Cassidy took a sip of her coffee, “I was thinking of taking a drive, actually.”

“Really?” Alex’s phone rang, “sorry,” she said as Cassidy shook her head indicating it was fine. “Hello? Hey…What? When?...Yeah…. can you scan it…..send it…yeah, now,” she looked at Cassidy and then continued with the conversation. “No, I’m here… send it to my email…Does Tate know? …. Okay….Fallon? Get on those backgrounds.” Alex hung up the phone and saw Cassidy looking at her with great apprehension over her coffee mug. “Another letter,” she said softly. “Look, Cassidy….”