Page 48 of The Mouse and the Maestro

“What’s up with the dad?” Blue asked.

Charles narrowed his eyes in speculation. “You don’t know?” Blue shook his head. “You haven’t met him?” Blue shook his head again. “You should keep it that way. Because he’ll kill you.” It sounded like the kind of thing people said flippantly, when they were trying to be funny. But Charles wasn’t smiling, and he didn’t look amused. He sipped his water, and the two men sat in silence until the waitress arrived. After she left, Jane returned.

“Everything all right, Janie?” Charles asked.

“Yes,” Jane assured them both.

“Good. Then tell me what’s up,” Charles demanded. “Why are you in Philly?”

Jane took a breath. “Where to begin? I seem to have stumbled into a bit of danger.”

Charles blinked at her. “Your dad?”

She shook her head. “My own design this time. I’ve been verifying artifacts, and it’s ruffled a few feathers. Blue and I came here until things cooled down.”

Charles looked between Jane and Blue. “I think you should stay with me.”

She shook her head. “I’m fine.” Their food arrived, and they started to eat in silence a few minutes until Charles spoke again.

“Jane, you don’t know you’re safe, and I would feel better if you stayed with me.”

“She’s staying with me,” Blue inserted.

“Her lab assistant?” Charles said, his tone derisive.

“I’m not her lab assistant,” Blue said.

“What are you?” Charles asked, leaning forward a bit.

“Systems analyst and software engineer,” Blue replied.

“Oh, well clearly you’re prepared to keep her safe from a cyber attack. In the meantime, she should be with me,” Charles replied.

“I’m sorry, Doctor Stevens, but how is an anthropologist supposed to keep her safe? Are you planning to dig up an attacker and dust him with tiny brushes?” Blue asked. He may not be a super spy, but at least he was trained and armed.

Instead of answering directly, Charles looked at Jane. “Tell him, Jane.”

Jane sighed. “Charles was a mercenary.”

Blue looked between them, dumbfounded. He had researched Charles Stevens, of course, and found him to be squeaky clean. He appeared to be like any other PhD anthropologist, if a bit more boring than most. And now they were telling him he had a hidden, secret past? “What? When was this?”

“In Africa, from eighteen to twenty one,” Charles said.

“You kissed a teenage Jane when you were a mercenary?” Blue exclaimed.

“You told him about that?” Jane directed to Charles.

“He asked about you. What was I supposed to do, lie?” Charles said.

Now she turned to Blue. “You askedhimabout me? You’re supposed to ask me about me.”

“Fine, Jane. Why did you date a mercenary? Why do youknowa mercenary?” Blue said.

“I know a lot of people,” she snapped before returning her attention to Charles. “You are not allowed to tell him things about me.Anythingabout me.” She gave him a significant look.

Charles was smiling as his gaze bounced between them. “You two aren’t together,” he surmised.

“We’re…colleagues,” Jane hedged.

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