Page 6 of The Mouse and the Maestro

“This is a temporary assignment and then you’ll never have to see her again,” Maggie consoled him. “You can do it, we’re all behind you.”

“Far behind you, out of the range of coffee and pepper spray,” Ridge said and Maggie spit out her root beer.

“I hate you all,” Blue said, but he didn’t mean it. They were his second family, and he loved them, some more than others. Jane Dunbar, not at all.

Chapter 5

Two days later, Blue and Jane were headed to Philadelphia. Coincidentally it was Blue’s hometown, but he didn’t say as much to Jane. In fact, they had been in the car for an hour and neither had spoken a word.

Jane stared out the passenger window, probably making an escape plan in case he touched her. Every once in a while Blue glanced at her to see if she had moved, but she hadn’t. She was like a statue. Grudgingly, Blue admitted Maggie was right; she was cute. Her features were incredibly fine and delicate. If she had a different personality, he might have said she looked like an elf or fairy. As it was she was more like a china doll—cold and untouchable.

“Thank you for driving,” she said so quietly he almost didn’t hear.

“You’re welcome.”

“Is this your car?” she asked.

“Yes,” he said, bracing his hands on the wheel for the inevitable follow up question:How does a government employee afford a Jaguar?“I sold an app,” he blurted when she failed to ask. “It’s not enough to live on for life, but it wasenough to buy an apartment and car and stash some away for retirement, kids college, that sort of thing.”

“You have kids?” she asked.

“No, but it’s never too early to plan, or so they say.”

She nodded and resumed staring out the window.

“What was the app?” she asked forty minutes later.

Blue darted her a smile. “Were you thinking of that all this time?”

She smiled in return and tapped her temple. “The introvert brain is slow to process.”

“It’s called Threeple. You know that game Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon? It’s like that. You put in any person and it tells you how many degrees you are away from them based on common friends on social media and known shared ancestors.”

“You made Threeple? That’s my favorite app,” she said.

“Really?” he asked, his glance darting to her again.

“It saved me from marrying my cousin.”

He blinked at her. “You’re joking.” It was hard to tell because her tone and expression were deadpan.

She nodded. “Congratulations, though. That’s amazing. I barely even know how to use apps.” She held her flip phone aloft for his inspection.

From an early age, he had lived all of his life online. He had never personally met anyone who didn’t have a smart phone or social media account. “Do you have a driver’s license?” The fact that she was completely off the radar unnerved him. It was one more way in which he had no idea how to relate to her.

“No.”

“Why not?”

“I’ve never lived anywhere I felt I needed one,” she said.

They lapsed into silence again. Blue rested his hand on the console, not realizing her hand was already there. She jumped at the contact and withdrew her hand.

Blue put his hand back on the wheel, gripping it tightly. “You know, tattoos aren’t contagious.”

“No, I, it’s not, I…”

“Forget it. We’re here.”

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