Page 45 of The Fixer and the Fugitive

“Wow,” Celeste whispered, impressed. “That’s amazing, Esther. That you know Leo’s schedule that well.”

“Actually, I read your files as well. I like to be prepared, and I took note of all the times you crossed paths with Leo,” Esther said.

Sam, who looked half out of it after his long interview, suddenly perked up. “You read Celeste’s file?”

“I read everything,” Esther clarified.

“What did she do for The Colonel?”

Three mouths pressed together in sealed lines.

“Oh, come on. Please? Not even a hint?” Sam pled.

“Sorry, but you don’t have the classification to know,” Esther explained, which was kind of her because Leo and Celeste were happy to leave him twisting in the wind, uninformed.

“But I’m one of you guys. Sort of, in a reformed terrorist kind of way,” Sam said.

“And yet in another way we can be hauled before a tribunal and sentenced to death for breaking the law,” Leo said, pretending to ponder. “It’s a tough decision, for sure.”

“That’s a bit extreme,” Sam pouted.

“Come on, I’ll show you upstairs,” Celeste said, herding them out of the room.

“I’ll remain here, alone and ostracized as usual,” Sam called, but everyone ignored him.

Meanwhile Celeste gave Esther and Leo a tour of the house, ending upstairs where she deposited them to freshen up. Sam was still on the couch, staring dazedly into space when she returned.

“How are you holding up?” she asked, sitting down beside him.

“I think my life just flashed before my eyes, in a visceral sort of way,” he said, sounding dazed.

“Any regrets?”

“All of them, and yet I’m kind of sad it’s over, and how crazy is that? I’m back in the US, out of the double agent racket, and now what?” He looked at her as if she could provide an answer.

“I’m working on my own stuff over here,” she informed him. “You’re on your own.”

“Maybe that’s why we’re, you know…” he trailed off leadingly.

“What?” she said.

He huffed an annoyed sigh. “Attracted to each other, dummy.”

“I know, but I wanted to make you say it.”

“You take more than you give.” He said it in a flippant tone as he made a cage of his arms and put them around her, but for Celeste the words hurt because they were true. She had no idea how to open up and let anyone in, least of all men.

Sam pulled her close, nuzzling his nose against her neck. “You smell good.”

“How? I use cheap soap and no perfume,” she said.

“Maybe it’s your natural scent. Au de Celeste. Speaking of which, how long did you and Leo go out?”

“How does that relate to soap?” Celeste said.

“It doesn’t. I was trying to trick you into revealing secret information,” he said. “I’m a master interviewer.”

“You’re no Esther,” she said.

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