Their gazes met for one long minute and Lucie held her breath.
Then Santiago shook his head once more. “You know I can’t let you leave this table.”
“I know.” Blake didn’t seem upset about it. “Where do we go from here? I need you to stop dogging my footsteps quite so closely, so I can get my business done before you turn up. I can tell you’re the type of man who won’t quit, but can you…fall back a few days?”
Santiago tried to laugh. It sounded strained. “Ilikebeing close up behind you.”
They stared at each other.
“Stop this, Barney,” Lucie said, her own voice strained. “I shouldn’t be watching this.”
Barney wiped the screen, and cocked his head at her. “It’s public record. You’re not spying.”
“Iam. I don’t care what the privacy laws say. They’re…they’re…”
“Falling in love,” Barney said softly.
Lucie tried to breathe away the knot in her gut. “What happened? How did she get away?”
“I could tell you, or I could show you,” Barney said, and waited for her answer.
Lucie took another breath. “Is…do they do anything private?”
“It’s a restaurant, Lucie.”
She swallowed. “Show me,” she whispered.
The scene returned to the screen and carried on where it had left off, with the two of them staring at each other.
Then Santiago shook his head again. He squeezed the bridge of his nose and breathed hard.
“I’m sorry,” Blake said. And shedidsound sorry.
“The wine…” Santiago muttered. He pressed both hands against the table, holding himself up.
“You’ll be out for twelve hours,” Blake said. “And groggy for another twenty or so standards, possibly less, given your height and muscle ratio.” She got to her feet. “I can’t let you stop me, Santiago. Don’t you see? Too many people need my brand of justice.”
“You…break laws.”
“Small ones,” she admitted. She bent and caught his head as it dropped to the table. She held it up, and moved the dinner plate and glass out of the way, then lowered his head to the table.
His eyes were closed.
Blake stroked his cheek. “You’re more dangerous than I’ll ever be, Elijah Santiago,” she murmured. She pulled her jacket into place and left.
Barney replaced the security feed. He gave her a small smile. “What do you want to do about the flight on Thursday?”
Lucie tried to shrug off the dismay that was circling her middle and making her tremble. She absolutely did not want to run into Captain Santiago again. She didn’t want to remind him of the woman in the polar restaurant. That would be cruel.
“Is there a flight on Friday I could catch, instead?” she asked Barney.
“Saturday. But the re-schedule fee is almost as much as the ticket.”
Lucie winced. She had funds. She had saved hard. But the fee would eat into them and she’d have to start watching what shespent. That hadn’t been part of the plan. She was doing this tour as cheaply as possible, but she also didn’t want to live hand to mouth while she was doing it.
“What if I cancel the ticket, and book another flight? How much is the cancellation fee?”
“It’s less,” Barney admitted. “There’s less admin involved in just shutting down a ticket. But if you leave Charlton City anywhere in the next thirty days, you’ll be fined the re-schedule fee as well.” He gave an apologetic grimace. “It’s to stop people doing what you’re trying to do.”
