Page 49

She could have gone her whole life without ever seeing him again but forced herself to be cheerful.

“Agent Weaver,” he said in greeting.

“Nope. Annie’ll do.”

He smiled, his cheeks ruddy. “Annie, then. Thanks for coming on such short notice.”

“Nothing more thrilling than waking up to a foura.m. summons.”

He led her through a maze of hallways into a dark room where another agent was sitting with a cigarette and listening to a tape.

“Even on a good day, people with security clearance who can speak Czech are hard to come by in Los Angeles,” he said. “On a holiday week, well, we’re glad you’re here. There’s about four hours of tape, and our assistant director wants it before we all leave for the weekend.”

Annie shook her head. “Your tax dollars at work.”

Agent Katz looked at her, puzzled. “We’re trying to take down a drug ring.”

She realized he probably had no idea how much she was paid for this work. “Very noble, I’m sure.”

“This is Agent Stevenson,” Katz said. “My partner.”

Annie nodded at him. They both had dark circles under their eyes and the waxy sheen of people who hadn’t had enough sleep and or eaten anything healthy for days. Sweat and grease oozed from their pores.

“You think I could get some coffee?” she asked Agent Katz. He hesitated, looking somewhat offended. He was probably the boy who always got picked last for kickball, and she wondered how smart he was to get here, overweight and barely sober. No slouch, surely.

“Yeah, of course,” he said. “Stevenson, get her some coffee.”

Agent Stevenson pulled off his earphones. “What?”

Agent Katz scowled. “Never mind. I’ll do it.”

“Thank you. Thank you so much,” Annie said.

She decided then and there to drag out this job as long as possible, to work right up to the last second, fretting over translating words she knew by heart, just to watch these two agents scramble and panic while she got paid for every minute of it. Just because she could.

* * *

She nearly rear-ended someone on the way home, and even the adrenaline of the near miss wasn’t enough to keep her sharp. She drove past Helen’s street and had to make a U-turn at the next block. Once inside the house, she made it only as far as the living room sofa before she collapsed and fell asleep.

She woke up when Helen and the children came home in the afternoon. Kevin ran in first, sneakers pounding on the floor as he shot up the stairs. Ashley was next, her ballet slippers gliding softly. Then Helen closed the door behind them, shifting a bag ofgroceries on her hip. Annie sat up, rubbed her eyes, and fluffed her hair. Only then did Helen see her, startling at the sight.

“Are you all right? You look awful!”

“Fine, fine. I had an early call and fell asleep as soon as I walked in.”

“I didn’t hear anything about a case,” Helen said.

“Not for you guys. Don’t worry.”

Helen frowned. “Do you want to go sleep in my bed?”

“What?” Annie said. “No. I mean, thank you, but I’m just going to go take a shower, I think.”

“Okay.”

Annie got up and started to walk past her, but Helen reached out and pressed the back of her hand against Annie’s forehead.

“I’m fine.”