Page 28 of Code Name: Harbor

Finn’s eyes lose a little of their luster. He nods, but his tone is somber. “I did. We enjoyed a very good relationship, but she passed a few years ago, so you and I have that in common.”

“I’m sorry.”

“I’m sorry you lost your mom too,” he says with a gentle smile.

We look at each other across the small teak table. The boat creaks softly in its slip and we feast on fresh oysters while we fill in the holes of each other’s childhood memories.

Daniel comes back with halibut done in a piccata style with charred asparagus. It’s all beautifully plated, served with a new wine pairing, but I only accept half a glass. During the main course, I delve more into Finn’s gallery.

Daniel offers us both a small trifle with Washington blackberries and cups of decaf coffee with cream. I don’t think I can eat another bite, but after I take a small taste, I know I’ll eat the entire thing.

Finn thanks Daniel for his work, slides him an envelope, and the man leaves us alone on the boat.

I take a breath. I’ve been waiting for the right moment all night. “I have a question for you.”

He looks at me, dipping his spoon into the trifle. “Go on.”

“I found a vessel pattern that could potentially be trafficking lanes Voronin uses. There’s a correlation and two of his ships appear in it.” Finn listens as he puts the trifle in his mouth and doesn’t seem to be put out. “I was hoping I could show you the data and get your thoughts.”

I have phrased this very carefully. I’m not asking him for identifying information, only to confirm a pattern.

He sets his spoon down, takes a sip of coffee. When he puts the cup back on the table, he says, “No.”

“No?”

“No,” he says with a firm nod.

“No you won’t look at the data? Because you said—”

“I said I’d help you but only if you agreed to a date.”

“But I did. I’m here.”

“The date’s not over. Not by a long shot.”

My heart skitters, thumping madly. I don’t know what he means by that, but I know my pulse likes it. “We had a deal.”

“We did. And I’m happy to sit down with you sometime and discuss what I might be able to give you about Voronin. But it’s not going to be tonight. Not on this boat. Not while you’re sitting across from me in that sweater.”

I open my mouth, but it snaps shut because the way he’s looking at me, like he could eat me up, is completely distracting. And God help me, I don’t seem to mind that he’s not going to tell me what I want tonight.

I have a choice.

I can stand up, thank him for a nice evening and have him drive me home. He’d do it too. He’d do whatever I asked him, I know it. Of course, the deal would be off. I will have lost the asset, lost the lead, and lost whatever this is, all in one move.

Or I can sit here and enjoy the rest of this evening.

I pick up my wineglass. “All right.”

He exhales and I hadn’t noticed he was holding his breath. “Thank you.”

“Don’t thank me yet.”

“Why not?”

“You haven’t won anything. We’re going to talk about Voronin some other time. I’m letting you have tonight.”

“Letting me?”