Kris smiled. "I'll join you inside."
Shelby couldn't keep her smile from widening and turned away, a little embarrassed that she was so pleased Kris was going to join her. You'd think drinking coffee together was a big deal.
The operative watched the analyst walk back inside before slowly following her. It's only for coffee.
Quickly gathering her papers and stacking them in a pile in a corner of the table, Shelby closed the laptop and set it on the floor next to the bookcase. She glanced up to find Kris watching her. "Thought I should make a little room."
Shelby waited for Kris to sit down and then joined her, searching for a neutral subject to talk about that wouldn't be too intrusive, but would allow her to learn more about her companion. She decided their jobs should be a safe topic. "Have you worked for the Company long?"
Kris looked intently at Shelby's open, friendly face and decided to answer. "Ever since I graduated from college." She almost chuckled at the expression on Shelby's face that clearly asked, 'and?' "Eight years. How 'bout you?"
"Not even a year yet. It wasn't my first job out of college. I kind of stumbled into it when I answered an ad in the paper." Shelby knew they sometimes sent representatives to the various universities, and asked, "Did they recruit you from college?"
"No. An aunt and uncle raised me. My uncle wanted me to follow in his footsteps and go to West Point. We compromised on the Company." That part was mostly true, except those two cold strangers had not been relatives. Kris had joined the CIA with a much different agenda than the one her "relatives" had planned for her, and she had successfully implemented it until her recent recall from the field had allowed the shadows of her past to once again materialize.
Shelby gazed at the contemplative expression on Kris' face, wishing she knew what the other woman was thinking about. Her thoughts were interrupted when the kitten jumped into her lap. "Oh no. Not at the table." She gently set the kitten on the floor, and chuckled when it walked away, insulted at the rebuff.
"What did you name the kitten?"
"I haven't. I didn't want to name her because I'm not keeping her. I don't want her to be lonely when I go to work so I'm going to try and find her a home where someone is home during the day."
"I don't think you're going to find her a better home than the one she has right now."
Shelby blushed at the unexpected compliment. "Thanks. I just don't want her to be lonely."
"She's not. Look at her."
Shelby watched the kitten chase one of the small balls she had bought for her across the room.
"She probably sleeps all day when you're gone. I read once that cats sleep twenty hours a day. Anyway, you didn't put an ad in the paper yet, did you?"
Busted! Shelby had justified that by being too busy working on the new case, but she had found time to make a vet appointment for Saturday. "No."
Kris quirked a half-smile. "So what're you gonna name her?"
"Maybe Angel." She laughed when Kris rolled her eyes. "Well, do you have any better suggestions?"
"How about Scruffy."
"I'm sure!" Shelby studied the frolicking kitten trying to think of a fitting name. "Her fur is the color of clouds during a thunderstorm."
Kris turned mirth filled eyes on Shelby. "Don't tell me you're gonna name her Thunder."
Shelby chuckled, enjoying the exchange. "You're not being serious. I was thinking more along the lines of Stormy. I think it kind of fits her."
Glancing at the kitten, Kris agreed, "Yeah it does."
"Glad you approve," Shelby teased, then smiled inwardly when a slight blush darkened Kris' cheeks. "What do you like for breakfast?"
"Coffee."
Shelby was not going to be deterred in her effort to make Kris more comfortable. "What else?"
"I don't usually eat breakfast."
Two can play this game. "When you do eat breakfast, what do you like?"
Kris hid a smile at Shelby's tenacity. It was apparent to her that while she was determined not to burden her hostess, Shelby was just as determined to make her feel welcome. "Eggs, bacon, toast, juice, fruit..." She started laughing when her companion's forehead furrowed in concern. "I'm only kidding. An English muffin or bagel is usually all I have unless I eat a late breakfast on the weekend."
Shelby shook her head at the recalcitrant woman. You just might have a surprise coming Saturday. "I've got some plain bagels. Do you like orange juice?"
"Yeah, that sounds good." She watched Shelby gather their breakfast in the small kitchen and stood up to help her carry the glasses of juice.
A short time later, Shelby glanced at the clock. "I can't believe it's time to get ready for work already. Why don't you use the bathroom first?"
"Nah. You go ahead. It won't take me long."
"Okay."
Kris watched Shelby cut through the kitchen to the hallway then disappear from view before getting up to refill her coffee cup. The operative knew she was enjoying Shelby's company more than she should, but she was drawn to her on some basic level she seemed unable to control, and that frightened her.
Later that day, both women were ensconced in front of computers. Shelby had already silently chastised herself several times for not focusing, instead alternating between unobtrusively watching Kris and trying to figure out a way to draw out the investigation without jeopardizing any more potential targets of the elusive assassin. She knew that the relationship between the locales of the operatives and the assassinations could be purely coincidental, too. Her evidence had merely exposed a potential connection that had to be eliminated. What I would give to know if it is anyone on the list. Shelby sighed. I don't know and I can't take a chance it's not.
She had been distracted since they had arrived that morning, but had finally been able to concentrate on the airline manifests long enough to eliminate three names from the list. Unobserved, Shelby watched Kris a moment before speaking. "I've got three names we can eliminate."
Kris swiveled around in her chair. "Who?"
"Celt, Leopold, and Shain."
"How'd you eliminate them?"
"Weather. All three would have had to travel by air to be in the vicinity of the assassinations when they occurred. Those three were long shots anyway because they were the farthest away and not close to any major transportation hubs. Each of them would have experienced long flight delays because of weather on one of the days the assassinations were committed. Since the MO is the same, I think it's safe to eliminate them, but I did request a list of satellite transmissions from their locations for each date of an assassination to include the day before and after."
Kris grinned, impressed with Shelby's thorough research. "I've got a couple more: Justice and Kingpin. Kingpin was in the hospital undergoing an emergency appendectomy on the date of the second assassination. Local authorities detained Justice for spying the day the last assassination went down. He was just released yesterday and arrived in Frankfurt this morning."
"I shouldn't have included him . . . "
"Yes, you should've. The incident was kept secret and was just entered into the computer this morning. Your list is solid."
Shelby warmed at the compliment. "Thanks."
"No thanks necessary. You're a good analyst."
Shelby blushed and started rifling through a stack of papers on her desk.
Kris watched her for a moment longer then returned her gaze to the monitor. She's adorable when she blushes.
Gregor stood in front of his superior officer in the Russian Federation Embassy and tried to weather the verbal assault of his performance. He inwardly sighed with relief, when Dimitri momentarily ran out of descriptive words.