This man just sat, muscles relaxed, eyes unfocused.
Steeling himself mentally, Griffen also took a seat on the bench.
“I assure you, Mr. McCandles, your misgivings are unwarranted,” the man said. “I mean you no harm. That’s why I wanted to have this conversation.”
“Mr. Stoner?” Griffen said.
The man turned his head and looked at Griffen directly.
“That is correct,” he said. “It has come to my attention that you are laboring under certain misconceptions regarding our relationship.”
“I wasn’t aware that we had a relationship,” Griffen said. The stilted, formal speech patterns Stoner used were contagious. “I have, however, heard that you might be looking for me. Something about dragons.”
Stoner smiled slightly, then his mouth returned to its normal, neutral position.
“Something about dragons,” he said. “I suppose that’s one way of putting it. What have you heard, exactly?”
Griffen took a deep breath.
“Well, sir, I’ve heard that you are one of, if not the, most powerful dragons operating on this continent. I’ve also been told that, now that I’m coming into my secondary powers, I could be seen as an ally or a threat. Specifically, they say that you’ll either try to recruit me or kill me. Since I’m brand-new at this dragon thing, hearing something like that tends to make me nervous.”
“Understandable,” Stoner said, giving the smallest of nods. “Well, Griffen—May I call you Griffen?—I’m here to give you my personal assurance that I currently have no plans to pursue either of those options.”
Griffen considered that for a few moments.
“Forgive me, sir, but could you elaborate on that? I can’t help but notice the careful use of the word ‘currently’ in what you’re saying.”
“Very well,” Stoner said. “My main focus is on international events…things that could create a threat to this country. If my information is correct, your current activity centers around running a small, local gaming operation. That is of no interest to me at all. Also, as you mention, you are still extremely new to…as you put it…the dragon game, I can see no point in recruiting you until you have developed considerably beyond where you are now…say, in twenty or thirty years. That is the situation as I see it currently. Should either of those conditions change, if you increase the scope of your operation or if your development takes a sudden surge forward, I would have to reconsider my position. If not, I see no reason for us to have any dealings with each other. Is that clear?”
“Crystal,” Griffen said.
“Well then,” Stoner said, starting to rise, “if there’s nothing else to discuss…”
“Um…since you’re here, sir,” Griffen said hastily, “might I ask you a few questions? I mean, I’m new to all this and it would be a big help.”
Stoner glanced at his watch, then sat down again.
“Very well,” he said. “What do you want to know?”
“Well, first of all,” Griffen said, “if you weren’t looking for me, how did you find me? I find it hard to believe you just happened to be here.”
“There was an inquiry submitted to our offices by the local police,” Stoner said. “They wanted to know if Homeland Security in general or I specifically had any interest in you and if so, why. That gave me a pretty good idea of where you were. Once I had that, it was easy, with my resources, to find out what you were doing and what your habits were.”
Griffen was too good a poker player to let anything show on his face, but inwardly he cursed himself. His clever plan to use Harrison to run an official check for him had backfired. If Stoner had really been hunting for him, that could have been disastrous. As it was…
“So, you’ve been having me watched?” he said carefully.
Stoner smiled slightly.
“Don’t misunderstand me, Griffen,” he said. “Just because I mean you no harm does not mean I’m totally disinterested. A dragon is still a dragon.”
“Does that mean you’re going to continue having me watched?”
“I’ll be keeping casual surveillance on you,” Stoner said. “Again, more curiosity than anything else. In my position, it’s relatively easy to add a few more names to the list of those we’re keeping tabs on.”
“What about before,” Griffen said.
“Excuse me?”
“Was my name on the list before I reached New Orleans?”
Stoner sighed.
“If you’re referring to that incident on the expressway, that was regrettable. The attack, such as it was, was spontaneous. Certainly not ordered by me or anyone reporting to me. Your movements were to be noted and reported. Nothing more. Be assured that the officer who leaked the information to some of his friends has been dealt with severely.”
Something in the tone of Stoner’s voice reminded Griffen that this was not a man to be taken lightly…as if he needed reminding.
It also made him reconsider exactly what Stoner’s concept of “not having dealings with each other” might consist of.
“One more question, Mr. Stoner,” he said. “Are you aware of a person known as George?”
“The George?” Stoner said, cocking his head to one side. “That old myth? I’ve heard of him, but never felt the need to run down the truth of the matter or look into hiring him. I have my own organization with a carefully audited budget. It more than suffices for my needs. Why do you ask?”
“Just something I heard,” Griffen said negligently. “No one down here seems to know much about him. I thought maybe with your resources you might have more information.”
“Nothing I’d consider reliable,” Stoner said, getting to his feet. “If you’re sincerely trying to keep a low profile, Griffen, I’d recommend you leave that subject alone. Asking too many questions could draw unwanted attention.”
Griffen was having a Peanut Butter Burger at Yo Mama’s when Harrison slid into his booth.
“Hey, Griffen,” he said. “You owe me a cup of coffee.”
His poker reflexes came to his rescue, and instead of showing his true feelings, Griffen managed to keep a straight face.
“Really?” he said, raising his eyebrows slightly. “How so?”
“I got good news for you,” the detective said. “One of the computer whizzes down at the department ran a check for me on that rumor you asked me about. Near as he can tell, Homeland Security doesn’t have a flippin’ clue who you are. No interest in you at all. That piece of information will cost you a cup of coffee, since that’s what I gave him for the favor.”
Griffen smiled.
“As John Arbuckle would say…” he said.
“Excuse me?” Harrison frowned.
“It’s from an old television coffee ad,” Griffen explained. “The whole quote is ‘As John Arbuckle would say, you gets what you pay for.’”
The detective frowned some more, then shook his head.
“I don’t get it.”
“They were pushing an expensive blend of coffee,” Griffen said. “Their point was that you can get cheaper coffee, but it will be just that…cheaper coffee.”
“Which means…”
“I’ll buy you your cup of coffee,” Griffen said, “but we’re both being overcharged for that information.”
“You’re saying there’s something wrong with what I was told?” Harrison said.
“Let’s just say I have additional information and let it go at that,” Griffen said with a shrug.
“Let’s not,” the detective growled. “What have you got and where did you get it?”
“You first,” Griffen said. “How do you suppose your computer whiz went about checking the rumor out?”
“Do I look like a computer geek?” Harrison said. “If I knew how to do that stuff, I wouldn’t have had to ask someone else to check it out for me. I guess he checked some database or other online. How should I know?”
“Uh-huh,” Griffen said. “Well, I think my source is a little more accurate than that.”