She surveyed her green gown in the mirror one last time, and then motioned for Teresa to help her out of it. "I don't know. He loves the thrill of not getting caught, I suppose."
"Have you caught him?"
"A time or two, but I didn't let him see me. Why spoil it for him?"
"Perhaps he thinks it might upset you."
"Perhaps he is right. I sleep better when he is not home."
Teresa held the robe out so Laura could put her arms in the sleeves. "Frankly, I find your situation confusing. He seems to care about you, but you are convinced he does not."
"My dear, it is all an act. Mathew cares for no one. He hasn't an honest bone in his entire body."
"Then you would not be…you would not grieve for him if one day he left you?"
"Grieve for him? My precious, darling girl, I would be thrilled. Fix me a drink, will you?"
*
For months, Maggie and Jim had been taking their breaks outside just to watch the office building go up across the street. Both were fascinated with how quickly it went up, and all the truckloads of material it took to do it. After that, a lot of heavy computer equipment arrived and was taken inside, heightening their curiosity that much more.
"Well, they have planted the grass and all the flowers," Maggie pointed out as she strolled with Jim down the sidewalk. "I wonder who will move in."
Jim laughed. "Maggie, I love you. Without your innocence, I'd go crazy around here. You'd never guess who's moving in."
"Who?"
"The FBI."
"Come on, they are not."
"They are and it explains all that equipment they took inside. On your way home tonight, walk to the front of the building and look at the directory they put up this morning. FBI and ATF."
Maggie wrinkled her brow. "ATF?"
"Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms."
"Right across the street?"
"Yep."
She lowered her voice. "Half the people in here are on drugs. I better not let Nicole see me looking at the directory. She'll probably fire me for it."
Jim shooed a pesky fly away with his hand. "You know about the drugs? I am amazed."
"I didn't until Baltimore Harry offered me some. He's got a whole closet full inside his jacket, which he wears even in this heat."
"Don't worry; most companies have drug users on their payroll."
She giggled and covered her mouth. "Yeah, but they don't work right across the street from the FBI and the ATF." She stopped when they reached the end of the block, turned around and started back. "I've never seen a drug raid. This should be fun."