“True, but that doesn’t help me feel at ease. The last was Stoner.”
“Ah, well, damn. Doesn’t that just take the wind out of my sails? Tell you what. Going to be around for another month at least now that I’m immersed in this damn deal. We’ll probably run into each other. If you need anything, though, here’s my card.”
He pulled out a small, embossed business card and slipped it over to Griffen and looked him over again closely. Griffen sensed that he wanted to say more, but Flynn just shook his head and stood up.
“No pressure now. There really is no need.” Flynn nodded to Griffen and headed out the door.
Outside, once beyond sight of the bar, Flynn smiled to himself. An honest smile, the kind that brings to mind cats and canaries.
“Just the right mix of truth and lies,” he said to himself, and strolled down toward Bourbon.
Four
Valerie sat in her apartment, staring into a mirror. It wasn’t something she did often. Vanity wasn’t one of her main drives. In fact, the only mirror in the place was in the tiny bathroom. She shifted uncomfortably, leaned on the edge of the sink, and stared into her own eyes.
A soft knock at her door was still loud enough to startle her out of her reverie. Val bent at the sink and splashed a little water in her face. Another quick glance in the mirror showed her face calm, if a little too serious. Nodding to herself, she went to the front door and opened it.
“May I come in?” Mai asked.
The smaller woman poked her head into Val’s apartment, looking around. Val shrugged a bit, unsure what she was looking for. Griffen had never mentioned Mai to Val while they were in college, but since meeting in New Orleans, she and Mai were fast becoming friends.