He tried to console himself that at least now he had a plan of sorts. Hook up with Mai and pick her mind a bit. Even if nothing came of it, they could enjoy a night on the town and he could attack the problem fresh in the morning.

Emerging into the daylight, he paused for a moment to squint up at the sky. There were a few clouds up there, but the temperature was pleasant enough. He’d go ahead and walk the five blocks back to the hotel. Taxis should be an avoidable luxury for a while until he settled his future finances.

“Mr. McCandles? Griffen McCandles?”

Blinking with surprise and from the sun, Griffen redirected his attention from the sky to the man who had addressed him.

Actually, there were two of them, though only one had spoken. They seemed ordinary enough, to a point where he probably wouldn’t have noticed them on the street if they hadn’t approached him. Viewing them now, however, there was a sameness in their stance and posture that suggested either military or police, regardless of their tailored suits.

“Yes? Can I help you?” he said, glancing back and forth between the two men.

For a moment, the characters from Men in Black flashed through his mind, but he shrugged the image off. If nothing else, their suits were gray, not black, and neither of them was wearing sunglasses. Apparently his discussion with his uncle had affected him more than he had realized.

“There’s someone who would like a few words with you, if you can spare a moment.”

The man speaking took a step backward and gestured toward a limousine that was standing at the curb. His partner took a step sideways, so that they effectively had Griffen bracketed, blocking his movement in either direction along the sidewalk.

Griffen glanced around quickly. None of the other pedestrians on the street seemed to take notice of what was going on. Perhaps such occurrences were normal in this town.