That was the moment the alliance became real. Not friendship. I wasn’t interested in friendship, not yet, possibly not ever. But alliance, yes. She had access; I didn’t. I had context; she didn’t. Together, we had something that could be useful. I told her to change nothing, flag nothing, and to call me if he contacted her. She agreed.
I drove home, made pasta, opened a bottle of wine, and when Gary came in at seven-fifteen, I handed him a glass and asked about his day. He said Chicago had been brutal, traffic on the I-90, and a client who kept moving goalposts. He was in Chicago on a day I knew via Darnell’s report, in a restaurant twelve blocks from Yvonne’s office. He didn’t blink.