grey sweater under a dark leather jacket, dark woollen pants and black ankle boots, her only jewellery a pair of tiny diamond-studded earrings. She was not quite medium height, but her figure was well proportioned, petite but athletic looking, and she had an immediate impact far greater than her size or appearance could explain. But more than anything she radiated vitality and a youthful spirit, which both belied the fact that Nikki Dean was thirty-six, a divorced hard-working mother with a lively three-year-old boy to contend with and a busy career as a news reporter for the Washington Post. 'How are you guys doing?'
'We're doing OK.'
'I overheard the egg business. You got off lightly, you know. Count yourself lucky you didn't have to get into a detailed medical explanation of how egg yolk can raise your cholesterol and narrow your arteries. Daniel's a reporter's son, remember. Most times, he wants all the facts.'
'I think maybe you're right there.' Collins smiled.
Nikki laughed again, came over. 'He already had a muffin, juice and cereal before we left the house, you know.'
'Think yourself lucky. Some kids you've got to force-feed. I remember we used to have trouble with Sean the first couple of years. All he wanted was cookies and candy. Anything else you had to struggle to get down him.'
'Well, there's no chance of that with Daniel. That boy would eat out of your mouth.' She stood beside him, reached out her hand, gently rubbed his back. 'You get enough sleep after your call-out last night?'
'Five hours.'
Collins had returned to his apartment at 4.30 a.m. after the incident at the Union Station. He'd told Nikki he'd been called out but didn't explain the reason why. That was FBI business, and they rarely if ever discussed his work. But Collins was still none the wiser about the incident, and it rankled him that Murphy hadn't told him what the hell was going on. And the more he thought about it, the more odd it seemed. What the hell was in the locker? If it had been a bomb it would have been plastered all over the TV news this morning, but he'd watched the news and there had been nothing.
He'd thought about calling headquarters and speaking to Murphy again, or some of his colleagues, to find out if they knew anything, but he put that thought from his mind. He had the day off today, and he and Nikki had planned to spend it together. The talk with Murphy could wait.
'You sure you're not too tired?'
'Sure.'
'Mom? You not having a egg too?'
'Not this morning, Daniel. Just toast and coffee for Mom.'
Daniel looked back down at the table, engrossed again in his second breakfast. Collins poured Nikki some coffee and buttered her a slice of toast. 'You're sure that's all you want? No jelly?'
'Sure. No jelly.'
'You're not on a diet, are you?'
She leaned over, wiped a smudge of hot butter from his mouth, put a finger to his lips, winked at him. 'No way. Unfortunately, what you see is what you get, like it or not.'
'Did you get your call made?'
'Sure. I called Mom. I'm leaving Daniel over at her place for the day. Would you believe she's actually looking forward to it?' Nikki giggled, raised her eyes. 'Just wait until he gets started on her walls with his crayons. That ought to take the edge off her enthusiasm.'
'You've got something to do?'
'To tell the truth I thought I'd take you for a drive before you visit the cemetery this afternoon. But there's an ulterior motive. I got some news yesterday I'd like to tell you.'
'Yeah? What kind of news?'
Nikki was usually always upbeat, but this morning Collins thought she seemed even more perky than usual. He began to wonder whether she was just trying hard to uplift him, because of what day it was, the anniversary of Annie's death, or whether it was something else. There seemed to be an almost nervous excitement about her. 'You want to tell me what it's about?'
She smiled, shook her head. 'You FBI guys hate a mystery, don't you? No explaining, not until later. I'm not
'We're doing OK.'
'I overheard the egg business. You got off lightly, you know. Count yourself lucky you didn't have to get into a detailed medical explanation of how egg yolk can raise your cholesterol and narrow your arteries. Daniel's a reporter's son, remember. Most times, he wants all the facts.'
'I think maybe you're right there.' Collins smiled.
Nikki laughed again, came over. 'He already had a muffin, juice and cereal before we left the house, you know.'
'Think yourself lucky. Some kids you've got to force-feed. I remember we used to have trouble with Sean the first couple of years. All he wanted was cookies and candy. Anything else you had to struggle to get down him.'
'Well, there's no chance of that with Daniel. That boy would eat out of your mouth.' She stood beside him, reached out her hand, gently rubbed his back. 'You get enough sleep after your call-out last night?'
'Five hours.'
Collins had returned to his apartment at 4.30 a.m. after the incident at the Union Station. He'd told Nikki he'd been called out but didn't explain the reason why. That was FBI business, and they rarely if ever discussed his work. But Collins was still none the wiser about the incident, and it rankled him that Murphy hadn't told him what the hell was going on. And the more he thought about it, the more odd it seemed. What the hell was in the locker? If it had been a bomb it would have been plastered all over the TV news this morning, but he'd watched the news and there had been nothing.
He'd thought about calling headquarters and speaking to Murphy again, or some of his colleagues, to find out if they knew anything, but he put that thought from his mind. He had the day off today, and he and Nikki had planned to spend it together. The talk with Murphy could wait.
'You sure you're not too tired?'
'Sure.'
'Mom? You not having a egg too?'
'Not this morning, Daniel. Just toast and coffee for Mom.'
Daniel looked back down at the table, engrossed again in his second breakfast. Collins poured Nikki some coffee and buttered her a slice of toast. 'You're sure that's all you want? No jelly?'
'Sure. No jelly.'
'You're not on a diet, are you?'
She leaned over, wiped a smudge of hot butter from his mouth, put a finger to his lips, winked at him. 'No way. Unfortunately, what you see is what you get, like it or not.'
'Did you get your call made?'
'Sure. I called Mom. I'm leaving Daniel over at her place for the day. Would you believe she's actually looking forward to it?' Nikki giggled, raised her eyes. 'Just wait until he gets started on her walls with his crayons. That ought to take the edge off her enthusiasm.'
'You've got something to do?'
'To tell the truth I thought I'd take you for a drive before you visit the cemetery this afternoon. But there's an ulterior motive. I got some news yesterday I'd like to tell you.'
'Yeah? What kind of news?'
Nikki was usually always upbeat, but this morning Collins thought she seemed even more perky than usual. He began to wonder whether she was just trying hard to uplift him, because of what day it was, the anniversary of Annie's death, or whether it was something else. There seemed to be an almost nervous excitement about her. 'You want to tell me what it's about?'
She smiled, shook her head. 'You FBI guys hate a mystery, don't you? No explaining, not until later. I'm not
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