Side by Side

4

“Hello, Massey!” Alexa Keen called as she approached him.

He opened his arms to her and they hugged warmly. The crown of her head came to Winter’s chin.

Sean was surprised. Based on Winter’s stories about Alexa, Sean had imagined she would be a tall tomboy-not nearly as attractive as this woman was. Winter had told her that Alexa’s anonymous father was white, her mother black. He hadn’t mentioned that her honey-colored hair was soft and straight, her eyes as green as emeralds.

Sean and Rush were standing, smiling. Faith Ann remained on one knee, unsure. Sean had stopped feeding Olivia and had buttoned her blouse.

“Don’t I get a hug?” Rush said, opening his arms.

“Who are you?” Alexa asked. “Who is this tall, handsome young man who sort of resembles a beautiful woman name of Eleanor Massey?”

Sean swallowed and tried to hold her smile in place.

“Who do you think I am?” Rush demanded.

“’Fore God, as I live and breathe! This Greek god can’t be little ole Rush Massey!”

“You think I’m bigger?”

“Enormongus. And stunningly handsome.”

Alexa hugged Rush, then leaned back and held his face between her hands and kissed his forehead. “You’re going to break a bushel of hearts, you are. If I was twenty years younger. .”

Rush’s face turned red. “Thanks. I guess.”

“Hello, Sean,” Alexa said, turning to her and opening her arms. The two women hugged gently and briefly. “And, oh my, this must be Olivia.” Alexa knelt beside the infant. “Where did that name come from?”

“My mother was named Olivia,” Sean told her.

“I’m sorry we haven’t met before now,” Alexa murmured, eyes on the baby. “The wedding pictures Lydia e-mailed me didn’t do you justice. I’m so sorry I missed your wedding.”

“You were probably working on a kidnapping,” Rush said.

“Something like that,” Alexa said. “Actually, I was in Peru looking for a missing executive.”

“Did you find him?”

“Her. Yes we did.” Alexa turned and smiled. “Hi ya, Hank.”

“Excuse me for not standing,” he told her. “I’ll take a hug if you’ve got another one.”

Alexa hugged him. “I was so sorry to hear about Millie. She was a wonderful woman.”

“She was that,” Hank agreed. “Want you to meet my niece, Faith Ann.”

“Goodness, I thought Rush was dating fashion models.”

“Heck no,” Rush said. “Faith Ann’s going to be a lawyer. She’s way too smart to be a model.”

“Pleased to meet you,” Alexa said, shaking Faith Ann’s hand. “I’ve heard a lot about you, Faith Ann. But I didn’t know how pretty you were.”

“I hope you haven’t eaten. There’s plenty of chicken,” Sean said.

Sean noticed that Alexa’s only jewelry was an inexpensive wristwatch. The sensible gray wool suit-jacket and slacks-was good quality, but had probably come off the rack in a chain department store. The loafers had thick rubber soles for comfort and sure-footedness. The handbag was machine-stitched with nylon thread. The smooth brown leather purse was large enough to carry all of a woman’s necessary equipment like makeup, cell phone, address book, tissues, and a wallet. There was also room for a handgun, extra magazines, a badge case, and a pair of handcuffs. Everything Alexa had on was practical and functional. She dressed like an FBI agent.

“Thank you, Sean. I’m ravenous. I went to your house in town and your next-door neighbor told me how to get here. Beautiful land. How’s Lydia?”

“Mama loves Florida,” Winter answered. “She’s dating a retired physician. Nice fellow. . she says.”

“She’s living in sin,” Rush snickered. “With an old doctor.”

Winter watched how effortlessly Alexa folded herself into the picnic. She’d always been like that-instantly at home wherever she found herself, and she had a way of putting people at ease, making them like her. It was why she was so good at her job. Sean seemed to like her, but he was getting odd vibes from Alexa. Women had their own way of seeing things. Winter had talked to Sean about Alexa-but hadn’t really gone into their relationship in any depth. He hadn’t seen the point. It had been a long time ago.

Winter had known Alexa for twenty years. They had met under an odd set of circumstances and had almost instantly become friends. Their interracial friendship had raised a few eyebrows in the Mississippi Delta, and a lot of people assumed their friendship was more than platonic, but they were wrong.

After high school, Winter went to college in Mississippi and Alexa had selected Berkeley. They had remained in touch by mail and telephone, but the young woman who had been his closest companion for the last two years of high school had become merely a dear friend fondly remembered.

In the days before the avenues of intelligence had been ruthlessly widened by the air attacks on September 11, 2001, Alexa had sometimes given Winter an unofficial hand with a case. In return, she had used him as a sounding board when she didn’t trust the advice of her contemporaries.

The FBI and the United States Marshals Service maintained an outwardly cordial association out of procedural necessity. However, since every federal agency’s territory is about power as defined by budgets and manpower, their turfs had to be guarded by the agents on both sides, which made them natural competitors. It was no secret that the Bureau, especially under Hoover, had wanted to absorb the duties of the USMS. The FBI would have been happiest if it owned the good-guy monopoly.

In the two years since Winter had last seen her, Alexa had grown thinner and the lines in her face had deepened. For the first time since he’d met her, there were dark circles under her eyes.

Alexa took a seat between Rush and Winter on the blanket.

“What brings you to Charlotte, Alexa?” Hank asked.

“Business,” she said.

“What kind of business?” Faith Ann asked.

Alexa smiled sadly. “The big bad kind,” she said.