adjusting the earpiece. “What would you know about an office?”
“Not a damn thing.”
“Roger that.”
Checking with Dani, he confirmed she’d arrived at the office and would be taking over camera surveillance so he could make a turn around the building.
A dark van with a logo for mobile D.J. services sat at the far end of the parking lot. A white van advertising plumbing services was at the other. He’d seen neither on Sunday.
Fuse took his time, pretending to talk on his phone, bending down to study specific plants, and acting the same as any resident who needed a break from the confines of his apartment.
“Hey, you there.”
Lifting his head, Fuse saw a man a few years younger approach. He had the posture of someone who’d been in the military. The sneer of a cop. Watching him approach, Fuse readied himself for whatever rebuke the man planned.
“What are you doing wandering around out here?”
Fuse held out his hand. “Tom Bonner. And you are?”
Eyes narrowed, he took the hand. “Officer Tony Reyes with the Phoenix P.D. Answer my question.”
“I live here. Been on the computer since before dawn and needed a break. You? I see you aren’t in uniform.”
A blotch of red appeared on Tony’s face. “It’s my day off.”
“Well, it’s not mine. Time for me to grab lunch and get back to the computer. Good to meet you.” Fuse walked in the opposite direction of his apartment. He’d get a sandwich at the deli a few buildings away, then after a quick check around, enter the apartment through the back patio door. Something told him Officer Tony Reyes was going to be a real pain in their asses.
Brittany slid the last file into her computer case, zipping it shut. She often preferred working with hard copies when at home, making notes in the margins, comparing what she saw with documents open on her laptop.
The last person left half an hour earlier, leaving Brittany to work in blissful silence. She’d noticed the difference between this job and her analyst position in D.C. right away.
Other than the occasional wave over the top of the divider, single cubicles didn’t encourage much interaction. The work was solitary, the area quiet with the clicking of keys and ringing of a phone the only background noises. Even the voices came out on a whisper.
Senator Holden’s office couldn’t compare. The constant buzz signaled unrestrained energy and encouraged interaction. Brittany couldn’t count the number of times she’d been interrupted to discuss something of critical importance. She’d been told it would be worse when the senator was in town.
Brittany loved it.
Turning off the lights, she took the elevator to the parking garage, unaware of Mitch keeping watch. He’d been close all day and she’d had no idea.
Chapter Seven
“Glad to hear you’ll be joining us at the end of the week, Senator. Yes, ma’am, we will have everything ready for you. The team is already working on the schedule.” Brittany glanced down at the desk calendar, a habit from her days in college. There were times old school worked better for her.
“You’ll be having dinner with the governor and her husband on Friday at eight. Yes, ma’am. I’d be honored to join you. Saturday morning there’s a rally in Goodyear. Afterward, a speech at the University of Arizona. You’ll then have dinner with the university president and his wife.”
Another five minutes passed before they ended the call. Brittany didn’t relax. It was early afternoon Tuesday and she had at least another nine hours of work before going home.
“Your lunch is here.” An intern set it on her desk, turning to leave, then stopping. “Don’t forget to eat. The last chief of staff was always forgetting he needed food to keep up his energy. One day, he just keeled over.”
Brittany’s jaw dropped before her mouth curved at the corners. She knew her predecessor fought diabetes. Forgetting to eat and high stress were major dangers. After four years, he’d taken a job teaching at ASU.
His choice of another profession mirrored Brittany’s. She hoped, after satisfying her desire to work in politics, to teach. High school appealed to her, as did a position with a community college or university. That dream was a long way off. At thirty, she had a lot of time to plan her next move.
One hour, then another passed, the senator’s schedule over her five days in Phoenix filling up. By eight, Brittany was alone in the office, her stomach growling. She could call for delivery and return to the apartment