Chapter 25

Lily was still admiring her new mug as the elevator doors closed. Realizing she was alone in the hall she took her prize to the break room where she lovingly washed it off. Then to her desk where she placed it carefully so Jordan would see her use it every day and know how much she liked her gift.

Harm and Jordan got to the restaurant, once their coffee arrived and the waiter was gone, Jordan asked, "So Harm, why don't you tell me all about yourself?"

"What would you like to know?" he asked, with a big smile, glad she was interested.

"Tell me the highlights," was her reply.

"Well, I lost my father when I was six, he was a Navy pilot and went down in Viet Nam on Christmas Eve 1969. The Navy was in my blood and I became a pilot too. I developed a problem with my eyes and had to switch careers, so I turned to the law. Several years later my partner went on a mission where she was captured and our CO…sorry Commanding Officer, ordered me not to go after her. So I resigned my commission to save her."

"Surely your CO had his reasons for not letting you go…" Jordan said, pleased that he was revealing so much.

"Yeah, but I disagreed with them. When we returned he wouldn't reinstate my commission, the CIA approached me with a job offer. I've been with them ever since."

"Wow, that's some life you've had!"

"It has been interesting. Now what about you?"

"Well, I also lost a parent young. My father tried to raise me, but he was a cop so I spent a lot of time on my own. I worked here at the Boston ME's office, until I left over a disagreement with my boss too. I moved around some, but came back home to Boston a bit ago and got my old job back."

"We seem to have quite a lot in common."

"Yes, it does seem that way," pleased that her ploy had worked.

"Your boss didn't think we would be able to work well together, but I have a feeling we're going to get along just fine!" he told her, as he reached across the table, taking her hand and squeezed it warmly.

Thinking she had him right where she wanted him, Jordan smiled and agreed.

'I've got her right where I want her,' Harm thought as their food arrived and he let go of her so they could eat.

As they started eating Jordan's cell phone rang, she saw the call was from Woody. She knew that he would want to talk about what had happened in her office that morning and that she couldn't talk about it in front of Harm, so she just ignored the call.

"Someone you're avoiding?" Harm asked when she put away the phone unanswered.

"Someone I know who will want to chat, and I'd rather focus my attention on you," she offered with a flirtatious smile.

They were about halfway through the meal when Jordan asked as casually as she could, "So, why is the CIA interested in a twenty-five year old murder case?"

"How do you know it was murder?"

"Well, he could have shot himself twice, if he was trying to commit suicide and had realized that the first shot wouldn't have been fatal."

"There you are then…" he answered, not wanting to tell her that he hadn't been told much about the case at all before he arrived.

"However, most people, when they decide to put a gun to their head, point it at their temple area…not the back of their heads!" she informed him with barely concealed glee.

"Maybe he wanted it to look like a murder. I mean my arms are long enough that if I wanted that to be the conclusion drawn, I could shoot myself in the back of my head."

"Yes, but could you do it from at least three feet away? Then hide the gun so it wasn't found with your body…oh, and bury yourself as well?"

To be continued….