Kate kept asking questions as Hannah kept answering.
"She worked with dad."
"The blond lady?"
"Yes, that same."
"What does it mean 'I'm sorry'? Sorry for what?"
"You'll know some day. Now stop asking questions, would you?"
Jack had paid and was ready to burn some more time. He would do that forever if Sam didn't keep her promise.
"What would you like to do next?"
* * *
Friday afternoon Samantha had arranged her apartment and not wanting to stay there for any longer, she went to the Hoover's building. She presented herself in the lobby.
"Hi. I'm Samantha Spade..."
"Well, you weren't expected until Monday. Stu'll give you the tour." She looked at a tall brown haired young man and shouted at him "Stu! Come over here."
"Yes?" he asked respectfully.
"This is agent Spade. She's starting here...you'll take her, ok?" The lady seemed to have it all under control.
"Stuart," he said directing to that beautiful blond woman standing in front of him.
"Samantha Spade," she replied smiling.
"Bad news: here we have to climb stairs. It's an old building. Elevators are freaking scary."
"I have no trouble with that."
"Good news: Missing Persons Unit's on the first floor."
"Good," she said relived.
"So...where are you from?"
"Ummm..."
"Oh, come on!" Noticing that she wouldn't answer that question he added "Ok then tell me where you used to work. It's not like you're new at this, right?"
"New York."
"Wow, why the change?" He was really surprised.
"If anyone back in NY fins out I'm here in DC I'll have to shut you. Seriously."
"Ok...I'm not sure I want to know now..." His expression had changed completely.
"I'm sorry...I just...didn't have a choice...DC seemed to be the best place to hide."
"Hide?!"
"I'm pregnant and he doesn't know. I don't want him to know yet I don't want to ruin his life...you see..." She stopped herself before she could say something else. "I know he deserves to know, but it wouldn't be any good. He's happy and...I simply couldn't live there knowing that I was ruining other people's lives. I wouldn't, not more than I have already. Of course he knows I left but he doesn't completely know why and he certainly doesn't know where."
"Aren't you afraid he might look for you, find you?"
"He won't look. He understand I have my ways and if wanted him to know where I was going to be I would have said. He respects that."
"So it's not something about 'I'm leaving, you follow' kind of thing?"
"Not at all. He wouldn't follow."
"Fine then. Nothing comes out of here."
"I appreciate it."
They found themselves in a very similar office to the one in New York, same distribution. Robert Kasser was talking to a couple of people.
"Hey Bo, Agent Spade's here!"
"Hi, I'm," Samantha tried.
"So tell me, how do you like him so far? I'm sorry, Robert Kasser, I'm supposed to be your boss here," he said smiling.
"He actually reminds me of my brother," she said referring to Danny.
"Ok. We weren't expecting you today but anyway...they're Karen and James."
They were both tall. James was black, handsome. Karen instead seemed like a ghost, she had pale complexion and dark curly hair.
"This is Samantha. She's starting here on Monday. All you gotta know is that she's good."
"Bo, I was..."
"Not now Stu! Figure it out yourself." And then directing to Sam "You come with me, to my office."
She walked close behind him.
"I'd appreciate if you didn't mention that I'm here to anyone in NY."
"No trouble with secrecy myself."
"Thank you."
"I understand you're pregnant."
"Yes. A month. I'd appreciate if you didn't mention that either."
"As you wish. May I know why?" he said as he tried not to show his intrigue.
"It's too complicated."
"Not if you don't want or need to tell me...no hard feelings. It's your life after all."
"Thanks. How should I call you? There we used to call each other by our names but maybe here..."
"Robert, Bob, Bo. You choose. What about you, any preferences?"
"Samantha'll do fine."
She had the impression that moving there wasn't such a bad thing. People were actually nice, respectful, honest. Thing would get harder, she knew it. She had to take advantage of that moment, when everything was pleasant and quiet. Who knows how long that would last?
"She worked with dad."
"The blond lady?"
"Yes, that same."
"What does it mean 'I'm sorry'? Sorry for what?"
"You'll know some day. Now stop asking questions, would you?"
Jack had paid and was ready to burn some more time. He would do that forever if Sam didn't keep her promise.
"What would you like to do next?"
* * *
Friday afternoon Samantha had arranged her apartment and not wanting to stay there for any longer, she went to the Hoover's building. She presented herself in the lobby.
"Hi. I'm Samantha Spade..."
"Well, you weren't expected until Monday. Stu'll give you the tour." She looked at a tall brown haired young man and shouted at him "Stu! Come over here."
"Yes?" he asked respectfully.
"This is agent Spade. She's starting here...you'll take her, ok?" The lady seemed to have it all under control.
"Stuart," he said directing to that beautiful blond woman standing in front of him.
"Samantha Spade," she replied smiling.
"Bad news: here we have to climb stairs. It's an old building. Elevators are freaking scary."
"I have no trouble with that."
"Good news: Missing Persons Unit's on the first floor."
"Good," she said relived.
"So...where are you from?"
"Ummm..."
"Oh, come on!" Noticing that she wouldn't answer that question he added "Ok then tell me where you used to work. It's not like you're new at this, right?"
"New York."
"Wow, why the change?" He was really surprised.
"If anyone back in NY fins out I'm here in DC I'll have to shut you. Seriously."
"Ok...I'm not sure I want to know now..." His expression had changed completely.
"I'm sorry...I just...didn't have a choice...DC seemed to be the best place to hide."
"Hide?!"
"I'm pregnant and he doesn't know. I don't want him to know yet I don't want to ruin his life...you see..." She stopped herself before she could say something else. "I know he deserves to know, but it wouldn't be any good. He's happy and...I simply couldn't live there knowing that I was ruining other people's lives. I wouldn't, not more than I have already. Of course he knows I left but he doesn't completely know why and he certainly doesn't know where."
"Aren't you afraid he might look for you, find you?"
"He won't look. He understand I have my ways and if wanted him to know where I was going to be I would have said. He respects that."
"So it's not something about 'I'm leaving, you follow' kind of thing?"
"Not at all. He wouldn't follow."
"Fine then. Nothing comes out of here."
"I appreciate it."
They found themselves in a very similar office to the one in New York, same distribution. Robert Kasser was talking to a couple of people.
"Hey Bo, Agent Spade's here!"
"Hi, I'm," Samantha tried.
"So tell me, how do you like him so far? I'm sorry, Robert Kasser, I'm supposed to be your boss here," he said smiling.
"He actually reminds me of my brother," she said referring to Danny.
"Ok. We weren't expecting you today but anyway...they're Karen and James."
They were both tall. James was black, handsome. Karen instead seemed like a ghost, she had pale complexion and dark curly hair.
"This is Samantha. She's starting here on Monday. All you gotta know is that she's good."
"Bo, I was..."
"Not now Stu! Figure it out yourself." And then directing to Sam "You come with me, to my office."
She walked close behind him.
"I'd appreciate if you didn't mention that I'm here to anyone in NY."
"No trouble with secrecy myself."
"Thank you."
"I understand you're pregnant."
"Yes. A month. I'd appreciate if you didn't mention that either."
"As you wish. May I know why?" he said as he tried not to show his intrigue.
"It's too complicated."
"Not if you don't want or need to tell me...no hard feelings. It's your life after all."
"Thanks. How should I call you? There we used to call each other by our names but maybe here..."
"Robert, Bob, Bo. You choose. What about you, any preferences?"
"Samantha'll do fine."
She had the impression that moving there wasn't such a bad thing. People were actually nice, respectful, honest. Thing would get harder, she knew it. She had to take advantage of that moment, when everything was pleasant and quiet. Who knows how long that would last?