Inside Outt

know.”
    “How?”
    He shrugged. “Well, you live in D.C., right?”
    “Fairfax. Why?”
    “It’s just, I don’t have a place to stay tonight—”
    She laughed.
    “—and I’m always looking for ways to improve those interagency relations.”
    “Yes, you’ve been diligent about that.”
    “I try.”
    “You know, last night was nice—”
    “This morning, too.”
    “And this morning, too. But having you stay at my apartment… right now, that’s too much for me.”
    “More of the ‘you wanted to be fucked, not made love to’ thing.”
    “Something like that.”
    “Well, I could just fuck you, then. I’m pretty flexible that way.”
    She laughed again.
    “Seriously,” he said. “Was this just a one-off? Because, when you weren’t trying to punch me in the face and bite my ear off, I thought it was pretty good.”
    She nodded. “It was good. A little… crazy. But good.”
    “So?”
    “So I think I need a little time to digest everything that just happened, okay? Not just with you. With everything.”
    • • •
    They barely spoke on the flight back. Paula’s eyes were closed for hours but Ben sensed she wasn’t sleeping—that she was instead simply withdrawing into herself. Withdrawing from him. He watched her and noticed for the first time how long her lashes were. He noticed not for the first time how good she looked in the sundress. But neither of these observations felt relevant. It was as though she’d pulled down a steel curtain between them. She seemed as distant and unreachable as though the night before hadn’t ever happened.
    They went through customs and then through the terminal. Standing outside arrivals, diesel buses and honking taxis lurching past, the midday Washington sun superheating the humidity around them, Ben tried to think of the right thing to say. And couldn’t.
    “Are you… sorry?” he asked.
    “Not exactly.”
    He chuckled. “Well, that’s a ringing endorsement if ever I heard one.”
    She shook her head. “I’m just… confused.”
    “I tried to tell you it was a bad idea.”
    “I don’t remember you trying all that hard.”
    “Believe me, I did.”
    “Well, maybe I should have listened.”
    “Yeah, maybe you should have.” It came out harsher than he’d intended, but still.
    She nodded slowly, then said, “I need to go.” She turned and started to move away.
    “Paula.”
    She turned back to him.
    “I know you need to write some kind of report. You should… be careful what you put in it.”
    She took a step closer. “Are you threatening me?”
    He felt irritation rising and pushed it away. “First of all, I don’t threaten. And second, no, all I’m doing is giving you some well-intentioned advice. As a friend. Those Ground Branch guys in Los Yoses knew your name. There’s still a lot we don’t know about this whole thing, and what we don’t know is making certain people extremely twitchy.”
    She didn’t answer.
    “But hey, write whatever the hell you want.” He turned to go.
    “Ben. Wait.”
    He turned. For a moment, she looked like she was genuinely struggling with something. Her mouth opened, then closed. She pursed her lips, and it was as though her expression were somehow… dissolving. For a second, he thought she might cry.
    “What?” he said.
    Then her face solidified again and she shook her head. “Nothing,” she said, and walked away.
    He watched her heading toward the Metro. He was having trouble believing she could just walk away to write a report while he delivered the diamonds to Larison. Well, she didn’t have much choice. Still, if the shoe had been on the other foot, he would have been humiliated, furious. Maybe that’s what was bugging her.
    Ben’s phone buzzed. Hort.
    “Yeah.”
    “Are you still at National?”
    “Yeah, we just landed.”
    “Lanier?”
    He watched. “She’s gone.”
    “Good. Larison just called in. He’s moved up the delivery. Told us to have a jet ready to leave from National at 1800.”
    “Where did the call come from?”
    “We can’t pinpoint these satellite phone calls because from geosynchronous orbit, the footprint is too big. It could have come from Costa Rica. Or the southeastern United States. Or anywhere in between.”
    “You think he’d have the diamonds delivered in Costa Rica?”
    “I don’t know. Before, I would have said not a chance, but now that Nico’s known, maybe he thinks it doesn’t make a difference.”
    “So what’s the