Jean gripped his hand with both of hers. “I know you wouldn’t, Dad. I know you think you’re a monster… but you’re not.”
“I can’t agree with you on that one, kid. Your Mom knows better too. It doesn’t matter between the three of us. Your Mom has access to everything I have. If something happens to me, or if she decides to split with you to parts unknown, there are enough funds to see both of you into a safer place than the US Marshals ever gave you.”
“Hey… Binky… you ain’t getting rid of us that easily. I’m carrying your son, and Jean’s brother. What the hell makes you think I’d dump you and head for the hills after all we’ve been through? If you ever get free of this latest mess, we’ll hit the road for your book tour, and spend some money, right?”
Nick hugged Rachel. “Hell yeah. I’m listing all possibilities for Jean the Assassin. I didn’t mean you’d fly off with everything I have.”
Nick stared Rachel in the eyes, face to face. “You could… at any time. I won’t even look for you, because I know you’ll have a reason I may not be able to decipher, but it will be a good one. Know this. If you do something like that, I’ll always be here if you need me. I can always make more money. You, Jean, and Deke gave me something I never thought I would ever get to experience. For me, that means a lot.”
Rachel gripped Nick’s face in her hands. “Never going to happen, Terminator. Jean and I are the only two you could ever connect with that know you. That’s special in a way no other person on earth could know. If you think I’d leave you because of what you are, you’re dead wrong. Our lives would appear to be like that ‘Dexter Series’ on TV, but Jean and I know Dexter’s a pussy in comparison to you. Go take a shower and get ready for Crabby Jim’s.”
Nick kissed Rachel with passion. He pulled away with effort, noting Jean’s smiling gaze. “By your command, my love.”
*
Until after they had dropped off Jerry’s Toyota, all seemed fine with Nick putting the keys through the mail slot. Rachel drove, while Jean went into a detailed description of the movie in 3D they’d attended. They parked in the Fisherman’s Wharf parking lot, meeting with Gus and Tina who spotted them. Then, Nick noticed the van park behind their Escalade after they began walking toward the main concourse of the Wharf where Crabby Jim’s restaurant was located. Nick checked his own iPad mini, seeing he was picking up a familiar signal. Jean noticed.
“Is something wrong, Dad?”
“Not yet.” No one left the van with darkly tinted windows. Nick never showed any interest in it, except with his peripheral vision while greeting Gus and Tina. He gripped Jean’s shoulder with a comforting type hold. “Glance back at the van parked behind our Escalade, Jean. Don’t look straight at it. Keep an eye on it without staring, and tell me if anyone gets out of it.”
After a few minutes of idle chatter, Gus restated their purpose for being there. “Good Lord, I’m hungry. Can we talk and walk?”
Nick’s partner in surveillance kept watch on the van while they were walking, skipping along in convincing casual form, and pointing at different sights. When they were out of sight from the parking lot, Jean moved next to Nick.
“No one came out of the van, and it’s so dark tinted, I couldn’t see anyone inside. What should we do?”
“We’ll have dinner, and relax, kid. Then, we pay close attention to it if it’s still there when we come out. We may leave the Cad, and take a taxi home, depending on whether my hunch is right or not. I have to see if Gus is prepared for one more little piece of excitement today. If he’s not, we’ll avoid the van. No need to spoil a nice evening.”
Jean sat down next to him on the bench to wait for a table. They were at the end while Rachel had an animated conversation with Gus and Tina rehashing the movie they had seen. “Do you think it has something to do with your casualty?”
“Probably, but it will have to remain a mystery for now. I’m getting a familiar signal I’ve been tracking for a long time coming from that van we were observing. I’ve had enough cloak and dagger crap for today though, so we’ll play this by ear.”
Jean leaned near Nick. “Thanks for letting me in on all this.”
“Keep it down. If your Mom finds out I’m using you for secondary surveillance, she’ll stab me in my sleep.”
“She would not.”
Nick made a head gesture toward his wife. “You don’t know your Mom very well, girl. I want you to always look for pieces out of place around you. Being with me will require you to notice everything out of sync. It could be the difference between life and death. Anyway, if you want me to use you for surveillance when the opportunity arises, you’d best keep this on the down low.”
“I will. I’ll be like the teen girl detective, Veronica Mars.”