We met nine days after her reply. Neutral ground—the lobby bar of the Ashford Hotel, midweek, midafternoon, when the place would be half-empty and unremarkable. I arrived twenty minutes early and chose a table from which I could see every entrance. Old audit habit. You always want to see the client before they see you.
She was punctual, which I noted favorably. She wore no makeup and had clearly not slept well, which I noted differently. Either she was genuinely on edge or performing. I had learned, being married to Gary Whitfield, that performance and sincerity could wear identical masks. I would need more data before I decided which this was.