May 22, 1999

The first time you meet her, all you think is that she's a nice looking lady. The second time you meet her, you realize that she might just be the most dangerous person on the planet.

The agents lead Clair to her seat and cuffed her to the table so she can't escape.

Clair and I didn't say anything at first. Nobody was observing us. I personally asked May yesterday.

Clair looked at me, then decided she should have the first word.

Clair: Your friend talked to me the other day.

Harlan: I know.

Clair: I didn't-

Harlan: I know.

Clair looked at me and smiled.

Clair: Am I right to assume that you were assigned to help your special friend on this case?

I looked at Clair. I wanted to lie, lie to her. How would she know?

But I looked at her and something told me not to. I needed to get her trust, and lying won't do that.

Harlan: Yes.

Clair: Makes me wonder why you didn't talk to me yesterday, but rather today.

I looked at Clair. She knew why. Clair chuckled.

Clair: How'd you know?

Harlan: That's pretty much all I know about you.

I got the plastic bag and opened it at the front of her, and brought out a muffin.

Harlan: Happy birthday Clair.

Told you I had to make a quickstop. Clair held the muffin, and ate it.

Clair ate the muffin, and I watched her as she did. She seemed really happy, as though she never had one before.

As Clair took a bite, she looked at me, then offered a bite.

Harlan: No thanks, I had one on the way.

Clair chuckled and finished the muffin.

Me and Clair sat down for a while to let it digest. The both of us sat in silence, none of us said anything for a while. I decided after a while that I should have the first word this time.

Harlan: I went through your files and-

Clair: I know. You found nothing. I know.

Harlan: Yeah but how can-

Clair: Why do you care about files? Screw files. They can be edited, tampered, redacted, forged.

I looked at her, she had a point.

Clair: The day we met, you were trying to read me. What did you gather?

I recalled it. I wasn't just trying to intimidate her, I was trying to get something on her.

Harlan: I remember you read me.

Clair: And?

Harlan: First thing you observed about me, well after the thing about my friend, was that I was an orphan. I assume the same with you.

Clair nodded.

Clair: Takes one to know one. Talk to me.

Harlan: I'm guessing, parents died while you were really young probably, left to grow up alone. You grew up doing this. This was life for as long as you could remember.

Clair looked at me, slightly smiling.

Clair: Not bad. Yes yes, not bad. My family died. My family included father, my mother, and my sister. Father and Mother died and I was raised by my sister, Chase.

Clair looked at the wall.

Clair: Look, if you came here to ask me questions about the people I'm with, I'm not gonna talk. And there's nothing you can do about it. I'm the one in handcuffs yet I have the advantage.

I listened to Clair. It was as though she wanted to talk. To talk to me.

Harlan: Alright Clair, what do you want to talk about?

Clair looked at me.

Clair: Well, since it's my birthday... how about the story of my life?