Unlikely, Parker said. Well rotate them. They wont interact with her more than necessary. Theres no reason she would make any connection. Hannahafter school you will ride with one officer to the corner where Rico expects to meet you and identify him in his vehicle. That will be the extent of your involvement.

Jessie was relieved to hear that, even as she saw that Hannah was disappointed.

Wouldnt it be better for me to play along so that he takes me to meet his boss? she asked.

Its too risky, Parker said. The minute you get in his car, hell, the minute he sees you, youre in jeopardy. As Jessie said, they may have already looked into your background. If they have, they might have figured out that your story doesnt add up. We dont know how Rico will react. We dont know if hell have people with him. There are just too many variables. Instead, one officer will escort you home while the other follows Rico in conjunction with other unmarked units. We may ask you to text Elodie to have her tell Rico youre not feeling well and need to postpone.

Why? Hannah asked.

Well need some excuse for you not to show up, no matter how lame, Parker explained. We dont want Rico to get spooked. We still want him to go to his bosss place this afternoon.

Hannah seemed unhappy with the plan but Parker, unmoved, fixed her steady gaze on the girl.

Your job, other than to text Elodie that youre cancelling the meet, is to have a normal day. Go to your classes. Do your work. If Elodie approaches you, act as if everything is still on for this afternoon. Dont try to record her or get additional information. We dont want to spook her either and have her warn Rico off. Is that all clear?

Hannah nodded that it was. Parker continued.

Great. Were going to take a few extra precautions when we leave here. The captain and I are going to head out now and walk back to the station. You two will leave a couple of minutes later. Your sister will drop you off at the Pershing metro station, she said to Hannah as she held up her phone. This woman, who is one of the undercover officers youll be with at school all day, is currently sitting on a bench outside the station entrance. Her names Marie. Shell follow you down the escalator. At the bottom, shell pass you. Follow her without making contact. Shell lead you to a separate exit, where youll both be met by a car. Once you get in, shell explain the details from there.

When she was done, Decker turned to Jessie.

When you get back to the station, find me and well deal with the other pending matters.