What Riley lacked in undercover finesse, he more than made up for in pure field instinct. There was a reason he was an officer of such standing amongst the Initiative, and his sheer sense of survival-oriented intuition had proven him right on more than one occasion.
So when the architect turned to leave, Riley couldn't ignore a creeping feeling that their time together shouldn't conclude just yet. He couldn't exactly say why, but there was something there that he wasn't quite ready to let go unresolved.
"It's really no trouble, I was planning on walking the length of the alley anyway. I was headed in that direction when you spooked me. I promise to keep my jumpiness at bay; I'd just prefer to make sure you get home safely. Things have been dicey around here lately, and I don't want to leave you in the dark, only to get a call later tonight that something terrible happened. That would weigh on a guy's mind, you know?"
Riley smiled in what he hoped was a convincingly kind way.
"Protect and serve, it's right there in the mission statement, after all."