“I’ve thought of moving here permanently,” said Faith. She broke ranks
with him and ventured into the water up to her ankles. Lee slipped off
his shoes, rolled up his pants legs and joined her.
“Colder than I thought it would be,” he said. “No swimming out
here.”
“You wouldn’t believe how invigorating a swim in cold water can be.”
“You’re right, I wouldn’t.”
“I’m sure you’ve been asked this a million times, but how did you
become a private investigator?”
He shrugged and looked out toward the ocean. “Sort of fell into it. My
dad was an engineer and I was a gadget guy, like him. But I never had
the book smarts he did. I was sort of a rebel too, like you. But I
didn’t go to college. I joined the Navy.”
“Please tell me you were a Navy SEAL. I’d sleep better.”
Lee smiled. “I can barely shoot straight. I can’t build a nuclear
device out of toothpicks and gum wrappers, and the last time I checked,
I couldn’t disable a man simply by pressing my thumb against his
fore–”
“I guess I’ll keep you anyway. Sorry to interrupt.” “Not much more to
it. I studied telephony, communications, that sort of thing in the
Navy. Got married, had a kid. I left the service and worked at the
phone company as a repairman. Then I lost my daughter in a messy
divorce. I quit my job, answered an ad at a private security firm for
someone experienced in electronic surveillance. I figured with my
technical background I could learn what I needed to know. The job
really got into my blood. I started my own private investigation firm,
got some decent clients, made mistakes along the way but then got a
firm footing. Now you see me today as the head of a mighty empire.”
“How long have you been divorced?”
“A long time.” He looked at her. “Why?”
“Just curious. Ever gotten close to the altar since then?”
“No. I guess I’m terrified of making the same mistakes.” He stuffed
his hands into his pockets. “Quite honestly, the problems came from
both ends. I’m not easy to live with.” He smiled. “I think God makes
two kinds of people: those who should marry and procreate and those who
should remain alone and have sex only for fun. I think I’m in the
latter group. Not that I’ve been having much ‘fun’ lately.”
Faith looked down. “Save some room for me.”
“Not to worry. There’s plenty of space left.”
He touched her elbow. “Let’s talk. We’re running out of time.”
Faith led him back up onto the beach and plopped down cross-legged on a
patch of dry sand. He sat next to her.
“Where would you like to begin?” she asked.
“How about the beginning?”
“No, I meant do you want me to tell you all first, or do you want to
spill your secrets first?”
He looked startled. “My secrets? Sorry, I’m fresh out.”
She picked up a stick, drew the letters d and b in the sand and then
glanced at him. “Danny Buchanan. What do you really know about
him?”
“Just what I told you. He’s your partner.”
“He’s also the man who hired you.”
Lee couldn’t find his voice for a few seconds. “I told you I didn’t
know who had hired me.”
“That’s right. That’s what you told me.”
“How do you know he hired me?”
“While I was in your office, I listened to a message from Danny, and he
sounded quite anxious to know where I was and what you had found out.
He left his phone number for you to call him back. He was more
distressed than I’ve ever heard him. I guess I would be too if someone
I had arranged to have killed was still alive and kicking.”
“You’re sure it was him on the phone?”
“After fifteen years of working with him I think I know his voice. So
you didn’t know?”
“No, I didn’t.”
“You know that’s really hard to believe.”
“I guess it is,” he agreed. “But it happens to be the truth.” He
scooped up some sand and let it run through his fingers. “So I take it