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Muriel grinned at me when I paid for the papers I tried not to shudder at the sight of her teeth "There you go, luv," she said, holding out a stained hand with rie ion "Keep it" I looked into her oddly beautiful green eyes and nodded once "I’ll be getting all these US papers regular from now on if you want to have the, you are I’ll have ‘em G’day to ye, handsome" She winked atteeth I tried not to look too close, but I think Muriel could coot into my office I started on the intel in earnest I listened to the e of the man who’d called Brynne I played it several times A revealed in his inquiry gave anything away about what he ton Review I’h School, San Francisco…"
His e was short and utilitarian, and he left his infor her the one tiood chance he didn’t knowto contact
I briefed Frances without giving away specific details, told her to look into this Greg Denton at The Washington Review and also to see what else she could scrub up in the newspapers I’d bought thismy desk drahere the smokes were stashed when Neil ca, mate" He sat in the chair and lookedon his square jaw
"Don’t say it," I warned
"A’right" He pulled out his mobile and looked busy with it "I won’t say I knoho stayed over last night And I definitely won’t say I saw you two snogging while waiting for the lift this hed at ain without fear of diseods!" He looked upward and held his hands up "It’s been a fked-up couple of weeks--"
"I’d love to see how your miserable arse would do if Elaina suddenly decided she couldn’t stand the sight of you" I cut hie in attitude "Which could always happen, you know, as I know all your shameful secrets"
Worked like a char in about one point five seconds
"We’re really happy for you, E," he said quietly And I know he ation into Lieutenant Oakley going?" I asked, giving in and opening hter and a pack of Djarus to the people of Iraq and getting aith it, but not sure for how long that’ll stay buried I think the senator can only be relieved his son is off getting into trouble in Iraq as opposed to anywhere close to his election careeave quite a kick, but I was used to it Now I just let the nicotine do its work and felt guilty for what I was putting into my body "So he’s career military you think?" I exhaled away from Neil
Neil shook his head "I don’t think so"
"Why not?"
Neil had the keenest instincts of anyone I knew He wasn’t just an e shot Neil was one off to war, survived that hell to return to England, row up in the process and start a successful business I trusted him with my life Which lad she liked hiuarded eventually whenever she went out Brynne would so hate that But even as much as she loathed the security detail, she’d not take it out on Neil My girl was far too kind for that sort of thing
I wasn’t kidding lad Neil already had a wole wouldn’t have been uy
"Well this is the interesting part Lieutenant Lance Oakely was stop-lossed just a feeeks after the plane went down From what I could find out, the US pretty o, and only just awhat I’ain "As soon as the senator found out he was the next vice-presidential hopeful, he got his only son stop-lossed for another tour in Iraq"
I clucked ue "Sounds like the Senator knows his son very well and figures the further his boy can keep away fro elected" I leaned back in et a stop-loss order than so to think Senator Oakley rather hopes his son never co for patriotisoing" Neil eyeballed the ciggie inback on those?"
"I am…at home" I stubbed it out into the ashtray "I won’t sh to figure out why I wouldn’t But that was the thing about friends…you understood each other, didn’t have to explain ad nauseuet, but pretty much kneas a part of you down to the marrow in your bones
Brynne’s mobile lit up and roused me out of my work I checked the caller ID One word--Moht as I pressed send "Hello"
There was a beat of silence, and then a haughty voice "I’hter, and as I know this is her nu?"
"Ethan Blackstone, hter’s phone, Mr Blackstone?"
"I’ her old nuoing to give it to her on a silver platter Brynne’s mum would have to ask me Nicely So far, I wasn’t impressed