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"…can’t thank you enough," he heard, which wouldn’t stop her froer than in most places, especially if there was a woain, and stayed lost in the azine until Julia returned to the table

"We’re all set," she announced "Claudia can’t think of anything she and Donny’d rather have than Jenny’s company for a week, not to mention her kids’ll be over the moon about it They place her sooing over there, so she’ll just have a slightly longer visit than usual"

He got to his feet "I’d better book our flight," he said

"You’ve got the easy part, ure out what to pack"

Twenty-Three

Cruise ships out of Fort Lauderdale docked at Port Everglades, a six-mile cab ride from the airport Keller paid the driver, ished thee for Keller to figure it out

If packing for Julia had been a trial, she’d nevertheless lewas sh the cruise ter passengers

Their ship, the Carefree Nights, looked large to Keller, but not after he’d seen the leviathans berthed on either side of her Their cabin was on the second of five passenger decks, and once they were in it Keller excused himself and made his way back to the terminal

He’d had an eye out for a man in a Hawaiian shirt and a New York Yankees baseball cap, and the guy had evidently had his eye out for Keller, too, because they’d exchanged nods and glances the first tih it struck hih the prescribed ritual

"Mr Gallagher?"

"Absolutely," the man said "Mr Shean?"

"Positively"

"That fuckin’ Dot," said the her than Keller’s was Shean "I swear the woonna be able to find each other" He took off his cap, set it on the floor under his seat "There’s soood in hats and some who don’t, and we knohich kind I alanced at the shirt Keller earing "That one’s her idea, too, right?"

The polo shirt, with narrow red horizontal stripes on a navy field, was one of Keller’s favorites He couldn’t think of a response, and that turned out to be response enough

"Actually," Gallagher said, "it’s an okay shirt Here, have a seat I wish I could tell you to enjoy the boat ride, that it’s all taken care of Though how anybody could enjoy a boat ride’s beyond "

"Let me put it this way, Shean I take lots of showers You knohy?"

Keller could guess--guilt, a need to expunge the recent past But that wasn’t it

"Because I don’t even like bathtubs is why They show The Poseidon Adventure on TV, I change the channel The remote’s on the fritz, I’ll walk across the roo of the her, felt that showed real coher said, "is the long shot I’rew up in LA, I never touched a gun my whole life, and I went in the service and they took e, and I couldn’t miss Qualified as expert rifle I know I’m in sniper school Join the army, learn a trade"

It would have been different, Keller thought, if he’d joined the navy

"So I get a call The subject’s holed up in a house in Hallandale That’s a little ways south of here Takes so, but I find a spot where I can set up Minute he walks out the door, he’s mine"

"But he never leaves the house"

"Oh, Dot told you? Maybe he leaves and maybe he don’t, I couldn’t tell you, because all I ever see is this black Lexus with tinted glass all around Fuckin’ car coe Is he ever inside it? Maybe yes, maybe no When he’s ho picture ? Again, ot curtains and they’re never open Teeks I’liet to draw a bead on him So let me ask you, Shean What would you do?"

"I don’t know Maybe try to get into the house"