remember moments like this forever.
Remember? She experienced moments like this every day of her life. There was no need for memory.
She had to get back to Joe and tell him about the call from Soldono. Maybe not tell him quite everything. He was already on edge and disturbed. He didn't need to know about the man Montalvo had killed. It wouldn't have surprised him, but it would give him more ammunition to hurl at her for dealing with Montalvo at all.
She turned and headed back toward the cottage. She wasn't going to be dissuaded from continuing her contact with Montalvo but she, too, needed ammunition. That dossier was ridiculously sparse and it made her feel helpless. She couldn't tolerate feeling helpless. There had been too much of that agony after Bonnie's death. It was the primary reason she had gone back to school to be a forensic sculptor. It had been a way to strike back, to have a purpose.
Knowledge was power. Knowledge was strength. To deal with Montalvo she'd need quantities of both.
"Soldono called while I was down by the lake," she told Joe when she went into the cottage. "He's striking out. He hasn't got Gonzales and his family out of the country yet. Venable's sending him help." She went to the coffeepot on the counter and poured a cup. "And he doesn't know any more information than what's in that report. Or so he says." She lifted the cup to her lips. "I tend to believe him. If the CIA is keeping his background under wraps, they haven't told Soldono."
"It's not bright not telling an agent information he might be able to use in the field."
"I agree. We need all the information we can get about Montalvo." She paused. "That's why I'm going to call Galen."
"I'm not surprised. I could see it coming. He may not be able to help, you know."
"And he may. Galen deals in buying and selling information, among other things. The CIA may not be able to find out anything about Montalvo but I'd bet on Galen."
"You have in the past." He looked down at the coffee in his cup. "But you haven't even spoken to him for months. Elena and he have a little girl now. You're his friend but relationships have a tendency to break down when new bonds are formed."
"Not with Galen." She and Galen had become too close in the time they had spent together. "He'll have time for me. I'm not asking him to fly off to Colombia and scout out Montalvo. All I want is information. I'll call him right after supper." She opened the freezer. "How about me putting a frozen lasagna into the oven?"
"Fine." He paused. "You didn't ask me about my check call to Valdosta."
She took out the lasagna. "Oh, what did you find out?"
"The fax wasn't doctored. But that's what you expected, wasn't it?"
"It's good to have it confirmed." But she'd really had no doubt that Montalvo had been telling the truth. It would have been too easy to check and he wouldn't have wanted to be discredited in her eyes. He'd gone to extreme lengths to make sure that she didn't think he was either a liar or a charlatan. "Thanks for going to the trouble."
"No trouble." He turned on the oven. "I have a feeling the trouble is yet to come."
"Montalvo?" Galen repeated. "I've heard of him. But nothing that you'd call confidential information."
"Can you find out anything for me?"
"Of course, luv." Galen sighed. "I'd offer to dispose of him for you but my Elena would object. She's making me as tame as a pussycat."
Eve chuckled. "I can't see it. Particularly since Elena was once more lethal than you."
"She was not." His English accent became more pronounced in his indignation. "We came together on equal ground. Of course my ground sometimes is a bit more equal than hers. Oh well, we're compatible in almost every other way."
"I imagine you are since you managed to conceive a child between bouts. How is Elspeth?"
"Glowing, beautiful, sweet, clever, amazing, I don't see why they say two is so terrible. She's an absolute--" He broke off. "No, Elspeth, do not take a bath in the dog's
Remember? She experienced moments like this every day of her life. There was no need for memory.
She had to get back to Joe and tell him about the call from Soldono. Maybe not tell him quite everything. He was already on edge and disturbed. He didn't need to know about the man Montalvo had killed. It wouldn't have surprised him, but it would give him more ammunition to hurl at her for dealing with Montalvo at all.
She turned and headed back toward the cottage. She wasn't going to be dissuaded from continuing her contact with Montalvo but she, too, needed ammunition. That dossier was ridiculously sparse and it made her feel helpless. She couldn't tolerate feeling helpless. There had been too much of that agony after Bonnie's death. It was the primary reason she had gone back to school to be a forensic sculptor. It had been a way to strike back, to have a purpose.
Knowledge was power. Knowledge was strength. To deal with Montalvo she'd need quantities of both.
"Soldono called while I was down by the lake," she told Joe when she went into the cottage. "He's striking out. He hasn't got Gonzales and his family out of the country yet. Venable's sending him help." She went to the coffeepot on the counter and poured a cup. "And he doesn't know any more information than what's in that report. Or so he says." She lifted the cup to her lips. "I tend to believe him. If the CIA is keeping his background under wraps, they haven't told Soldono."
"It's not bright not telling an agent information he might be able to use in the field."
"I agree. We need all the information we can get about Montalvo." She paused. "That's why I'm going to call Galen."
"I'm not surprised. I could see it coming. He may not be able to help, you know."
"And he may. Galen deals in buying and selling information, among other things. The CIA may not be able to find out anything about Montalvo but I'd bet on Galen."
"You have in the past." He looked down at the coffee in his cup. "But you haven't even spoken to him for months. Elena and he have a little girl now. You're his friend but relationships have a tendency to break down when new bonds are formed."
"Not with Galen." She and Galen had become too close in the time they had spent together. "He'll have time for me. I'm not asking him to fly off to Colombia and scout out Montalvo. All I want is information. I'll call him right after supper." She opened the freezer. "How about me putting a frozen lasagna into the oven?"
"Fine." He paused. "You didn't ask me about my check call to Valdosta."
She took out the lasagna. "Oh, what did you find out?"
"The fax wasn't doctored. But that's what you expected, wasn't it?"
"It's good to have it confirmed." But she'd really had no doubt that Montalvo had been telling the truth. It would have been too easy to check and he wouldn't have wanted to be discredited in her eyes. He'd gone to extreme lengths to make sure that she didn't think he was either a liar or a charlatan. "Thanks for going to the trouble."
"No trouble." He turned on the oven. "I have a feeling the trouble is yet to come."
"Montalvo?" Galen repeated. "I've heard of him. But nothing that you'd call confidential information."
"Can you find out anything for me?"
"Of course, luv." Galen sighed. "I'd offer to dispose of him for you but my Elena would object. She's making me as tame as a pussycat."
Eve chuckled. "I can't see it. Particularly since Elena was once more lethal than you."
"She was not." His English accent became more pronounced in his indignation. "We came together on equal ground. Of course my ground sometimes is a bit more equal than hers. Oh well, we're compatible in almost every other way."
"I imagine you are since you managed to conceive a child between bouts. How is Elspeth?"
"Glowing, beautiful, sweet, clever, amazing, I don't see why they say two is so terrible. She's an absolute--" He broke off. "No, Elspeth, do not take a bath in the dog's
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