drinking water. That's not a good thing. You may be clean but the puppy isn't so lucky. Why aren't you listening to me?" Eve heard the sound of a child's crowing in the background and then a cry of protest. "Okay, I've got her under my arm. What was I saying?"
"Elspeth is clever, amazing, and sweet."
"Also stubborn, single-minded, and utterly dictatorial. And being almost two has nothing to do with it. She's her mother's child."
"And Elena probably says the same about you."
"Undoubtedly. They gang up on me. You have no idea how a daughter can rule your life until you--" He stopped. "God, I'm sorry, Eve. I didn't think."
"Stop it. Do you think I don't wish you every minute of joy with Elspeth? It's one of the greatest experiences you'll ever know. Just hold her close, Galen."
"I do. I will." He paused. "Before Elspeth came to us I thought I felt sorrow for you but it's nothing to what I feel now. I didn't understand. Maybe I still don't understand but, my God, how I empathize."
"Thanks, Galen." She cleared her throat. "I'll let you go so you can get back to Elspeth."
"She's okay. She's playing with her piano now. No, dammit, she's on top of her piano. Oh, hell, I said it again. Every curse word and we have to put a dollar in her college fund. She's got enough for Harvard already. No, Elspeth, we don't jump off--" He hung up.
Eve was still smiling as she pressed the disconnect. Lord, it was wonderful to hear Galen so happy. She had told him the truth. She wouldn't have cheated him of one precious moment just because those moments were no longer hers. Bonnie. Elspeth. All the other children who shared the magic of childhood and made the days golden.
"He's going to help?" Joe asked.
"Yes. He said he'd get right on it but I'm not sure when I'll hear from him. He seemed to be busy with dog water and pianos."
"What?"
"Elspeth."
Joe nodded. "And any delay is forgiven in the name of the baby girl."
"Of course. Galen has his priorities straight." She got to her feet. "I have to go through the mail and send a refusal to the Moscow police department for the job they asked me to take on."
"I thought there was a possibility you'd do their reconstruction."
She shrugged. "I changed my mind. If they're willing to delay, I may still do it. If they want it right away, they'll have to get someone else."
"But you're clearing your calendar."
She didn't answer directly. "Dealing with the Russians can be a headache. They have so many current mafia problems they're not interested in cold cases." She went to the mail basket and got the sheaf of letters. "I don't need any more headaches right now. Marty was difficult enough...."
Chapter 4.
Montalvo didn't call when the five days were up. Nor did he call on the sixth day, nor the seventh.
On the eighth day her cell phone rang at 3:32 P. M.
"Have you been waiting with bated breath?" Montalvo asked. "I assure you it wasn't a strategy on my part. I hate not being able to meet a challenge with utmost efficiency. I was most unhappy with my head operative, Norton, in the U.S."
"Are you going to shoot him as you did that man Aquila?"
"Ah, Soldono discussed it with you. Actually I wasn't that displeased with Norton. There's no similarity in the cases. Aquila was armed and would have killed me given the smallest chance. Inefficiency deserves replacement and withdrawal of favors. That punishment is usually enough in most situations. However, since I'd given you my word and the issue was earning your trust I was particularly irate."
"I'd never trust you."
"But you could trust my ability to do what I promised," he said softly.
"I had no faith in you. There was no way you could find the killer in such a short time."
"But I did."
She went rigid. "What?"
"I've no concrete proof. There wasn't time, but I believe I located him."
"How?"
"I had my men checking the police records of all child molesters in the towns surrounding Valdosta and Macon. None of them seemed a match. There were two
"Elspeth is clever, amazing, and sweet."
"Also stubborn, single-minded, and utterly dictatorial. And being almost two has nothing to do with it. She's her mother's child."
"And Elena probably says the same about you."
"Undoubtedly. They gang up on me. You have no idea how a daughter can rule your life until you--" He stopped. "God, I'm sorry, Eve. I didn't think."
"Stop it. Do you think I don't wish you every minute of joy with Elspeth? It's one of the greatest experiences you'll ever know. Just hold her close, Galen."
"I do. I will." He paused. "Before Elspeth came to us I thought I felt sorrow for you but it's nothing to what I feel now. I didn't understand. Maybe I still don't understand but, my God, how I empathize."
"Thanks, Galen." She cleared her throat. "I'll let you go so you can get back to Elspeth."
"She's okay. She's playing with her piano now. No, dammit, she's on top of her piano. Oh, hell, I said it again. Every curse word and we have to put a dollar in her college fund. She's got enough for Harvard already. No, Elspeth, we don't jump off--" He hung up.
Eve was still smiling as she pressed the disconnect. Lord, it was wonderful to hear Galen so happy. She had told him the truth. She wouldn't have cheated him of one precious moment just because those moments were no longer hers. Bonnie. Elspeth. All the other children who shared the magic of childhood and made the days golden.
"He's going to help?" Joe asked.
"Yes. He said he'd get right on it but I'm not sure when I'll hear from him. He seemed to be busy with dog water and pianos."
"What?"
"Elspeth."
Joe nodded. "And any delay is forgiven in the name of the baby girl."
"Of course. Galen has his priorities straight." She got to her feet. "I have to go through the mail and send a refusal to the Moscow police department for the job they asked me to take on."
"I thought there was a possibility you'd do their reconstruction."
She shrugged. "I changed my mind. If they're willing to delay, I may still do it. If they want it right away, they'll have to get someone else."
"But you're clearing your calendar."
She didn't answer directly. "Dealing with the Russians can be a headache. They have so many current mafia problems they're not interested in cold cases." She went to the mail basket and got the sheaf of letters. "I don't need any more headaches right now. Marty was difficult enough...."
Chapter 4.
Montalvo didn't call when the five days were up. Nor did he call on the sixth day, nor the seventh.
On the eighth day her cell phone rang at 3:32 P. M.
"Have you been waiting with bated breath?" Montalvo asked. "I assure you it wasn't a strategy on my part. I hate not being able to meet a challenge with utmost efficiency. I was most unhappy with my head operative, Norton, in the U.S."
"Are you going to shoot him as you did that man Aquila?"
"Ah, Soldono discussed it with you. Actually I wasn't that displeased with Norton. There's no similarity in the cases. Aquila was armed and would have killed me given the smallest chance. Inefficiency deserves replacement and withdrawal of favors. That punishment is usually enough in most situations. However, since I'd given you my word and the issue was earning your trust I was particularly irate."
"I'd never trust you."
"But you could trust my ability to do what I promised," he said softly.
"I had no faith in you. There was no way you could find the killer in such a short time."
"But I did."
She went rigid. "What?"
"I've no concrete proof. There wasn't time, but I believe I located him."
"How?"
"I had my men checking the police records of all child molesters in the towns surrounding Valdosta and Macon. None of them seemed a match. There were two
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