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She hurried to the closet and shoved aside old ru
She closed the closet door with relief and hurried past the cop to her office, a second, smaller bedroom just off the hall. An old Bianchi bike leaned against the wall in the corner, and clutter covered her daybed and her IKEA workstation. Her computer was still there, and a Bose radio/CD player. She’d left the only things of value. Be
“It all here?” Officer Ba
How the hell did Alice get in? And get out with Bear?
She couldn’t think of an immediate answer and returned downstairs with the cop.
17
Be
“These were the clothes you left outside the bathroom door,” David said, holding out his arms with a faint smile. The armholes rolled up along each mound of shoulder cap. “You were joking, right?”
“Sorry, I thought they’d fit.” Be
“Oh, well, at least they’re clean,” David said. “Thanks.” He’d taken a shower, and the wet sheen of his hair caught the light of the overhead lamp. He leaned down to pat Bear, who had curled into a ci
“Want coffee?” Be
He smiled. “I take it black.”
“Why am I not surprised?” Be
“What stuff?”
“How to save dogs and boats.”
David sipped his coffee. His eyes were kind and intelligent, with a sort of benevolent reserve about them. “Good coffee.”
“My goal in life. So what do you do for a living?” Be
“I’m taking some time off.”
“From what?”
“From work.”
“What kind of work?”
“Nothing important.” David leaned against the counter, sipping his coffee. His eyes were intense and brown, his nose long and straight, and he had a squarish chin. He was easily the most handsome man she’d ever had in her hemisphere, much less her kitchen, but he was hardly the most animated, especially in Capri pants. And he was clearly avoiding the question. He drained his cup and set it down, and Be
“Forgive me, but who are you and what do you do? I may sound paranoid, but someone is out to get me.”
“I should have thought of that. Sorry.” David gri
“You’re a SEAL?” Be
“SEALs are a division of the Navy. BUDS is basic underwater demolition training.”
“And who do you instruct?”
“Cadets.”
“Where did you instruct them?”
“California.”
“What did you instruct them to do?”
“Become sea-air-land commandos.”
Eek. “How long does it take to become a SEAL?”
“If you make it, twenty-seven weeks.”
“Do a lot of people drop out?”
“If they don’t drown.”
Be
“I would, but there’s not much more to tell. I’m a Navy captain, graduated class of eighty-four.”
“From the Naval Academy?”
“Yep. The Southern Maryland School of Boat and Barge. Went to BUDS in Coronado, southern California. Served two years in Central America, then Desert Storm, instructed for three years, then went operational again in the Middle East. Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia.”
Wow. “Fighting?”
David smiled. “Combat, yes.”
“Jeez. And in all those places. I’ve been to Pe
“There are no female SEALs.”
“How nice for you.”
“Tell me more about your twin.”
“Oh, is this the enough-about-me part?” Be
“No.”
“But you’re kind of intense.”
“Very.”
“So, why? Would you elaborate?”
David burst into laughter, a deep, rich masculine sound. “I don’t think I’ve elaborated in my life. If I were the kind of man who elaborated, I’d be the kind of man who liked talking about himself, wouldn’t I?”
“Okay, maybe.” Be
“Now tell me about your twin. Alice. What did she serve time for?”
“Drug dealing, which she did, and murder, which she didn’t.”
“Wonder how she knew you’d be at the river.”
Be
“So she’s been following you for a month, at least, to know your schedule.”
Hearing it out loud gave Be
“So what are you going to do, to protect yourself?”
“Protect myself?” Be
“Yes. You’re under attack. How will you counter it?”
“Well, I changed my clothes so she couldn’t dress like me. To make it harder for her to pose as me.”
“You changed your clothes?” David mock-shuddered. “Tough tactics. Watch out.”
“It’s just the first step,” Be
“Do you need help?”
“No, I don’t. Thanks, but I don’t need help.” Be
“I can help you. I’d be happy to.”
Be