Free Blood Money by K. J. Janssen Page B

dad was many things, but athletic wasn’t one of them. In fact, he looked down on all sports at any level. My small accomplishments were the exception. My parents came to most of my runs. The trophies were for high school cross-country. It was no big deal. They are for our team’s championship seasons.” The wine was starting to hit him. He hadn’t eaten anything since the Grand Slam breakfast, and that was ten hours ago. Of course, if Sue had seen the size of his plate, she would have said that he probably ate enough at that one breakfast to last for two days. His mind was racing to think of conversation starters, something that they hadn’t already discussed during lunch in Mansfield and yet would be appropriate for the moment. He kept coming up with blanks. For some reason, he felt awkward.
    Sue saved the day. “Have you ever considered selling this place and moving into a condo? You wouldn’t have to concern yourself with lawn cutting or snow shoveling. Condo living sure makes my life simpler.”
    â€œI must admit that I did think about it last year. I was very busy and we had a big snowstorm. Luckily, I have the downstairs computer so I could stay home. I had a realtor in, but when it came to deciding to leave a lifetime of memories behind, I backed out. I have a service that takes care of the lawn and snow removal, so it’s not too bad.” They spent the interval until the timer went off reminiscing about the Pentagon days. Neither Sue nor Mark had kept in touch with their fellow “Hide and Seek” team members. He tried to start up a conversation about her two years in San Diego, but it became very clear that that was one subject she didn’t want to discuss.
Maybe she had been involved in a love affair gone awry
. Mark decided to let it drop just as the timer buzzed.
Saved by the bell!
They moved out to the kitchen while he finished preparing the dinner. The table for two was set in a small alcove by a bay window, with a view of a beautifully manicured back lawn and gardens. It was the perfect setting.
    Mostly, the evening went well. The lasagna and salad were, even if he had to say so himself, on par with the best Italian restaurants. The wine was excellent and plentiful. His one flub came at the end of the meal. Mark had completely forgotten about dessert, and there was nothing in the house. “I’m so sorry that I forgot about dessert. I was so busy putting everything together for the lasagna it completely slipped my mind. I don’t even have any ice cream in the freezer.”
    Sue, always gracious, replied, “I’m really glad you did. I’ve put on a few pounds in the last month so I can easily afford to skip a dessert once and a while. Anyway, nothing could have topped that lasagna. You sure know your way around a kitchen.”
    While Mark wasn’t buying the part about the extra pounds, he let her take him off the hook. They placed all the plates, silverware, pots and pans in the dishwasher and turned it on. Then they picked up their glasses and what remained of the second bottle of Chianti and set off for the comfort of the living room. The conversation quickly switched to the job they had on tap for the next morning.
    â€œI’m really looking forward to working on our project tomorrow,” he said as he drained the wine from his glass and filled it up for the last time. “This job is not only going to be a good revenue producer, but the exposure is enormous. This client can throw a lot of background searches my way. I tried to get into their files again, by the way. I used one of our ‘Hide & Seek’ tricks, but it didn’t work. Thank God I’ve got you here to help me. I would have dreaded going back to my client and telling him I couldn’t complete the assignment. I’ve never had to do that, and I sure don’t want to start now. You’re a real lifesaver, Sue.”
    â€œWell, don’t give