Free Titanoboa by Victor Methos Page A

old documents he wanted to keep. Commendations from the LAPD, his diplomas, things like that. And one contained old client files. The client files were always underneath his personal stuff because they were heavier. And he hadn’t looked through them in a long, long time.
    The client files lay on top, something he never would’ve done. He was certain of that, because the weight of the client files would have crushed and wrinkled his personal files.
    Someone had been in his house.

14
     
     
     
     
    Mark didn’t feel refreshed one bit. He’d never been a great sleeper and slept in bursts of two or three hours at a time. Until he moved to the islands, he didn’t understand what people meant when they said, “Good night’s sleep.”
    L ast night he’d gotten only a couple hours. Maybe less.
    As the sunlight streamed through the windows, he rose from bed and showered, leaving his gun by the sink. His mind had spun with thoughts last night. Who would want to break into my house? He owned nothing of value, not really, and in fact, they had taken nothing. They were searching for something they didn’t find. Or maybe gathering information about him.
    H e dressed and put on his holster and firearm. He was about to leave the house and head for the office when his cell phone rang. It was Davis.
    “This is Mark.”
    “How’s it feel?”
    “How’s what feel?”
    “To be woken in the middle of the night?”
    “Davis, it’s like nine in the morning over here.”
    He grumbled. “Shit. I don’t care. Listen, I got your information.”
    “And?”
    “William T. Gilmore, born San Diego, California, two siblings, all of them brothers.”
    “You’re sure about that?”
    “Hey, don’t forget who you’re talking to.”
    “I know, I shouldn’t have asked. Anything on a Riki Gilmore?”
    “Nope. Fake name, my friend. I mean, there are Riki Gilmores but none from San Diego with brothers named William .”
    Mark pressed the phone between his cheek and shoulder while he locked the door. “If you ever need a vacation, you’re more than welcome to stay with me out here.”
    “I may take you up on that. You know, a lotta people up here are pretty jealous that you’re livin’ the dream in paradise.”
    “Well , tell them anyone and everyone is welcome. You take care, Davis. Thanks again.”
    “Yeah, don’t worry about it.”
    Mark texted Riki from his car. He told her he had some important information and needed to see her right away. She texted back immediately that she would be there, almost as though she was waiting by her phone. Next, Mark called Ali.
    “What can I do for you, Mark?”
    “I found out the name she used was fake and that William Gilmore didn’t have any sisters. She’s lying.”
    “Well, not a crime to lie.”
    “I know. But would you do me a favor? Would you meet us at Shambala and just sit at the counter? Have some coffee or something, but kinda have your eye on her.”
    “Why?”
    “Just an experiment.”
    “Well, I could use some tea , I guess. When?”
    “Now.”
    “Okay, I’ll be there in about fifteen minutes.”
    Mark took his time driving to the café. If Riki walked from her hotel, it took about twenty minutes to get to Shambala. He wanted her to be sitting down already when he arrived, so he took the long route around the city near the shore. Some girls in bikinis lounged on the deck of a boat out on the water. He remembered suddenly that he was also investigating Stanley’s disappearance.
    The old man would be nearly impossible to find. He was a recluse but a quite affable one when he actually talked to people. He’d become a staple of the island, and Mark had even once shared a beer with him on the beach.
    Stanley liked to disappear for long periods at a time. No one knew where he went or why. No one knew whether his real name was Stanley or not. Though everyone knew him, as far as Mark understood, Stanley didn’t have any friends. There was no one to interview. The only