Free The Survivors by Robert Palmer Page B

go, how’s that sound?”
    â€œLike about as good as I’m going to get. We’ll be there in an hour.”
    The next call was going to be trickier. I got the number from the incoming calls list on my phone. It rang straight through to voice mail.
    â€œAgent Weston, this is Cal Henderson. I’ve been thinking about what you said. I’d like to help you out with Scott Glass if we can arrange something that’s going to be in his interest. If you have a few minutes, I’d like to see you this morning. I’ll be at my office after eight thirty, or you can reach me on my cell.” I gave her both numbers.

    When I told Scottie I was going to take him to a friend’s house, he argued, but not for long. He agreed it would be pretty boring sitting around my place all day. We had good luck with the traffic and got there well ahead of my predicted hour. Felix was out on the porch, along with Coop. From the way Scottie stayed behind me, I could tell he had a problem with dogs. “Does he bite?” he said.
    â€œOnly food and strangers,” Felix replied.
    â€œAm I a stranger?”
    â€œHe’ll let you know.”
    For once, Coop behaved, following at a dignified pace as Felix came down the steps. “Toss this to him,” Felix said, handing Scottie a dog treat. “He’ll love you for it.” Scottie did as he was told, and Coop snatched it with a toothy “clomp” that sent Scottie hiding behind Felix. “I was kidding about biting strangers,” Felix said.
    Scottie laughed uneasily. “I know.”
    Felix eyed him for a moment and said, “Cal, I’ll walk you back to your car.” He waited for me to get behind the wheel before he whispered, “What should I do with him?”
    â€œHe was a fanatic about watching TV when we were kids. Let him find a science fiction movie. If that doesn’t pan out, put him to work in your garden.”
    â€œYeah,” Felix grunted, imagining how much free labor he could get in one day. “What did you tell him about me?”
    â€œJust to stay away from your porn stash.”
    Felix glared at me.
    â€œI can kid, same as you. I told him you were a friend and retired, that’s all.”
    â€œYou didn’t tell him I was a psychologist?”
    â€œI figured it might scare him off.”
    Scottie had backed into the corner of the yard, putting a cypress shrub between him and Coop. “It looks like he doesn’t need much reason to be scared,” Felix said.
    â€œThat’s only the tip of it. He always wears that hat to hide the dent in his head, where he was shot. He’s never gotten any help beyond physical therapy. He’s a whole graduate psych seminar, all by himself. Just your kind of patient.”
    â€œOnly he’s not my patient.”
    â€œNo, he’s not.” I started the car. “But you two will get along fine.”
    Felix put his hand on the steering wheel. “You’re not getting away that easy.” He waited for me to shut the engine down. “You can’t fix every stray animal that walks through your door, Cal. That’s especially true of this one.”
    I stared straight ahead.
    â€œGo ahead, get mad,” Felix said. “You know I’m right. If he really needs help, he’ll be better off with someone who has some distance.”
    I pulled his hand off the steering wheel. “I’m going to talk to the FBI, that Agent Weston. Then I’m going to call in a favor from Tim Regis, the lawyer who went to Southern Cal with me. Tim knows the Justice Department inside out. He can help sort out Scottie’s legal problems, and then we’ll worry about what comes next.”
    â€œI’m worried now, Cal.”
    â€œWell, don’t be.” I fired up the engine and got out of there before I said something I’d regret.

    I was halfway to my office when my phone rang. The District of Columbia makes