Color of Blood(110)

“No.”

“I need my keys. They’re in my briefcase,” Dennis said.

“Your front door is unlocked,” Marty said. “Goodnight.”

***

It was always difficult to know who knew what inside Langley. The next morning Dennis walked the same hallways he had walked for years, nodding to the same people. Some smiled like they always did, and others ignored him like they always did. Some even said, “Hi, Dennis.”

Did they know I was off the reservation? he wondered. Surely someone told someone, who whispered it to someone else. No emails and no texts, just whispers. People can always deny a whisper; they can’t hide from a digital or written communication. Which ones knew he was now a problem child?

Dennis searched Lorraine’s eyes closely for a sign that she knew, but she smiled like she always did and said, “He’s waiting for you, Dennis. Welcome back. Did you bring me a koala bear?”

He laughed and said, “No, I think they’re a protected species.”

She knew.

Marty was on the phone and motioned for Dennis to sit down.

“Yes. Of course. He’s on it, and we’ll get a report as soon as soon he can file it. No. That’s not what I said. He’s not sure what the story is yet.” Marty did not look at Dennis, who sat down and closed the door.

“Yes, as soon as possible. Agreed.” Marty hung up.

He sighed. “Too many investigations, too few resources.”

They stared at each other for several moments.

“Welcome back,” Marty said as an afterthought.

“Thank you,” Dennis said.

“There’ll be an inquiry.”

“Of course.”

“But just not right now.”

Dennis tried to catch himself before he frowned, but it was too late, and his forehead furrowed deeply.

“Yes, I know that sounds odd, but the whole thing is odd,” Marty said quickly.

“What am I supposed to do?” Dennis asked.

“You’re supposed to get back to work.”

“Back to work?” Dennis repeated slowly.

“Yes.”

“Like nothing happened out there?”

“Not exactly. I told you: that will be dealt with later, but in the meantime you have two new cases on your docket. Read up on them and get working.”

This was not right, Dennis knew. Something was wrong.

“Can I have my luggage back?”

“Negative.”

“Can I talk to Massey?”

“Double negative.”

“You want me to go back to work as if nothing happened?”

“Did you lose your hearing in Australia? Some kind of virus?”

“OK then,” Dennis said, standing up. “I’ll get back to work.”

***

“Are you pleased Phillip’s case is not going to trial?” Sarah asked.

“Of course I am,” Judy said. “For once Phillip is doing the right thing and pleading out. It’s been very tough on Simon. The sooner the case disappears, the better for all of us. The media are like locusts. Don’t know how anyone in the public eye can tolerate all the attention.”

Sarah reached over her small kitchen table, picked up the bottle of Shiraz, and poured more for both of them. Their dinner plates sat cold and empty.

“So why do you look so down all the time?” Sarah asked.

“Don’t be silly,” Judy said. “I’m not down.”

“Well, maybe you just look lonely.”

“I am lonely, but that doesn’t mean I’m lonely for him,” Judy said. “I know you keep circling back to him.”

“How long have we been friends?” Sarah asked.

“A long time.”

“Precisely. I think you fell in love with this fellow, and it’s eating away at you. And from what you told me about your crazy adventure up north, I’d say you bonded.”

They both laughed.

“Has he contacted you at all?”

“Yes, he wrote me a letter.”

“A letter? Like an old-fashioned letter through the post?”

“Yes.”

“That’s odd.”

“Well,” Judy laughed, “he’s a clever one. He said nearly all surveillance is on digital communications these days and very little is done on old-fashioned analog things.”

“What did he say in his letter?”

“That he missed me and thought of me often, but that he couldn’t contact me and forbade me to contact him. He said his main goal was to keep me out of trouble.”

“That’s all he said?”

“Yes.”

“How did he sign the letter?”

“He signed it Dennis.”

“Not ‘Love comma Dennis’?”

“No, that’s not his style.”

“Do you think you’re going to see him again?”

“I would hope so,” Judy said. “But to be honest, it seems unlikely. He’s a mysterious man, and he’s almost certainly in some kind of trouble for what he did here.”

“You should go to him.”

“Don’t be silly, Sarah.”