Color of Blood(82)

This is how adults should break up, he thought. They should talk it out, make peace, and move on. The fact that he cared for Judy made the breakup more painful. But this is normal painful. This is good.

“I’m sorry I didn’t call,” she said again after a minute of silence.

“That’s all right,” he said. “I understand.”

They stared at the coffees.

“You know, I think I was taking advantage of you, Dennis,” she said slowly. “Can you look at me, please?”

Dennis raised his eyes from the swirling steamed milk of his flat white and looked into hers.

“I feel bad about using you. I mean I didn’t realize it at first, but you came on with your investigative solution so quickly, and it seemed so rational that I just decided to let you get me and Simon out of our troubles.”

“Well, if it’s any consolation, I liked helping you.”

He smiled, but it was a lame smile.

“I miss you,” she said. “I’ve come to that conclusion as well.”

“I miss you, too.”

“This feels awkward,” she said. “I didn’t want it to be awkward. I wanted it be a confession. And then I’d feel better. We’d feel better.”

Dennis smiled. “Maybe we’re just awkward people.”

“Yes, I suppose,” she said. “Do you think we can continue to see each other?”

“That might be difficult.”

“What do you mean?” she said.

“I’m leaving on a trip up north, and then I have to fly back home immediately. I just don’t know when I’ll be able to get back here. I can try in a couple of months, maybe.”

“I see,” she said. “There is the distance thing.”

“Maybe we could try a long-distance relationship for a while?” Dennis said.

“More like interplanetary thing,” she said. “It’s a very long plane trip.”

“Yes, that does sound a little optimistic, given the distances.”

“Do you mind telling me why you’re going on this trip north?”

“Oh, well, that’s my little mission to discover what this fellow Garder found up there. I know it’s kind of silly. But it seems like something I should do.”

“Where precisely are you going?” she said.

“Ah, well, that’s my problem. WA is so damn large, and I’m just going to take a guess at places to visit.”

“The map. That’s why you had the map on your wall.”

“Yes. That stupid map; I’m going blind looking at it.”

“And you think Garder was onto something important?”

“Yes, I do,” he said, idly turning his coffee cup in quarter turns like a radio dial. “I feel like I’m a pretty good judge of liars, thieves, sociopaths, borderline personality disorder—the folks at the other end of the bell curve that cause the Agency so much trouble. And Garder just didn’t fit that profile. Granted, it’s not like we had a normal conversation. Hell, I had a gun pointed at my head. Still, he wasn’t like the other scumbags.”

“What are you saying, Dennis?” she said.

“I think he’s telling the truth.”

“You mean about trawling, or whatever he said?”

“Yeah, something like that.”

“Dennis, that seems dangerous. You’re not authorized to do it, I presume, and even if you find it—which is unlikely—what are you going to do then?”

“Now that’s a great question,” he said. “I’m not sure yet.”

After a few moments she reached out and placed her hand on his wrist.

“That’s not a good idea, Dennis. You should go home and rest up for a while before you decide to do that. You’re sounding like Garder, for heaven’s sake. And you have no idea where you’re going in the bush.”

“That part is true. The map and Garder’s travel notes are the weakest link. But I’ll give it a try.”

“Let me see your map,” she said.

“No. You need to stay out of this. Not your problem.”

“Well, without being histrionic here, Dennis, I think I at least owe you a helping hand. Wouldn’t you agree?”

“Not with this stuff,” he said. “If Garder’s right, it’s a black program. And the last thing you need to get involved in is digging out a secret Agency program hiding out in the wilds of Australia. Besides, you’re famous now.”

“Oh God, isn’t it awful? The media won’t leave me alone.”

“I noticed you were absent from all the coverage,” he said.

“A photographer from a UK newspaper followed me and tried to take a photo in front of my house. I ran up to his car and told him I’d shoot his bloody tires out next time he followed me. Simon doesn’t need me to be in the news.”

Dennis laughed. “Seems a little aggressive.”

“Well, how would you feel being hounded like that?”

“Pissed off.”

“Precisely!”

“But shooting out tires?”

“I was exaggerating, of course.”

“Of course. But the photographer doesn’t know you as well as I do.”