Page 211 of Callan

I putthe electric razor down and run my fingers over my face.

These past few days were a nice break.

I ended up accepting Hudson’s invitation and have stayed a little longer.

I thought that spending time over there would work in my favor. And let’s be clear about it, it gave me an alibi.

I couldn’t make the call I wanted to make for practical reasons.The people Beverly had talked about left the city for a few days andreturned last night.

So I made the call this morning as soon as my plane landed. I still had the benefit of an alibi.

Although not an ironclad one.

I put some aftershave on and check my tie in the mirror.A few drops glimmer against my new tan.

The place had been cleaned after Mackenzie left, so I found no trace of her in my bedroom or the house.

The sheets were smooth, and the pillows perfectly lay against the headboard. There were no glasses, no food, and for sure, there was no naked woman in my bed.

I thought about her a lot while I was gone.

In the beginning, I was afraid I might forget about her.

Hudson’s place, the area in general, and the beach were captivating enough that I feared I might lose the memory of her between the luscious patches of vegetation, plants, and forest beaming with life.

She hasn’t left me, really. And getting updates from the people who have quietly run surveillance hasn’t helped either.

Her place was clean when they checked for electronic devices, and I wish there were a way to leave a camera in her room. To watch her sleeping or drinking coffee.

Getting dressed to step outside.

Since the bad people were out of town, I didn’t fear something could happen to her.

Now I’m back and checking my phone for updates for the tenth time before sliding my suit jacket on and running my fingers through my hair.

I won’t step out before getting a definitive answer.

The call arrives at around eight o’clock.

“It’s over,” my man says.

“Any losses?”

“None.”

“On the other side?”

“None.”

“Excuse me?”

“They fled before we got in.”

“How come?”

“I don’t know.”

A few moments pull away.

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