Page 6 of Tamhas

“I’d ask her if she’s accepted Jesus Christ as her lord and savior and watch as she closed the door in my face.”

She burst out laughing. “Be serious!”

“All right. I’ll be serious. If he’s married, I won’t go to his damned house. I’ll find out in advance, because that’s what I do.” I tapped the paper with the printed map. “This is what you do. Finding people is what I do.”

“One of the things you do.”

“And I’m good at it,” I reminded her. “There’s nothing for you to worry about. Okay?”

She sat back in the chair. “Right. I’ll believe that when you get back. No offense.”

“Fair enough.” I resumed my packing. “And you’ll be the first to know when I get home.”

“How long do you think it will be?”

I shrugged. “A couple of weeks, I guess.”

“Hank’s all right with losing you for a couple of weeks?”

“He doesn’t have much of a choice, does he?” He wasn’t thrilled. In fact, he’d been pretty irritated when I told him I’d have to take time off. Once I’d reminded him of the fact that he wasn’t my employer and I could come and go as I pleased, he’d backed down.

“You can afford to step away from work for that long? What about training?”

I took a deep breath to keep from snapping at her. I didn’t want to hurt my best friend’s feelings, especially when she worked all morning on finding Tamhas for me. “Believe me, I’m okay. I know this place looks like a palace…” I spun in a slow circle, indicating my modest two-bedroom in sort of a shabby building, “but you know how affordable it is. And you know I don’t throw money around.”

“I know,” she nodded. Yes, she did. We both knew what it was like not to have any money or power of our own. We wouldn’t allow ourselves to rely on others. Not ever.

“I’ll be fine. I promise.”

She didn’t look convinced—in fact, she looked downright depressed. “I guess there’s nothing left for you to do but to go, then. I just hope you really, really know what you’re doing.”

I went to her, crouching in front of the chair. “I do. This is going to be fine. But if I stayed here and never found out whether he was okay, I wouldn’t able to live with myself. And I’d be miserable.”

“When are you leaving, then?”

“Tonight, if possible. Tomorrow morning. I guess I’ll fly to…”

“Edinburgh,” she finished. “It’s the nearest major city.”

“Edinburgh, then.”

She tried to smile, but it came out as more of a wince. “If you’re sure. This is just so unlike you.”

“I wish I could explain so you’d understand. I guess I don’t understand it very well, myself. I just know I need to do it, is all.”

She shook her head, waving her hands, like she was clearing away a bad smell from the air. “You don’t need to understand. I’m not here to judge you or give you shit, babe. Go do you. Just make sure you let me know you’re okay.”

She even helped me finish packing.

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