Doug Allyn: Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine. Vol. 137, No. 3 & 4. Whole No. 835 & 836, March/April 2011

She waved gaily at her bodyguards as the Penny flew past them, heading back to the dock. And Luke couldn’t keep his eyes off her.

“You have to come back,” he said suddenly.

“Why? The Penny performed perfectly.”

“She still needs a few adjustments.”

“What adjustments?”

“I’m a creative guy. I’ll think of some.”

“That would be a mistake for both of us,” she said, her mood darkening. “I know I’m no great beauty, Mr. Falk, but I’m not someone to be trifled with either. I’m a wealthy woman and you’re an attractive man who is, how should I put it? A bit casual when it comes to money?”

“Thank you,” he said.

“For what?”

“For the ‘attractive man’ part. As for the rest of it, you’ve got to be kidding. The Cree say that a man who has enough is rich enough. I have more than enough. I live the way I want, put a little aside for a rainy day, and donate a major chunk of my earnings to tribal charities. About half, I think.”

“You give away half your income?” she echoed, incredulous.

“I have sins to atone for. And I don’t need it. Every morning, the dawn turns this bay to gold. And in winter, the waters freeze the lakes into a diamond wonderland far as you can see. I don’t give a damn about your money, Aliana. I just want to see you again. To listen to you. And look at you.”

“Come live with me and be my love?” she said ironically. “In my cabin in the forest?”

“You’re way ahead of yourself. I was thinking more along the lines of ‘come let me buy you a cheeseburger.’”

She laughed in spite of herself. “I like cheeseburgers,” she admitted. “And where would we dine? At the local McDonald’s? You, me, and my entourage?”

“I didn’t say it would be easy.”

“It’s not possible. Life isn’t poetry, Mr. Falk, especially mine, I — why are you smiling?”

“Because I don’t believe you, lady. I’ve always understood boats and rifles better than women. But somehow... I can read you. The way I can read winds or currents or tracks in the forest. And I think you really want to come back, don’t you?”

“What do you mean?”

“It’s not a trick question. Are you happy with your life? Traveling with armed guards, living like a prisoner? Is that what you want?”

“Americans.” She shook her head. “You think everyone gets to live happily ever after.”

“It beats the alternative.”

“I didn’t choose my life,” she said evenly, “it chose me. But I have to live it. I have responsibilities.”

“To your family, sure. But not necessarily to your father’s business. Trust me, the arms trade won’t grind to a halt if you choose to do something else.”

“You don’t understand.”

“I understand better than you think. I had a choice like yours once. I chose to do my duty, for my country and my government. And I killed people in a faraway place and nearly destroyed myself. Take a lesson from my mistakes, Aliana. You can make a different choice.”

“What choice do I have?”

“A simple one, I think. You can keep moving, selling more weapons. Or you can step away, and spend time here, with me. And see what happens.”

“This is crazy,” she said, looking away. “You’re crazy.”

“Certifiable,” he agreed. “I’ve got papers to prove it. But that wasn’t the question. Do you want to come back, Aliana? Or not?”

“We have to go, right now,” Deacon said angrily as Luke eased the Penny to the dock. “There’s a watcher in the hills. One of those federal men, probably. This place isn’t safe.”

“Compared to what?” Aliana snapped, stepping gracefully ashore, slipping on her shoes. “Damascus? Kosovo? Will anyplace ever be safe enough for you, Deacon?”

“I don’t know, miss, but this place definitely is not. Is something wrong?”

“This damned boat won’t do at all! Mr. Falk needs to make further adjustments.”

“I’ll get right on it, miss, “ Luke agreed. “She’ll be ready to try again in a few days.”

“Out of the question!” Deacon said. “We’re too isolated here, too vulnerable. We can’t come back.”

“Damn it, Deacon, you’re my guardian, not my jailer!” Aliana flared, turning on him furiously. “I ordered a boat from these bumpkins and I want it properly fitted. If one agent hiding in the woods frightens you, maybe I should ask my father for a new security chief.”

“Perhaps you should, miss. We can both fly home tomorrow to discuss the question in person. And see which of us your father believes.”

Aliana went pale, reading the tall African’s face. But she didn’t back off an inch.

“Deacon, I love you like an uncle, you know that. But if you drag me back to Damascus, I swear you’ll die in the desert with your mouth full of salt!”

It should have been no contest, the seven-foot warrior glaring down at the tiny slip of a woman. But size and force of will have little to do with each other.

“If you insist, miss,” Deacon conceded grudgingly. “One more visit.”

“Thank you, sweetness,” Aliana said, reaching up to cup the giant’s cheek with her palm. “You’re my oldest and dearest. Shall we go?”

But as the security team headed for the Navigators, Deacon glanced back at Luke. He didn’t say a word. Didn’t have to. The fury in his eyes would have spooked a lion off a fresh kill.

“Maybe you should stay in town with Aunt Min for a while,” Luke said, standing with Gus, watching the Navigators roar round the cove into the forest.

“Aw hell,” the old man groaned. “You’re not getting involved with that woman, are you?”

Luke didn’t answer, which was answer enough.

“She’s a pretty thing, I’ll grant you that,” Gus conceded, “but you can buy pretty in a bottle at Walgreens. Didn’t you hear that ‘die with your mouth full of salt’ business? There’s a difference between a woman with spirit and one with an evil temper.”

“Which did my grandmother have?”

“Both,” the old man admitted. “But those were simpler times.”

“Better times,” Luke said. “That’s my point. We may have serious trouble coming, Gus. I can smell it on the wind, like a storm just over the horizon.”

“I feel it, too,” Gus agreed. “Don’t worry about me, Grandson, I won’t get in your way. Nowadays, I’m almost invisible anyway. “

“So they kissed, so what?” Ridley said at the stakeout later that afternoon. “Why should we care about her love life?”

“Because they went to some trouble to conceal it from her bodyguards,” Larkin said. “We could e-mail a warning to her father, stir things up.”

“How does getting Falk stomped by Markovic’s goons help us? I know the boat builder ticked you off, but stay on point, Gordie. We only want the woman. Did you plant a stash on her boat?”

“Haven’t had the chance,” Larkin admitted. “Falk’s up at first light, works in his shop until dark. He never leaves, and except for occasional customers, nobody visits. And that damned dog is around, twenty-four/seven.”

“You’d better figure something out quick. I can’t cover your ass much longer.”

“You won’t have to. I’ve got an idea.”

“What idea?” Ridley asked. But when Larkin ignored the question, Ridley didn’t press it. He really didn’t want to know.

The yuppie couple seemed a bit off to Luke, though he wasn’t sure why. They looked wealthy enough to be shopping for expensive toys. She was tall, slim, and blond, he was shorter and chunkier, but both dressed well and they were driving a vintage Mercedes 450SL convertible. They asked the right questions, or at least he did. She seemed a bit uneasy. Maybe they weren’t quite as rich as they looked.