Donovans 01 - Amber Beach

out of the salmon before there was a knock on the front door.
    “Come on in, Jake. The door is open,” she called. Then she remembered that it wasn’t. She had thrown the dead bolt. Being a target was not only unsettling, it was inconvenient. “Coming!” she called, absently wiping her hands on her jeans as she hurried out of the kitchen.
    She stopped short of the door when she saw the strange car parked in the driveway.
    “Who is it?” she asked through the closed door.
    “Ellen Lazarus and Special Agent Mather. We would like to talk to you.”
    “Whose special agent?”
    “The U.S. government’s,” said a male voice.
    Honor considered letting them stand out in the rain but decided against it. Jake had nominated Ellen as third-string protector, after himself and Archer.
    “Wouldn’t do to irritate the friendlies,” Honor muttered. But it was a tempting thought. Marju’s sad revelations had put Honor in a lousy mood. She couldn’t help thinking about Kyle and amber . . . yet she couldn’t bring herself to believe that her brother was a thief. She simply couldn’t. It felt wrong .
    Abruptly Honor unbolted the door, opened it, and stepped back. Ellen and Mather moved inside and dripped on the mat Kyle had put next to the threshold for just these soggy Pacific Northwest moments. Beneath their unbuttoned waterproof coats, both agents were wearing business suits. Mather’s was a neat navy pinstripe. Ellen’s was a rich burgundy with dark blue trim. Neither of them offered to show any identification.
    “I suppose it would be cheeky to ask for ID, since we’re on the same side and all,” Honor drawled. “So I’ll settle for business cards to add to my collection.”
    Ellen opened a navy purse that was big enough to put a cat in. Mather reached into the breast pocket of his suit coat. Each handed her a card.
    Sourly Honor noticed that, like Ellen, Mather was a consultant. “Do you consult on anything in particular?” she asked, sticking the cards in a hip pocket of her jeans.
    “We’re generalists,” Mather said pleasantly. “However, if you require something more specialized, we can call in the people who carry badges.”
    “Thanks, but I don’t think my heart could take the excitement.” Honor turned and headed for the kitchen. “Talk to me in here. I’m making lunch. But if you came to cry about something, forget it. I’m fresh out of Kleenex, even in my purse.”
    As though testing the truth of Honor’s words, Ellen glanced at the black backpack that lay half open near the couch. Both agents followed their reluctant hostess into the kitchen. On the unstated theory that one woman always understands another woman better than any man could, Ellen took the lead.
    “You don’t look like you’ve been crying,” she said.
    “Not me. My brother’s fiancé.” Honor searched the mound of salmon flakes in the bowl for more bones. “You might have heard of her. Marju, lately of Lithuania.”
    “We’ve heard of her,” Ellen said. “We’ve been trying to talk to her for several weeks.”
    “Why?”
    For an instant Mather looked impatient, but he didn’t do anything about it. Ellen just acted as though she hadn’t heard the question.
    “Did Marju say where she was staying?” Ellen asked.
    “No.”
    “Don’t you think that’s odd?”
    Honor shrugged. “I just met her. I have no way to judge her behavior.”
    “What did she want from you?”
    “Same thing everyone else does. Kyle.”
    “If they’re engaged, surely they’re in touch,” Ellen said.
    “Not lately, according to her.”
    “Do you believe her?” Mather asked.
    “Why shouldn’t I? God knows the tears were real. Besides, if she knows where Kyle is, why was she crying on my shoulder?”
    “Perhaps she thought he might have shipped something home,” Mather said. “Or to you.”
    Honor scooped up a stray flake of salmon, popped it into her mouth, and chewed thoughtfully. “It’s possible.”
    “That Kyle shipped something to you?” Ellen asked.
    “No, that Marju thought he had.”
    “Did your brother ship something to you?” Mather asked bluntly.
    “Which one? I have four.”
    “Kyle,” Ellen said, her voice crisp.
    “He shipped me something. It’s on the desk. Be careful with it. Amber can shatter like glass.”
    Mather left the room with impressive speed. He reappeared a moment later with a piece of amber in his hand. “This?”
    Honor glanced up from stirring the salmon in an idle search