Donovans 03 - Pearl Cove

manila envelope in one hand. She had never seen him before in her life.
    “Do you know him?” Archer asked.
    “No.”
    The man knocked on the outer door.
    “What do you want?” Archer called out.
    “Message for Archer Donovan.”
    One of Archer’s black eyebrows rose skeptically. The man didn’t look like a messenger boy. “What’s the return address?”
    “April Joy.”
    He muttered something savage under his breath. Then, softly, he said to Hannah, “Stay here.”
    “Is the man dangerous?”
    “Not to you. You’re off the table.”
    “What about you?”
    Without answering, Archer opened the door. He would have shut it behind him again, but Hannah’s foot was in the way. Then all of her was. He allowed it only because it was too dangerous to divide his attention. He opened the outer door and gestured the man onto the porch.
    “Ms. McGarry, I’m Max,” Barton said, looking past Archer. “My condolences on your husband’s death.”
    “Is that the message?” Hannah asked.
    “My message is for Archer Donovan.”
    “You’re looking at him,” Hannah said, jerking her thumb toward Archer.
    “The message is private.”
    “So am I,” she said bitingly.
    Barton looked at Archer, who was watching him with pale eyes that gave away nothing. Barton smiled coldly. “Has your number, does she, mate?”
    “Yeah. I’m putty in Hannah’s hands,” Archer said. “She’s solid brick in mine. What does April want now?”
    “She wants you off the table. All the way off.”
    “Good idea,” Hannah said instantly.
    Archer and Barton ignored her.
    “There’s a problem with that,” Archer said. Each word was clear, distinct. “April knows what it is.”
    The other man grunted. “I’m supposed to clear up that problem.”
    “I’m listening.”
    This time Barton’s smile was genuine, if small. “I can see that. You sure you don’t want back in the real game?”
    “Dead sure.”
    “That’s what she said you would say,” Barton muttered.
    Eyes narrowed, Hannah looked from one man to the other. She didn’t like the direction of the conversation. The thought of Archer going back to the covert life made her stomach twist. Len had loved it, but Archer said he hadn’t been strong enough to stay in the game. She hadn’t believed him at the time. Now, suddenly, she did. Archer simply wasn’t cold enough to play international chess with human pawns.
    The memory of Summer teething blissfully on Archer’s knuckles went through Hannah like lightning through darkness. Len would never have allowed anything that close to him, even his own child. Yet Archer had smiled at his niece with a tenderness that still amazed Hannah. But it hadn’t amazed his family. They took his love for granted. And that was what it was. Love.
    “Don’t want to play again, huh?” Barton asked. “Not even to get your brother’s killer?”
    “I don’t need April to get Len’s killer,” Archer said in a level voice. “All I need is time. I’ve got it.”
    “Right. Well, mate, I’m going to make your hunt easier.”
    Hannah’s hand went over Archer’s wrist as though to keep him from moving one inch toward Barton. Her nails dug in hard. She didn’t want him hunting anything, especially a man dangerous enough to kill Len McGarry.
    Archer ignored the pressure of Hannah’s nails on his wrist. He was focused on Barton’s shrewd, dark eyes.
    “You’re probably thinking that Sam Chang ordered McGarry’s death,” Barton said to Archer.
    He didn’t deny it.
    “Sam’s spies eventually figured out that Pearl Cove was being sabotaged by the Aussies,” Barton continued. “The old bastard was beside himself. He had placed men everywhere but where he needed one most—in Len’s confidence.”
    “I figured that out for myself.”
    “Did you figure that Chang offered a million dollars to the person who brought him the secret of the rainbows?” Barton retorted. “Qing Lu Yin decided he would be the one. The cyclone was his chance. He got Len alone and started questioning him.” Barton shrugged. “Yin fucked up big time. McGarry died and took the secret of the rainbow pearls with him.”
    Hannah closed her eyes and saw again Len’s body half beached, half floating, wholly dead.
    “How did you find out?” Archer asked.
    “Yin. Not directly,” he added quickly, sensing the change in Archer. “The word was passed back up the line.”
    “By the Red Phoenix boys?”
    The civilized voice didn’t fool Barton.