Eclipse Bay

inquiry.
    “No point asking him for advice, either,” Rafe said. “Hannah had him neutered.”
    The night coalesced swiftly around them, deepening the somber atmosphere.
    “I think there’s some irony here somewhere,” Rafe said eventually. “But I can’t be sure, because I never finished college.”
    “Told you you’d regret dropping out.”
    “I know. Look at me now. Doomed to go through life without knowing about stuff like irony and postmodernism. It’s almost enough to make a man regret a misspent youth.” Rafe paused. “But I’ll probably get over it.”
    Mitchell nodded. “Fix yourself a whiskey and soda and take a long walk on the beach. Always worked for me.” He roused himself and went down the steps. “Tell you one thing,” he said over his shoulder as he strode toward the waiting SUV.
    “What’s that?”
    “You may not have finished college, but you’re a Madison.”
    “So?”
    “So, no Madison ever let anything stand in his way once he made up his mind to go after what he wanted. Remember what I said. You can’t shack up with Hannah forever. It’s not right. You’ve got to come up with a fix for this mess. Hear me?”
    “I hear you.”
    Mitchell opened the passenger-side door of the SUV and climbed in. Rafe and Winston watched the monster vehicle lumber off down the drive.
    When the taillights disappeared, Rafe looked down at the dog. “You know, Winston, one of the reasons you and I get along so well is that you never hand out unsolicited advice.”
    Winston yawned again, rose, and ambled back inside the house.

    Mitchell peered at the road through the windshield. “I think those two need a little kick in the right place to get them moving in the right direction.”
    “My advice is to stay out of the matter, sir,” Bryce said. “The conduct of close interpersonal relationships is not your strong point.”
    “I don’t pay you for advice.”
    “You have made that clear many times over the years.”
    “Never seems to stop you from interfering.”
    “That’s why you keep paying me, sir.”
    “Hmmph.”
    “I hate to ask,” Bryce said, “but do you have a plan to apply this kick you seem to feel your grandson and Miss Harte require?”
    Mitchell drummed his fingers on the dash, thinking furiously. “I’m working on one.”
    Bryce nodded. “I was afraid of that.”

    Rafe was brooding. Hannah could feel the vibes. He had been in a strange mood since he came back into the house after seeing Mitchell off. She had helped him with the dishes. There had been very little conversation. The few words that had been exchanged had been centered on speculation about what they might or might not learn from Arizona Snow.
    “She’s so weird,” Hannah said. “Lord only knows what those logs of hers will look like, assuming she’ll even let us see them.”
    “I think she’ll let me have a look at them.” Rafe finished drying a pan and shoved it into a cupboard. “She and I always got along pretty good in the old days.”
    “I know.” Hannah glanced at him. “Why did the two of you hit it off so well, anyway?”
    “I don’t know why she liked me, but I can tell you why I took to her.”
    “Why?”
    “She was the only one who never tried to tell me what I should do with my life.”
    Hannah winced. “Okay, I can see the appeal there. Did she ever tell you anything about her past?”
    “Nope.”
    “Ever wonder about it?”
    “Sure.” Rafe shut the cupboard door. “Everyone in town wonders about her past. Most people figure she’s just one hundred percent bonkers.”
    “When I was younger,” Hannah said slowly, “I imagined that she was an ex–secret agent who was forced to retire after her mind cracked under the strain of undercover work.”
    “That’s as logical as any of the other theories I’ve heard over the years.”
    When they finished the dishes they wandered out into the darkened solarium. Rafe put two glasses on the table between a pair of wicker loungers and filled each with gently steaming water. He picked up a bottle of orange liqueur and splashed some into two balloon glasses. Then he cradled the bowls of the balloon glasses over the hot water to warm the liqueur.
    When he was finished, he lowered himself into one of the loungers and handed one of the balloon glasses to Hannah.
    She accepted the pleasantly warm glass and took a sip of the sultry liqueur. Winston stuck his head over the edge of the lounger. She stroked his ears. An air of