Falling Awake

Raleigh-Durham area and she didn’t want to waste any time importing one.”
    “So she shot Katherine in cold blood, herself,” Dave whispered.
    Ellis looked at him. “In those last moments of her life, Katherinewas thinking very fast and very clearly, like the trained agent she was.” His words were rough with genuine admiration. “She couldn’t find a way to tell us the name of her killer but she knew that if we kept looking for you, Vincent, we’d find Amelia-Maureen. So she pointed us toward you.”
    “She was right,” Isabel said quietly.
    Ellis kept his attention centered on Dave. “Katherine is the one who will become a legend back at Frey-Salter.”
    Dave blinked quickly several times. Moisture glinted in his eyes. Then he nodded, not speaking.
    Isabel poured more tea into his mug. Thoughtfully, she set the pot down. “Did she ever suggest that you apply for a job at Frey-Salter, Dave?”
    Everyone looked at her. Dave was the only one who understood. He smiled wryly.
    “Sure.” He ate some toast. “She thought I might like the work. She was probably right. But I’m not a huge fan of rules and regulations and all the rest of the hassle that goes along with a job in government.”
    Ellis lowered his fork, frowning. “Are you telling us that you’re a Level Five?”
    “Uh-huh.” Dave cautiously cut a slice of soy sausage with his fork and examined it with a wary expression.
    Ellis looked at Isabel. “How did you know?”
    “When Dave mentioned that he and Katherine were twins, I assumed there was a very high probability,” she said modestly.

    Ellis laughed. “Lawson is going to fall all over himself trying to convince you to work for him, Dave.”
    “Maybe I’ll think about it,” Dave said slowly, thoughtfully.
    Vincent reached for another slice of toast. “I know I’m not exactly a poster boy for Frey-Salter at the moment, but the truth is, I really liked the work and there weren’t many rules and regs because Lawson pretty much runs the place his way.” He hesitated in mid-bite and exhaled heavily. “Guess I’ll be job hunting now, though.”
    “Nope,” Isabel said with great assurance. “Lawson will take you back in a heartbeat.”
    “Why would he do that?” Vincent picked up the bottle of anti-inflammatories Isabel had placed beside his plate and shook out two tablets. “He probably thinks I was an idiot to fall for Amelia’s pitch.”
    “You were not an idiot,” Isabel said firmly. “You were just very eager to prove yourself against the older, alpha male of the group.”
    Vincent and Dave looked at Ellis.
    “Yeah, him,” Isabel said. “It’s a common syndrome among young men who are moving up fast.”
    “That so?” Vincent asked, popping the pills into his mouth. “I’m glad to hear that because I gotta tell you, in hindsight, it sure looks like maybe I was an idiot.”
    “You were an idiot,” Ellis agreed. “But don’t worry, you’ll get past it.”

    Vincent did not appear convinced. “Lawson’s gotta be pissed at me.”
    “Sure,” Ellis said. “He’ll chew you out some. But here’s a tip from an old pro on how to deal with Jack Lawson: Always know when you are holding an ace and never hesitate to play it when necessary.”
    Vincent frowned. “I’ve got an ace?”
    “Lawson was an even bigger idiot than you were when it came to Maureen Sage, alias Amelia,” Ellis reminded him softly. “And he didn’t have any excuses. He was old enough to know better than to sleep with a member of his own research staff.”
    “Oh, right.” Vincent brightened. “Thanks.”
    “No problem,” Ellis said. “Now you owe me. That’s how it works.”
    Vincent grinned weakly. “Got it.”
    “I have a few more questions,” Isabel said. “The first is for Ellis.” She looked at him. “I understand that you and Dave traded cars somewhere along the way last night. How did that work?”
    “Dave got into his rented Chevy and drove like a bat out of hell until we rendezvoused,” Ellis said. “I told Amelia that I had to stop for a stop sign. That’s when Dave and I made the switch. He kept driving the Maserati at a nice, sedate speed. I got into his rental.”
    “And drove like a bat out of hell for Roxanna Beach,” Dave concluded. “He had the phone so every time Amelia called him to check up on him he could give her an answer. To be honest, I’m amazed he could get that kind of speed out of that Chevy.”

    “On those roads and with that fog, I