Jack Beale 00 - Dangerous Shoals

what had just happened. “It’s really him.”
    That’s when Max’s voice broke the silence, followed by her footsteps coming up the stairs. He turned toward the stairs just as Max reached the top.
    “Jack?”
    He stared at her and then asked, “What are you doing home? I was about to come get you.”
    “I got out early and Patti dropped me off. What’s with you? You look like you just saw a ghost,” she said, staring at the phone, which was still in his hand.
    “I did,” he mumbled. Then he slowly hung it up. “Come here.”
    “Jack, what’s wrong?” said Max.
    “I think Daniel just called.”
    “What?”
    “I’m pretty sure it was him.”
    Max just stared at Jack, her eyes asking all the questions.
    “I answered the phone and a voice said that he needed to see me. He said that he’d be in touch. Then he hung up.”
    “How can you be so sure it was Daniel? Did he say who he was?”
    “No he didn’t. The voice was muffled, but I know it was him.”
    “Jack, listen to yourself. Now you sound like me, and if I were telling you this you’d be standing there giving me a list of reasons why it isn’t.” She almost cracked a grin while enjoying this moment of role reversal.
    “I know,” he said and blushed.
    “Tell me again.”
    Jack walked over to the couch and sat down and Cat immediately jumped into his lap. Max joined him.
    “Max, I feel like … like … I don’t know how I feel, but I know what I heard and it makes no sense. Why would Daniel call me?”
    “You don’t know for sure that it was him.”
    Jack insisted, “No. I do. It was.”
    * * *
    As they talked about it further, a figure outside in the shadows was listening to every word they said. “Well, well, well. I’ve got you now, you slippery little son of a bitch.” He sat back, lit a cigarette, and inhaled deeply, both satisfied and exhilarated. Then he reached in his pocket, removed his knife, and flicked the blade open. “It won’t be long now, my little friend,” he said as he felt the razor sharpness of the blade with his finger before pressing the blade closed. He found the soft snick as it latched shut soothing. He took off the earphones, turned off the receiver, took one last pull on his cigarette, and then flicked the butt out the window. Satisfied with this night’s work, he started the engine. He didn’t need to hear anything else. He had the confirmation that he needed. Shifting into gear he drove off, leaving Jack and Max their privacy.

CHAPTER 25
    “HEY TOM. GOT A MINUTE ?” said Jack as he knocked on the doorframe.
    Looking up from the file he was reading, Tom smiled. His eyes flashed gratitude for the interruption. “Jack. Sure. Come on in.”
    Jack pushed the door open and Tom saw that Max was with him. “Max. What a nice surprise.” He stood and walked around his desk to give Max a hug and a kiss while Jack pulled up two chairs. “Thanks again for the sail yesterday. What brings you two down here so early?”
    Jack didn’t waste any time getting to the point. “Daniel called me last night.”
    Tom didn’t say anything for a moment. Then, slowly, quietly he said, “Tell me what happened.”
    “I was about to go back to Ben’s to pick up Max when the phone rang. At first there was silence. Then a man’s voice said, ‘I need to see you. I’ll be in touch.’ Then he hung up. The voice was muffled, but I know it was him.”
    “You’re sure?”
    “Absolutely.”
    “He called last night?”
    “Yeah, kinda late, just before Max came home.”
    Tom leaned forward, elbows on the desk, eyes focused on Jack, “You’re positive.”
    “Yes. Why? You don’t believe me?”
    “I do, but why would he call you?”
    “I don’t know. Remember I told you about how Max had seen him and that Court and I’ve seen that really creepy guy hanging around.”
    “I remember.”
    “Well, now I’m even more convinced that they’re related. That’s the only answer that makes sense to me.”
    Max couldn’t restrain herself any longer. “He’s in trouble, Tom. He faked his death in Belize and abandoned me. There never was a lot of love lost between him and Jack. He’s got to be desperate. Why else would he contact Jack?”
    “Max, all true, but it’s all theory at this point.”
    “No, it’s not!” she insisted.
    “Max, there is no hard proof of Daniel’s existence …”
    She cut him off before he could go on. “I saw him. He called Jack. Isn’t that proof enough?”
    “Max. I don’t