Northern Lights

heat of the water, linked fingers. "I guess this is perfect," he murmured.
    "Seems like."
    He soaked himself in the lights and the music, in the heat and the music. "Are you going to get weirded out if I fall in love with you?"
    She didn't speak for a moment. "I don't know. I might."
    "I might. That's a revelation for me. That I'd have enough left inside to head in that direction."
    "I'd say you've got plenty left. On the other hand, I don't know as I have enough to begin with to walk that way."
    He looked at her then, smiled. "Guess we'll find out."
    "Maybe you should just focus on the moment, enjoy it for what it is. Live that."
    "Is that what you do? Live for the moment?"
    The red was deepening, overpowering the softer, sweeter lavender. "Sure."
    "I don't buy it. You can't run your own business without looking ahead, building for the future."
    The movement of her shoulders ripped the water. "Business is business. Life is life."
    "Uh-uh. Not for people like you and me. Work is life. That's part of our problem or one of our virtues. Depending on how you look at it."
    She was studying his face now, frowning. "Well, that's some hot tub philosophy."
    He glanced over as she did, toward the sound of the dogs barking fiercely in the woods. "They always carry on like that?"
    "No. Might be they flushed a fox or a moose." But her brow remained creased until the dogs quieted. "Too early in the season for bear. And Rock and Bull can handle almost anything. I'll call them back in a minute."
     
     
    HE'D BROUGHT A COUPLE of hunks of fresh meat. The dogs knew him, so he wasn't worried. But it was best to be prepared. He was here, surveying the house from the shelter of the trees because he believed in being prepared.
    He wasn't sure what it meant that the cop and the daughter of his old friend were frolicking in the hot tub. Maybe it was good. An affair would keep them both occupied.
    In any case, he didn't think much of the cop. Just a kind of figurehead who hauled in drunks or broke up fights. Nothing much to worry about there.
    Then again, he'd stopped worrying the body would be found. He'd stopped thinking about it and had put the whole ugly business out of his mind years ago. It had happened to someone else. It had never happened.
    It would never be a problem.
    But now it was.
    He would deal with it.
    He was older now, calmer now. He was more careful now.
    Loose ends to snip. If one of them turned out to be Meg Galloway, he'd be sorry. But he had to protect himself.
    He supposed it was best if he began to do so right away.
    He shouldered his rifle and left the dogs gobbling up the last of the meat.
     
     
    HE'D PREPARED EVERYTHING. Standing in the darkened office, he saw nothing, thought of nothing he'd missed. They'd need to talk, of course. It was only right, only fair. He was a fair man.
    Still, it was dangerous for him to be here at this time of night. If he was seen, he'd need reasons, excuses. Plausible deniability, he thought with a half smile.
    It had been so long since he'd done anything dangerous. So long since he'd been the man who climbed mountains and lived large. The taste of it awakened that old excitement.
    That's why they'd called him Darth once. For his ruthlessness and love of dark deeds. It's what had pushed him to do the reckless and the sublime. It's what had urged him to kill a friend.
    But that had been a different man, he reminded himself. He'd remade himself. What he did now wasn't for pleasure or for curiosity. It was to protect the innocent man he'd become.
    He had the right to do that.
    So when his old friend came through the back door, he was waiting quietly. Calm as ice.
    Max Hawbaker jolted when he saw the man sitting behind the desk. "How'd you get in?"
    "You know you leave the back open half the time." He rose, movements relaxed and easy. "I couldn't stand around outside waiting for you. Someone might have seen me."
    "All right, all right." Max dragged off his coat, tossed it aside. "It's crazy meeting here at the paper in the middle of the damn night. You could have come to the house."
    "Carrie might hear. You never told her any of this. You swore."
    "No, I never told her." Max swiped a hand over his face. "Mother of God, you said he'd fallen. You said he went crazy and cut the rope. That he'd gone down in a crevice."
    "I know what I said. I couldn't tell you the truth. It was horrible enough, wasn't it? You were banged up and delirious when I got back to you. I saved your life, Max. I