Running Hot

being weird.
    “Right,” she said.
    “I should probably warn you that Malone isn’t thrilled about working with a partner. He’ll want to know as much about you as possible. Probably try to interrogate you a little. He’s an ex-cop. He won’t be able to help himself.”
    It would be okay, she thought. If she could deceive Martin Crocker and conceal her secret from Fallon Jones, she wouldn’t have any trouble dealing with an above-average aura talent. Malone wasn’t interested in Crocker’s death, anyway. He had no reason to be suspicious of her, merely cop-curious about his new partner.
    “I’m sure we’ll get along just fine,” she said, going for smooth competence. She could do smooth competence very well. She’d had a lot of practice during her twelve years with Martin.
    “This is your first time in the field as a J&J agent,” Fallon continued. “You’re going to have to do a little acting on this job but I don’t want you to take any risks. That’s what Malone will be there for.”
    “To take the risks?”
    “No, to make sure you don’t. This is a routine surveillance and identification operation, not a takedown. Once you’ve confirmed Eubanks’s psychic profile, your job is done. Malone will get you off Maui and you’ll be on the plane back to Oregon ASAP. Understood?”
    “Yes, Mr. Jones.”
    “Look, between you and me, Malone can be a pain in the ass but he’s good at what he does. If he starts giving orders, which he probably will, just shut up and do what he says. Any questions?”
    “No, sir.”
    “I love it when my agents call me sir. Almost forgot, there is one more thing that might help you identify Malone on sight.”
    “Yes?”
    “He’ll be on a cane.”
    That stopped her cold. “You’ve assigned me a bodyguard who has to use a cane to get around?”
    “He had a little accident a while back. Unfortunately, the doctors told him that the leg would never really be right. He’ll be on that cane for the rest of his life.”
    “I see. Does Mr. Malone perhaps carry a gun?”
    “Not since he left his job in the police department. He told me once that he’s not comfortable with guns. Between you and me, he was a lousy shot, anyway.”
    Great. She was getting a bodyguard who couldn’t shoot straight and who relied on a cane.
    “I have the impression that this mission isn’t exactly a high priority with J&J,” she said.
    “No, it’s not.” Fallon exhaled heavily. “Don’t get me wrong. If Eubanks killed that young woman, I want him off the street. But essentially, this is a routine case. J&J handles dozens like it every year. Clients come to me and I hand them off to one or more of the agents on my list. It’s their job to bring in evidence that will stand up in court.”
    “But you’ve got higher priorities?”
    “Yes, Grace, I do.” Fallon sounded grim and oddly weary.
    She wanted to ask what those other priorities were but she knew Fallon well enough to realize she probably wouldn’t get an answer if she asked the question. He could be maddeningly secretive.
    “I understand, sir,” she said instead. “Are you sure that Mr. Malone is the right man for this mission, though? It sounds like he should be thinking about retirement.”
    “Thing is, he’s right there on Oahu. Convenient. And he needs the money.”
    “On top of everything else he’s broke?”
    “Two divorces in four years will do that to a man. He’s been getting by tending bar in a little place called the Dark Rainbow.”
    “I see. Well, I suppose there’s something to be said for the convenience factor.”
    “Damn straight,” Fallon agreed. “Look, I gotta go. Got the new Master of the Society on the other line. Have fun on Maui.”
    There was an odd chortling sound in Grace’s ear. It was immediately followed by a click as Fallon ended the call.
    She closed the phone and contemplated it thoughtfully for a couple of seconds. Had she just heard the sound of Fallon Jones’s laughter?
    Impossible. Everyone knew that Fallon Jones had no sense of humor.
    She put the phone into her purse and went back to packing. The last thing she tucked into her carry-on was her computer. You never knew when you might have to do a little research while on a mission. She closed the lid and zipped the small suitcase closed.
    After a year of hiding out and licking her wounds, she was ready to live again. The opportunity for an exciting adventure had been handed to her on a silver platter and, somewhat