Page 74 of Shadow of Death
By the time her hair was dried and Ryan had applied more makeup to her face than she’d worn in her life, she didn’t recognize herself.
Hunter pursed his lips, shook his head, and shrugged.
“Kid,” he told Ryan, “the theater missed out.”
“Thanks,” Ryan told him. “I like to think I can use everything life gave me in the best way possible. And I guess all of us who go into law enforcement are here for the same reason.”
“Catch the bad guys?” Sean asked.
“Protect the innocent,” Ryan said. “You know what I mean. I know you do.” He looked at Hunter and indicated Sean. “This guy’s dad invented a technical thing for airplane engines and made enough to feed the planet. Sean doesn’t have to work a day. He does this because he wants to. And I know you guys—it’s the same.”
Aidan had come into the conference room. He looked at Amy, shaking his head. “Wow!”
“Thank you,” Ryan said.
“You’re a beautiful redhead, but we know the redhead,” Aidan said lightly. “This brunette...wow. She’s regal and...hot!”
“Hey,” Hunter protested teasingly.
“Not to worry. Yuck. She’s like my sister,” Aidan assured them. “Okay, so, I was talking to a few of my cousins—” he began.
“How many cousins do you have?” Ryan asked.
Aidan grinned. “A lot. My name is Aidan Cypress, but I’m a member of the Bear Clan. We are a matrilineal society, which means I am Bear Clan through my mom, as are many of my cousins—close and distant,” he told them. “We’re set with Jimmy Osceola and my cousins Billie and Linc. But I talked to my dad, too.”
“He’s super,” Amy murmured. She’d met Aidan’s father several times through the years and he was one of the nicest and wisest people she had ever known. Retired now, he’d been with the Seminole police.
“And he had a suggestion. Amy, you know Florida and our history—including that of the Everglades—as few others do. He said you should appear to be a guide. We can do up a small group of agents—as tourists—and you can take them off one of the paths that leads from Route 27 toward the water—where the body was found in the ‘white horse’ case—and where Special Agent Gleason’s foot and hand were recently found.”
“And I could be in that group,” Hunter said.
“And so could we,” Sean agreed.
“Or,” Hunter murmured, “we could be groups arriving in separate airboats. We’d have watchers on the boats, and the group around you.”
“I’m game for whatever you think will work,” Amy said.
“And you might have become a brunette for nothing. We could do all this, and the crazy puppet master might kill someone again in Colorado,” Hunter said.
“But we might be right,” Amy said.
“We might be,” he agreed. He rose from where they were sitting in the conference room. “All right. It’s been a long today. Tomorrow will be longer—but with mosquitos. Anyone for dinner and an early night right after?”
“Sure. And I know a great place. The Field,” Aidan said.
“An Irish pub,” Sean told Hunter.
“I do love it!” Amy said.
“And, hey, everyone is Irish on St. Patrick’s Day,” Aidan said, grinning.
“It’s not St. Patrick’s Day,” Amy reminded him.
“So? We’ll pretend.”
They agreed, checked out with Mickey, and headed to dinner.
As they sat at a table, enjoying the good food and live Irish music, Amy glanced over at Hunter. He smiled back at her.
