Page 109 of Four Cards Exposed

“I wasn’t sure what time I’d get here. Lorraine—“ he waved in the direction of his partner, also dressed in a suit but looking relaxed with a beer in her hand, “she managed to divert the plane so it’d stop in Sharp’s Cove first.”

“Can you guys do that?”

James shrugged. “Not really. Maybe just this once.”

Susan laughed. “I’m so happy you’re here.” She sobered up as she thought of the questions she wanted to ask next—wondered if she could ask, or if he could tell her.

James seemed to read her mind.

“It’s over, Susan. We caught most of the men, razed the camp, and we’re collaborating with the Mexican authorities to make sure they can’t restart operations. It’s an election year in Mexico, and this kind of publicity isn’t good for them.”

“Mendoza’s money?” Susan knew it was all about the money, most of the time. If somebody had that money, they could—

“It’s all in off-shore accounts. It’s going to take months to unravel that mess, since neither Mendoza brother is around. But the finance techs are working on it, and they’re like dogs with a bone. They won’t give up.”

Susan nodded, absorbing that information.

“What about Guerrero?”

“He was gone by the time we got there.” James’s expression went thoughtful. “But we caught enough of Mendoza’s men that it makes no difference. The other men said he left right after we did, but in a different direction.”

“He wasn’t trying to take over the group.”

“No, he wasn’t.”

“He saved our life.”

“He did.” James shifted uncomfortably on his feet. “I don’t think I’m the right person to hunt him down. Lorraine doesn’t want to, either. It’s possible he will just slip through the cracks.”

Susan nodded. She filled her lungs with air, and tasted relief.

“You look beautiful in that blouse,” James said. His eyes were definitely not on her face anymore.

Susan felt her cheeks grow warm. “I’ve had it for a long time.”

“You were wearing it the second time I saw you. The first time, you were wearing your uniform.”

“You remember that?” she asked, dumbly.

“I remember what you were wearing the day I met you,” he said. “And what you’ve been wearing every day since then.”

He probably does. He has that kind of memory.

“It has nothing to do with my eidetic memory,” he said quickly. “And more to do with how I feel about you.”

Susan looked down. “The things we said back then—“

“Don’t,” James said, looking pained. “If you’re going to take it back, don’t.”

“But I—“

“I love you, Susan. I loved you when I thought we had minutes left to live. And I love you just as much today, when I hope we have fifty years ahead of us.”

Susan’s defenses crumbled.

He loves me.

For real.