Running Hot

FIFTY-ONE

The knock on the door came just as Grace was wedging a pair of boots that she would probably never wear in Hawaii into a suitcase.

“I’ll get it,” she said to Luther.

He straightened from the box of books he was taping and glanced out the window. “Looks like an old lady in camouflage, dark glasses and a black raincoat. I think she’s carrying.”

“My landlady,” Grace said. “And it’s not a gun, it’s a special camera.”

“Interesting landlady.”

Grace opened the front door. “Hello, Arizona. Come on in. It’s wet out there.”

“You got that right.” Arizona stomped into the small foyer, shaking water off her black raincoat. “I’ve been out doing recon all morning. Days like this I’ve got to stay extra alert. Folks up at the institute like to schedule a lot of clandestine deliveries on rainy days. Probably figure there’s less chance that someone is doing surveillance.”

“I’d like you to meet Luther Malone,” Grace said. “Luther, this is my landlady, Arizona Snow.”

Luther nodded politely and held out his hand. “A pleasure, ma’am.”

Arizona took off her mirrored glasses and gave Luther a squinty-eyed look. “So you’re the one, huh?”

“The one what?” Luther asked.

Arizona snorted, stripped off her thick leather gloves and shook his hand with great vigor. “No need to play games with me, young man. I recognize another pro when I see one. Minute I spotted you coming up the walk with Grace, I knew you were the one she’s been waiting for all this time while she was lying low here in Eclipse Bay.”

Luther smiled at Grace. “Actually, I think I was the one doing the waiting.”

Arizona winked. “Got it. Going undercover is a real pain, isn’t it? But since you’re here now, I reckon it was mission accomplished, eh?”

“Yes, ma’am,” Luther said.

Grace went into the kitchen. “How about a cup of coffee to warm you up, Arizona? I just made a fresh pot.”

“Thanks. I could use it.” Arizona surveyed the boxes and suitcases. “Well, looks like you two are shipping out together this time.”

“We’re going to get married,” Grace said. “We’re moving to Hawaii.”

“Still working for the agency, though, right?”

Luther raised his brow in silent inquiry. Grace smiled.

“Definitely,” she said smoothly. She handed the filled mug to Arizona. “But we’ll also be running a little restaurant on the side in Waikiki.”

Arizona looked down at where their fingers had brushed. Grace followed her glance and suddenly realized she had felt nothing unusual when she accidentally touched the older woman.

“My little phobia seems to have finally disappeared,” she said.

Arizona nodded, pleased. “Good thing, what with you two getting married and all.”

Luther laughed and took the coffee Grace had poured for him. “A very good thing.”

“Waikiki, eh?” Arizona sipped her coffee and assumed a meditative expression, as though she was looking back into the past. “Knew a couple of folks who retired and moved to Waikiki.”

“That right?” Luther said.

“I seem to recall them talkin’ about maybe buying themselves a restaurant or a bar. Petra and Wayne Groves. I’ll never forget ’em. Best sniper team there ever was. I retired from the agency right after they did. They were a few years younger than me. Probably in their sixties by now. Guess we were all a little burned out.”

Grace stilled. Luther’s mug stopped in midair. He looked at Arizona as if she were a ghost.

“You knew Petra and Wayne?” he asked without inflection.

“Hell, yes. They were like you two in a way.” Arizona tapped the side of her head. “Had a sixth sense. This country owes them more than it knows. Folks like that don’t get ribbons or stars but they sure as hell deserve ’em.”