He must have found it hard to believe his luck that night, that this descended angel had been willing to indulge him, his advances gradually stepping up and always accepted, too far in by the time she’d mentioned money. He’d never have realized that he’d been the one being seduced, and never realized either that the end had never been in doubt.
At least this was different in that respect, because JJ wouldn’t be tempted, and because Jem Bostridge had no idea who he was, no reason to encourage him, even to speak to him. He was still drawn to her though, drawn in a way he couldn’t explain.
He got up and looked in the mirror, checking again that there were no telltale signs he’d missed, and then there was a knock on the door. Still edgy after his day, he took his gun and held it out of sight as he opened the door.
A man was standing there, short gray hair, probably in his fifties but with signs of a physique, dressed like he’d spent the day hiking. At first glance JJ assumed for some reason that he was the Scottish guest he hadn’t met yet, McCowan, but when the guy spoke it was an American accent, the voice instantly familiar.
“Sorry I missed you the other day. Ed Holden.” JJ nodded, momentarily stuck for a response, and let him in. He put the gun away then and the two of them sat down in the chairs by the window. “Helen just came in and told Susan you’d come back looking tired, so, first opportunity.”
“Where have you been?”
“I have a cabin up on Lake Champlain. I went up there for a couple of days.” JJ laughed in disbelief, that the story he’d spun the Russian had been so close to the truth. “I should explain,” continued Holden. “I thought it would take a few days before you showed up here and, though I’m sure it’s not an issue, I didn’t want to hang around the inn unnecessarily, just in case anyone stumbled upon me by accident.” He waited for JJ to respond, but when nothing came he threw the original question back at him. “So where have you been? Susan mentioned Yale.”
“Killing Russians.”
“Not at random I hope,” Holden said, smiling, “Yale has a lot of overseas students.”
“I killed the one who was staying in your house, put him in the freezer. The other one was in a motel about ten, fifteen miles from here. Took him out in the woods.”
Holden’s smile slipped at the mention of the second Russian, the realization that they’d been closer to him than he’d imagined and that, however incomplete, they were getting information from somewhere.
He found another smile though, and said, “Well you certainly don’t hang around.” He seemed a lot more relaxed than he had on the phone, possibly just because the forced awkwardness of the satellite had made him seem more tense than he’d actually been.
“Nor do they,” said JJ. “And speaking of which, I hope you realize how lucky you were to catch me the other day.”
“Oh I do, though persistence played a bigger part than luck. Anyway, I didn’t call you because you were the only person who could help me, and that’s not to deny your undoubted skills. On the contrary, I called you because I felt a sense of obligation. You see, in effect, it’s my fault you’re a target.” He wanted JJ to ask why, a breezy playfulness about the guy, like it was all a joke.
“I don’t go for riddles,” JJ said, getting another smile out of Holden, like everything JJ said reminded him of himself when he was younger or someone else he’d known.
“I’ll explain everything tomorrow but I shouldn’t stay any longer now.” He sat forward on his chair, ready to get up. “Have your tea in the lounge after breakfast. We’ll meet by accident, take a walk.”
“Susan has no idea about me.”
“Absolutely not. But she’s okay with the business.” He looked deep in thought for a second and added, “After our walk, I’ll reveal that we have a common friend in Tom Furst. It’ll make it easier, you know, the transition from guest to whatever.”
JJ didn’t see why he needed to make that transition, wasn’t certain even that he wanted to. There was curiosity of course, that same lure of being allowed briefly through a door, from his side of death to theirs, but that still seemed an unhealthy curiosity to indulge.
And no less unhealthy was the curiosity he’d developed without warning in the last half hour, something that was fusing itself more and more in his head with the girl of two years before, even though there was no resemblance, though they had nothing in common. Almost nothing.
As if sensing his disquiet, Holden stood and said cheerily, “So how does it feel, being here?”
“I don’t know,” answered JJ truthfully. “I was uneasy about coming here, obviously, but now I’m here, I don’t know, I don’t feel anything. They’re just people.”
Holden nodded, not smiling this time but looking like he understood. “Isn’t that what it’s about, knowing when to feel and when not to? Thanks for the Russians by the way.”
JJ smiled, warming to the guy’s tone, and said, “You’re welcome.”