Angie exchanged glances with Dar. “Know what I think?”

“What?” Kerry asked testily.

“I think you need a nap.” Angie got up and tossed a pillow at her sister. “And you need to chill out.” She left the room and closed the green hued door behind her.


124 Melissa Good DAR’S EYES CLOSED as she lay quietly waiting for a call back on her cell phone. It was dim and silent in the room, the snow was still falling outside, and Kerry was curled up on her side with her head pillowed on Dar’s stomach, fast asleep.

Dar curled her fingers around a lock of Kerry’s hair, and wondered if Kerry was half as worried about her as she was about Kerry. She could almost sense the fractures in Kerry’s usually sturdy psyche and she only hoped the growing and renewed warmth with her nuclear family helped to heal them. Or else she’d take Kerry home and surround her with as much love and support as it took to do the job.

They’d gotten some of the problem resolved, as much as they could without fixing the broken equipment, and Dar had finally coaxed Kerry into taking one of the pills she carried around for stress headaches. Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, the dos-age that merely relaxed Dar had knocked her shorter, lighter partner out like a light.

Dar’s cell vibrated softly, and she lifted it up. “Yeah? “ she murmured into the receiver.

“Dar, it’s Mark.” The MIS manager sounded upset. “Listen, we’ve got a real problem.”

One of Dar’s eyebrows lifted wryly. “Another one?”

“Some guy from the government’s here. He’s got a court order or something that says I have to give him the core dump you took from the Navy base.”

Dar’s other eyebrow lifted. “Really? Let me talk to him.”

She could almost see the smug look on the man’s face, and the carefully not smug look on Mark’s when he handed the phone over. “Who is this?” she drawled softly.

"My name is John Bradley,” a voice answered. “I represent the Military Appropriations Committee, Ms. Roberts. I assure you, this is all in order. Please have your staff here give me the information I require.”

“They don’t have it,” Dar told him, enjoying the moment of stunned silence.

“Ms. Roberts, this is not a joke. I have a court order.”

“It’s not even remotely funny. But the fact is, it’s not there, Mr. Bradley,” Dar replied. “Mind telling me who you work for?”

There was a brief silence before he blustered, “We can search.”

“Go ahead.” Dar laughed softly. “But be ready for the law-suit. You can drop a copy of that court order off at our legal department while you’re at it.”

“This request comes from some very important people, Ms.

Roberts,” Bradley warned. “You don’t really want it getting out Thicker Than Water 125

that this information is floating around out there, now do you? If you force me to take this public, I will.”

Ouch. “You’re barking up the wrong tree,” Dar said.

“Am I? We’ll see.” There was a click.

Dar sighed. “This so sucks,” she murmured in the direction of the canopy. For a few minutes, she just lay there, listening to Kerry’s slow, even breathing, then she picked up her phone and scrolled through her address book, selected a number, and pressed it.

The phone rang three times before it was picked up. “Joint Chiefs,” the young, female voice answered.

“I need to speak with General Easton, please,” Dar said very quietly. “This is Dar Roberts.”

She waited patiently, one hand tangling itself in Kerry’s hair while canned Christmas music played in her ear. Finally, after a few minutes, the line clicked and she heard the faint sound of someone clearing their throat before speaking. “Gerry?”

The voice stilled, and she could hear the exhale. “Well, hello there, Dar.” Easton’s tone sounded wary, but also slightly surprised and hopeful.

Dar had used his first name for a reason. “Alastair told me we had a deal.”

Easton cleared his throat again. “Why, yes, we do… Listen, Dar,” he sighed, “I know what a bloody bastard this is, and I know it put your shorts in square knots.”

A faint smile crossed Dar’s face. “And I know how you feel about the service.”

Another sigh was audible. “It’s so damn hard, Dar. You know how fond I am of you.”

“We’ve known each other a long time,” Dar said. “I didn’t want to find what I did.”

“Don’t you think I know that?” Easton said. “Damn it all, Dar.”

Dar was silent for a moment. “If we have a deal, then why did I get a visit from the goon squad today? I didn’t think you mis-trusted me that badly.”

For a long instant, there was dead silence on the other end of the line. “What?” Easton finally spluttered. “Visit from who?”

“Some guy named Bradley from the Military Appropriations Committee was in my office with a court order, getting that data dump you asked them to retrieve,” Dar replied calmly. “Why, Gerry?”

“Errr…” Easton almost sneezed. “I didn’t send a damn blessed soul anywhere near Miami today!” A chair scraped against wood. “What the devil are you talking about?”


126 Melissa Good Dar stared blankly at the phone, a dozen thoughts running through her head. “You didn’t?”

“Certainly not,” Easton replied.

“I talked to him myself,” Dar murmured. “He said he had a court order.” Her mind flicked over the conversation. “He wanted the core…Wait a minute. How in the hell did he know I had that?”

Easton paused. “Gave it to him, did you?”

“No,” Dar replied. “It’s not there. Gerry, are you sure you didn’t ask them to do this? Don’t…” Dar felt her heart rate pick up. “Forget the company; I need to know.”

“Paladar, I swear to you I didn’t,” Easton said seriously. “No point to it, you see? Not with that bargain you drove. Sticky thing that was to push through, I will say.”

“Then where did he…” Dar paused. “Huh.” Could someone have found what her father had hidden? Anything was possible, though she knew her father well enough to know how careful he was. Oh well. A simple phone call could verify that.

“I say, Dar...do you mean to say someone knows about this whole thing outside us?” Easton suddenly asked, sharply. “John Bradley, was it?”

“I’ll call you later.” Dar hung up and immediately dialed her parents’ cell phone number. It rang four times, then went to the voice mail. “Damn.” She waited for the message to end, then left her name and cell number. As she closed the phone, she considered her next course of action.

“Dar?” Kerry’s voice burred sleepily. “What’s wrong?”

Dar gazed down at the half open green eyes peering up at her.

“Hm?” She made a questioning noise, to buy herself some time.

“How’s your head?”

“Woozy.” Kerry remained where she was, one hand stroking idly across Dar’s belly. “That stuff’s strong. You shoulda warned me.” Her eyes closed for a moment, then reopened. “You didn’t answer my question.”

Should I? Dar didn’t want to add to the stress already piled on her lover’s shoulders, but she was reluctant to lie to her. “Someone from the government, or so they claim, came looking for that information at the office. I thought he was from Gerry’s office, but…”

Kerry absorbed that. “Damn. I thought you took the core dump out of the building.”

“I did,” Dar said. “Dad has it.”

Kerry shrugged. “Then it’s okay, right?”

Dar met her eyes with a troubled look. “Except that now Gerry knows someone else is looking for it, because I was stupid enough to tell him.”


Thicker Than Water 127

“Oh.” Kerry looked apprehensive now. “What does that mean?’

“I don’t know.”

“Could someone else have found out about it?” Kerry asked.

“Or…did this come from my father?” She hesitated. “What does Dad say? Anyone been asking him?”

“I don’t know,” Dar said. “The folks are not answering the phone. Maybe they took the boat out.” She opened the phone and dialed. “Hello? Yes, this is Dar Roberts; can I talk to the dock mas-ter please?” She waited. “Slip 1452, is it berthed?” There was a short wait before the man came back on the line. “Yes? Thanks.”

She hung up. “Boat’s in the dock.”

Kerry was now more or less awake. “Want me to call Colleen and have her run down there? I think she’s the closest.”

Dar nodded silently and handed her the phone. She listened to Kerry dial and watched as she pushed the disheveled hair back off her forehead and leaned on one elbow.

“Hey, Col,” Kerry said softly. “Yeah. No, thanks. Thanks. I loved the basket.” She listened. “No, what I…What? Where are you? Our place?” She looked at Dar. “Mom and Dad asked Col to puppy sit. Said they were going out of town for a few days.”

Dar blinked. “When was this?”

Kerry asked. “About two hours ago,” she relayed to Dar. “Did they say where they were going? No? I don’t get it.”

Out of town? “They didn’t mention anything about going out of town,” Dar said, in a puzzled tone. “Did they?”

“No, I don’t think so.” Kerry just sat there thinking for a minute. “I don’t get it.” She yawned and leaned against Dar.

“Why would anyone be trying to get that information from you?

The general already has it, and my father already had it.”

“Beats me. Guy said he was from the military appropriations committee.” Dar shrugged.

Kerry took hold of her wrist. “My father was on that,” she said. “Could he have told them?”

Oh boy. “I don’t know,” Dar murmured. “But if he did, we’ve got a problem.”

They heard the distinct slamming of a door somewhere nearby. They looked at each other, then at the door, as footsteps—

heavy and determined—headed in their direction. “I think that problem’s going to have to wait.” Kerry rolled off the bed.

Dar got out after her and followed her across the carpet, but stopped when Kerry paused and put her hand out, touching Dar’s chest. “What?”

“They’re my family.” Kerry intently searched Dar’s face.

“Please. Let me take a stab at handling them. Stay back for now.”


128 Melissa Good Dar frowned.

“Please?” Kerry brushed Dar’s lips with her own. “I have to face them sometime, Dar. You can’t beat them all up for me.”

“Why not?”

“Dar.”

Dar sighed. “Okay.” She opened the door for Kerry. “Go get

’em.” She gave her a pat on the butt, and watched until she disappeared around the edge of the corridor leading to the stairs. She waited an additional moment, then slipped out, padded to the landing, and cocked her head to listen.

CYNTHIA STUART SAW the broad back go past her, and she hurried after it. “Edgar?”

Edgar stopped, then turned and looked at her. “Cyndi, I heard you had that whore under this roof.” He stared accusingly at her. “We had a bargain.”

“Edgar,” Cynthia frowned, “this really is none of your business. If I choose to—”

“Cynthia, it is my business,” Edgar said flatly. “Roger was my brother, and you know how he felt about that woman and the godforsaken way she chooses to live.”

“Yes.” Cynthia sighed. “I am well aware of how he felt.”

“Then how could you?” Edgar asked. “How could you invite her in here, push her in all our faces, when we all know how he felt, how that ate at him. Good Lord, Cynthia, what the hell’s wrong with you?”

“Edgar, listen to me.” Cynthia was upset. “I know you have strong feelings, but—”

“Strong?” Edgar’s voice rose. “No, you don’t understand. I hate her. I hate her and everything she stands for, and I hate what she did to this family and to my brother.”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Cynthia snapped back. “You don’t nearly know the truth of that.” She stepped closer. “Do you think Kerrison simply decided to turn against Roger for no reason?”

“There is no reason that can explain what she did.”

“Yes, there is.” A quiet voice interrupted them. Both turned to see Kerry standing there, watching them with wary green eyes.

“But you know what? I don’t owe you any explanations.”

“Kerrison,” Cynthia put up a pacifying hand, “please, let me handle this. I’m sure—”

“Mother, this has to stop somewhere.” Kerry looked her uncle in the eye. “What is it you want from me, Uncle Edgar?”

Edgar stared at her, his nostrils flaring. “I want you to go to Hell,” he said softly and bitterly.


Thicker Than Water 129

“Edgar!”

“It’s all right, mother,” Kerry replied softly. “Uncle, tell me something. Do you want me to burn in Hell for exposing my father’s illegal activities to the press, or because I’m gay?” She held his eyes, her body shaking inside and her guts churning. Part of her regretted asking Dar to stay behind, but she knew she had to face this, one way or the other.