I said, “Angie.”

She kept her back to me. “You almost died this morning.”

“Ange ”

“And I’m very sorry about Jenna, but you almost died.” “Yes.”

“I wouldn’t have...” Her voice cracked and I could hear her inhale until she got it under control. “And I wouldn’t have handled it very fucking well, Patrick. I don’t like thinking about it, and it’s got me a little... off, right now.”

I heard Jenna’s voice in my head when I told her Angie needed me. “You best hold on to her then.” I took a few steps across the floor and put my hands on her arms.

She tilted her head back so that it nestled under my chin.

The air seemed impossibly still in the kitchen and I don’t think either of us took a breath. We stood there, our eyes closed, waiting for the fear to go away.

It didn’t.

Angie’s head left my chin and she said, “Let’s get past this. Do some work. We’re still employed, right?”

I let go of her arms and said, “Yeah, we’re still employed. Let me change and we’ll get to work.”

I came back out a few minutes later in an oversize red sweatshirt and a pair of jeans.

Angie turned from the kitchen counter, a plate in her hand, a sandwich on it. “I think I’m safe around deli meat.” “Didn’t try to cook it or anything, did you?”

She gave me that look.

I got the point and took the sandwich. She sat across the table from me as I ate. Ham and cheese. A little heavy on the mustard, but otherwise fine. I said, “Who called?”

“Sterling Mulkern’s office. Three times. Jim Vurnan’s office. Richie Colgan. Twice. Twelve or thirteen reporters. Also, Bubba called.”

“What’d he have to say?”

“You really want to know?”

Usually one doesn’t with Bubba, but I was feeling loose. I nodded.

“He said to call him next time you go ‘a coon hunting.’“

That Bubba. Hitler might have won the war with Bubba at his side. I said, “Anyone else?”

“No. But Mulkern’s office sounded pretty pissed off by the third call.”

I nodded and chewed.

Angie said, “You going to tell me what we’re into here, or you just going to sit there and do your village idiot impersonation?”

I shrugged, chewed some more, and she took the sandwich away from me. “I believe I’ve been chastised,” I said.

“You’ll be a lot worse than that, you don’t start talking.”

“Ooooh. Tough girl. Scold me some more,” I panted.

She looked at me.

“All right,” I said. “But we’re going to need liquor for this.”

I made us two scotches neat. Angie took one sip of hers and poured it down the sink without a word. She grabbed a beer from the fridge, sat back down, and raised an eyebrow.

I said, “We may be in over our heads on this one. Way over our heads.”

“So I gathered. Why?”

“Jenna didn’t have any documents that I saw. That was bullshit.”