But it would also rob him of the thrill of the hunt. He had a scent, and he was following it. To have the chase end so soon, and so abruptly, would be something of a letdown after all the energy he’d put into it. Still, he would give anything for a chance to sit with either man for even a few minutes.

The sound of laughter startled him from his reverie. He followed it to the jetty wall, where invisible figures sat watching who knew what. Separated by darkness, they might as well have inhabited different worlds. Yet they shared the night, the beach, the moon and the stars and the ocean.

He thought, suddenly, of Charlie Tilling. Charlie of the manuscript he’d brought with him. Charlie, who had perhaps stood near this very spot considering his own death. He, too, shared the night with Hudson and the unseen sitters on the wall. He, too, was part of Monterey. But how much a part? That was the question Hudson had yet to answer.

Behind him a dog barked. He turned and saw a shadow dart across the sand and into the water. It returned a moment later, shaking the sea from its fur and carrying a stick in its mouth. It trotted past Hudson, looking at him briefly from the corner of its eye, and he heard a man’s voice speaking to it in low tones. A moment later, the dog flew by again, flinging itself into the waves.

“I’m always half-afraid he won’t come out,” said a voice.

Hudson turned his head and saw a man standing beside the rock. Dressed in shorts and a windbreaker, he carried a leash in one hand. He looked not at Hudson, but at the waves. “He always does, though,” he added.

As if to prove this point, the dog came running up, stopping in front of the man and dropping the stick onto the sand. When his owner didn’t retrieve it quickly enough, he barked once and nudged it with his nose.

“One more,” the man said, picking up the stick and throwing it. The dog turned, disappearing into the dim.

“It must be nice to be so happy about a stick,” said Hudson.

The man laughed as the dog returned. “Want to go home?” he said, and for a second Hudson thought he might be speaking to him, and thought about saying yes. Then he heard the snap of a leash, and the man and dog walked away, saying nothing.

You really need to get laid, he told himself. He had to admit, it had been awhile. But there were more important things to think about than finding someone to share a bed with. Still, he wouldn’t mind. One night stands had never been his preferred way to meet his need for male companionship, but neither was he adverse to enjoying them from time to time. Sometimes, he thought, it was easier to make love with someone who knew nothing about you. That way you could each be whatever the other wanted.