“When you called to cancel,” Melanie began, “I was sure you’d be on a plane somewhere. I got the idea of cooking dinner when you said you’d be back home tonight.”

Knox simply nodded at this, while he sipped his wine and stared out at the trees in his backyard as they were whipsawed by yet another approaching storm.

“So everything going okay at work?” she asked tentatively.

“Just looking over some old papers. Not that enlightening actually.”

It was hard, he knew, for her. Most kids knew exactly what their parents did for a living and consequently could have cared less. While his children were growing up Knox had declined all invitations to parents’ career day at school. After all, what would he have said?

“Given any more thought to retiring?”

“I pretty much already am. One foot in the professional grave.”

“I’m surprised the State Department can function without you.”

Father and daughter exchanged a brief glance and then each looked away, focused on their wine and last bites of roast beef and potatoes.

As she was leaving Melanie let her hug linger around her father’s broad shoulders. She whispered in his ear, “Take care of yourself, Dad. Don’t push the envelope too hard. Dangerous times out there.”

He watched her walk to the cab she’d called to take her home to her condo in D.C. As it drove way, she waved to him.

He waved back, fleeting images of the last thirty years racing through his mind and ending with the image of Macklin Hayes telling him to tread carefully.

His brilliant daughter was right. It was dangerous times out there.