I said, “Keep them on for a second.” He turned the lights on and stepped out.

They were halogen floodlights, angled to project out and down. I felt a drop of rain on my forehead. Daniel noticed. “Rain tonight.”

“Heavy?”

“I hope.” He was looking at the vegetable garden.

I stepped back to the cottage. “Can you keep the lights on tonight?”

He made a gesture, hands rising up, shoulders shrugging, like that wouldn’t be a problem. “Expecting friends?”

“Might be expecting uninvited guests, yes. Just keep them on for me will you?” I wanted the lights on in part to discourage any intruders from coming this direction. It was better to block off a couple of possibilities. Either that or you had to cover all of them. There was a metal outdoor table and chairs painted in white. I dragged a chair under the corner light, “You mind?”

Daniel said, “Yes sure.”

I stood on the chair and angled the light so that it would fully cover the driveway. I put the chair back and dusted my hands off. Daniel was amused. “Anything else?”

“Do you have a weapon?”

He paused to sip from his cup and looked up at me while he swallowed. “For hunting birds, but the season doesn’t start until September.”

“Show me.”

He waved me inside. The front door opened directly to a living room area with a sofa and armchair, where I guessed Daniel spent his down-time. The television was on with the sound turned off. The place was immaculately clean and tidy. From behind a bookcase Daniel pulled a canvas and foam rifle bag. I wanted to look at his weapon because then I’d be able to have an idea of his competence and worthiness as an ally. If he pulled out a filthy old gun with cobwebs in the chamber, that would tell one story, as would an immaculately kept piece.

He glanced at me for a reaction as he drew the weapon out of its case. I made a kind of surprised laugh because the gun was a gorgeous French double barrel shotgun with an oiled walnut stock. It was immaculate, and Daniel was proud of it. “Chapuis double barrel. Artisan model.” The double chamber snicked open revealing a truly clean interior. “Three inch chamber, double trigger.” That was good. No fumbling around for the second barrel if push came to shove.

“Load?”

Daniel pulled a cartridge belt and threw it at me. I caught it and pulled one out. Zenith cartridges, with a 70mm case, a fiber wad and 32-gram load of No 5 shot. “That’ll do.”

“Do for what?”

“Just in case hunting season opens early this year,” I said. “Keep it near tonight.”

“And then?”

“And then we’ll see.”

He examined the gun. “Should I be having Maria stay with her sister tonight?”