The Longest Winter
Page 25
“She had a bathing suit on. It’s not like she was in full uniform or anything.”
“The water was freezing,” Kara said, waving her fork in my direction.
I threw my hands up in mock defeat. “Welcome to working with me. With any luck, Yuri, this will be the only case we work on together.”
“Yeah, he has a tendency to get people shot.”
“Never going to let that go, are you Chen?”
“Probably not,” he said. “Still not sure how Kara made it through that one unscathed.”
“I was the best at dodgeball in my eighth grade gym class,” she said then took a bite of shao mai.
“Kids,” I said, looking at Link and Kasia. “Being good at dodgeball does not mean you can dodge bullets.”
“We know, Dad,” Link said. “But that would be awesome.”
“Yes, yes it would.”
I slid my hand over onto Kat’s leg and waited for her hand to meet mine. “How you doing?” I asked, quietly.
“I’m good. It’s so nice to have everyone together. Even if it is a lot of people. I’m just glad this is all over.”
“Me too.”
I knew Yuri hadn’t heard us, but his next question came right on queue. “So, where is everyone heading now that this is done?”
“I’m flying out tomorrow,” Chen said, his hand raised in the air.
Kara looked at Yuri. “Guess it depends on what head office has in mind for me. I’m starting to like Luxembourg though.”
“No plans on heading back to Canada?” I said.
“Not yet. Eventually. It’s been nice to see some more of the world though.”
“I agree.”
Kat squeezed my hand gently. “I’m happy anywhere as long as my family is there.”
“Your mother and I have been talking about that.” Kris was sitting opposite to Kat with Agnes at his side. They had tried to get out of coming but we wanted them there as well. Yuri and Sophie were new additions, but everyone else, one way or another, was family. It wouldn’t have been right without them there. “Wherever you want to go, we’re coming too.”
“Really?” Kat said. “I thought you never wanted to leave Warsaw.”
“It’s been nice having Link and Kasia around so much. And having you back, we want to keep it that way.”
Kat smiled and I saw tears in her eyes. “Thank you,” she said. “Right now, Poland sounds nice. But I do want to go back to Canada again.”
“One condition,” Kris said. “We’re living with you.”
The look on my face must have been priceless. Kris and Agnes both started laughing. “Oh, Lincoln,” Agnes said. “We’re kidding… but we will be next door.”
I smiled an awkward smile, unsure if she was serious or not. My phone rang and saved me from the situation.
I looked at the display. “I need to take this one,” I said, as I excused myself from the table.
“Eddie, how have you been?”
“Good, Lincoln, really good. We were in Costa Rica for the last two weeks, just got back and saw the news. We’re so happy for you. You found her.”
“Yeah,” I said. “I did. I know you never stopped trying on your end, so thank you.”
“No problem. I did what anyone would have. Just wish I could’ve helped more.”
I knew that Eddie’s methods had probably been completely and inexplicably illegal and it made me love the guy even more. If it hadn’t been for him and his methods, we may never have caught Crawford in the first place. The man was a genius with a computer.
“How’s Najat?” I knew she was doing well professionally. She’d finished her Ph.D. in Anthropology shortly after returning from helping us with Crawford. She had changed her thesis, written about her work on the murder victims and finished a new thesis in an unbelievably short time.
“Doing very well. Just before we left she found out she got hired at Western teaching part-time. And with the OPP calling her in as required, it should be enough to pay for the wedding.”
“Wedding?”
Eddie laughed. “Yep, proposed on the trip.”
“And she actually said ‘yes’?”
“Believe it or not. We’re looking at August, Lincoln. Any chance you guys will be back by then?”
“If not, we’ll make it back.”
“Awesome. Anyway, I’ll let you go. Sounds like a party in the background.”
“Celebrating. We just wrapped a case.”
“Well, say ‘hi’ to everyone for me.”
“Will do. And give my congratulations to Najat.”
“You got it.”
I hung up the phone and returned to the table. “Eddie says ‘hi’ and he expects us all at the wedding.”
“Well, well,” Kat said. “You should moonlight as a matchmaker.” She smiled as she looked across the table to Yuri and Kara sitting beside each other and having their own conversation. I stood up, raised my glass and looked over the table.
“To friends and family.”
Acknowledgements
As always, I have many people I need to thank. Of course, I can’t name them. You know who you are and how grateful I am for everything you do.
There is one person I can thank: Rhelda Gautreau. This journey has been a fascinating one, and I have met some great people along the way. Rhelda came to me as a reader with a knack for editing and graciously volunteered to lend her time to help make this newest book a reality. I can’t thank you enough for your time, energy and passion.
Other Books By Harrison Drake
Detective Lincoln Munroe
A Dream of Death
Blue Rubicon
Death By Degrees
The Homicide Files (Detective Lincoln Munroe Novellas)
Full Fathom Five
The Purest Treasure
My Life in Darkness
About The Author
Harrison Drake is the pseudonym of a Canadian writer and career police officer who has chosen anonymity in order to protect a safe, secure and quiet lifestyle for his family.
The author is hard at work on numerous other writing projects in numerous other genres. If he can’t be found at home, playing with his children or sitting in his lonely writer’s garret, he’ll be outside, gazing up at the night sky and searching for answers.
Website: HarrisonDrake.com
Twitter: @HDrakeTheWriter