Cold Coffee

0445 North Shore - On The Seawall

Tango will never give up on trying to catch a gull. I'm sitting on the wall looking east. If you stand up and squint hard, you may be able to see England. I'm holding my coffee while Tango gets enough exercise for both of us. He's chasing gulls and chewing on seaweed because the vet told him it keeps his breath fresh. I'm waiting for someone I haven't seen in many years.

There is another cup of coffee on the wall. It's getting cold, but the person I got it for is always late to arrive for anything. We agreed to meet here at 0430.

The dawn is happening, and my eyes are wide open. For many years, I had not opened my eyes to the person I was waiting for. 

Before you ask, I'll tell you that I told Eve I was meeting my ex-wife on the seawall near our house at 0430. Eve was curious. Who wouldn't be?  

"I don't know what she wants," I said. I told Eve about the two amateurs who followed me to the supermarket yesterday and the follow-up phone call from the lawyer who hired them.  

The lawyer spoke on behalf of my ex-wife, who wanted a peaceful conversation with me. 

Our rushed divorce almost four years ago was acrimonious, and it's true I did want to kill her. That's why I moved here about 1000 miles north of that situation.

Am I a hothead? She was screwing my then-boss, and that made me angry enough to get out of town.

Things are a little more chill now. Tequila and lime with salt seem to be excellent antifreeze for your system. 

I wanted to cool down, start a new life, hang out with a dog, and build my business. Everything worked out in the end, but now she's coming here to chat.

My sweet baking bundle, Eve, was a big part of my attitude change. I'm about to marry and owe her forever, but I won't tell her.

I promised Eve I would tell her everything about my visit with the ex when I got home. 

That meeting should have been done by now. It's getting near 0500, and I'm ready to declare the ex a " No-Show." 

The ocean air is getting as cold as her coffee and attitude. Even Tango is ready to go home and sit by the fireplace. 

I whistled for Super Dog, and he came running. He was shaking everything hind first to his nose. His happiness always makes me happy.

We crossed the street and headed for our trailer. Walking up the driveway, I see a rental car.

Allow me to summarize, please. My ex-wife agreed to meet me in one place so she could separate me from Eve. This is who she wanted to meet with. 

My blood began to boil, and a cartoon thermometer above my head popped when the temperature hit 210 degrees.

I stopped to center the level in my head. This will be interesting, and I have to keep my cool.

Tango and I stepped into the kitchen.

Catania Airport - Sicily

They are going home. Catania Airport was a bit of a car ride, but the scenery made it worth it.  Ben and Lisa are rested, tanned, and ready to return to work if each is honest about it. Lisa, now on lighter duty due to her pregnancy, enjoyed not having field assignments and couldn't wait to return. Ben wanted to get back into his routine of staying on top of technology, thinking about it, and writing about it.

They both wanted to hit the Cardinal and The Jack when they returned to Cambridge. You can't find muffins like that anywhere else in the world.

They were waiting for the first of three flights when Lisa sat down and looked at her phone. "Hey, Allston and Eve bought a new house." Ben thought about this and said, "Man, I liked where they lived so close to the water. Did Eve say where they found a place? Maybe closer to the Cardinal?

Lisa scrolled some more and said, "Eve says it's less than 300 yards from where they are now." Ben laughed and said Tango would be happy." Ben, did you know that Eve is pregnant?" "What!!!" "How's Allston taking that?" "Oh, I gotta text him and congratulate him." Lisa, our kids are going to be about the same age."

Ben started thinking about what a wild man Allston was back in the day and how he had built his company as Ben built his own. "Friends for life, Lisa, Friends for life"

"Do you think Allston is a better shot than you?"

Lisa wrinkled her nose and said, "No Way!" "I'd smoke him at any distance on any course." "I still hold records at Quantico."

"This sounds like a double date to me," Ben said.

Exeter, New Hampshire

Allston reviewed the emails Melinda alerted him to and saw something that Melinda did not. If you look in the from - column on the emails you sent me, you'll see that the email address differs. "The email address is the same, but the company name after the @ differs."  "At first glance, someone would think they were the same, but they are not." "The emails you say are different are from another account." "Perhaps another author."

"This is an easy thing to miss."

"I'll separate all the emails into two different folders and send the folders to you," Melinda said.

"So my dad was getting emails from two different people he thought were the same person?"

"It's possible"

"Oh, that is interesting," Melinda said

Ayer, Massachusetts - FMC Devens - Federal Medical Center

Within 1 week, Serial Killer Dennis Mendocino separated himself from the other inmates and kept his single cell due to his being a danger to others. The prisoners trying to be social learned that Mendocino, "The Love Machine," was not social, and no one should push him past a certain point.

Two inmates this week poked a bit too hard and were maybe a bit condescending to Mendocino. It seems that The Love Machine is an expert at choke holds, and he was quick to apply one to an accountant who was doing 15 years for a very famous stock fraud case. It took four guards to restore the peace in the common room where this happened.

One of the guards marveled at Mendocino's strength, quickness, and ability. In his report, he wrote that he was "most definitely a BJJ (Brazilian Jui Jitsu) Black Belt."

The accountant on the receiving end was airlifted to Massachusetts General Hospital, where he is still recovering. 

The other person who irked Mendocino was a know-it-all semi-wise guy from Philadelphia. He was used to being the lead dog in the house, and he confronted the serial killer to establish dominance. Dennis struck him on a few pressure points and grappled with Mr. Philly without a sweat.

When the guards arrived, Dennis stood down and released the other man. This happened in a different common area where most of the inmates were. 

Mr. Philly's power was now reduced when the screws rescued him from Dennis Mendocino.

The director of FMC was livid. In Mendocino's profile, which was constructed before his capture, it was noted that the suspect was possibly a bodybuilder or a martial artist.

The FBI report in New York did not note that Dennis was at an expert Black Belt Level in his chosen discipline. 

Now, the inmates and the guards were wary of this weirdo, and for good reason.