Chapter 53 Chapter 052

Danny smiled mysteriously. It was a smile Matt would grow to know over the next few months. The boy handed him a sealed brown A4 envelope. "Here. Look at this when you're calm. My number is on the back." "Your number?" He turned the envelope over.Scribbled on the back were lines of numbers in what was clearly Danny's handwriting. "Landline, cell phone, Twitter, Facebook, and a few emails. You take your pick." Matt reached out to close the door. "Oh, I'll call you. Thanks." He slammed the door shut in the boy's face.Hairy kid!The last thing he wants to see is a group of kids who hang out in the entertainment center every day to bother him with news clues.Don't they have a school paper now?This brat should go to school, that's another good reason.

He tossed the envelope aside, took a shower, and made himself a quick snack.Three poached poached eggs on toast, plus half a bag of smoked skinless Danish shortbread, lightly toasted, and a can of roasted string beans.He sits in front of the TV, eats, relaxes, and watches the local news.As he expected, the drug interception was the headline news.The TV news was fairly consistent with his own reporting - and that will be on newsstands soon.It reminded him of Danny. He took a piece of whole-wheat bread to dry off the sauce, wiped the dishes, and put them in the sink, where the dishes from the previous two days were still there.He looked at the growing pile of dishes with disgust.He'll tackle them later in the afternoon.

Or maybe it was that night. Latest tomorrow. Unless something else comes up unexpectedly. Damn it, no one will come to his house, so why worry? He picked up the envelope left by the child and strolled over to the window, looking out over the English Channel.Windsurfers ride the waves not far from shore.It was a beautiful day, almost too good to be in the house.Especially with the dishes lurking in the sink waiting to be washed. Partly out of duty, partly out of curiosity, he tore open Danny's envelope, suppressed a yawn, and pulled out several documents from inside. Maybe he should just go to bed.A few hours of sleep will do him a lot of good.Maybe he could ask Claire to watch a movie with him in the evening.He scanned the first page without interest.There's a new Spielberg movie coming out this week.It was recommended to him by Sam Ogilvie, the former Southern Media reporter who covered art, food, road trips and the royal family.

He scanned the page again. See more slowly. Then came another page. Then on the third page, the expression on his face was angry and suspicious. He reached for the receiver and dialed the number. When he counted to the sixth, the kid answered the phone. "Mr. Burford. You can dawdle." "You know that coffee shop on Main Street?" "Café Nile?" "Meet me there in fifteen minutes." "But I'm..." "Coffee Nile. Fifteen minutes. Sure." He slammed the receiver down. Damn hairy kid!