Hour Game

You're a good liar, Eddie, King thought.

Remmy reached out and took her son's hand. "How you doing?"

"Just hoping for happier days, Mom."

"Maybe you and Dorothea should go away somewhere, just get away."

"Yeah, maybe we'll do that," answered Eddie with not a trace of interest.

King noted that the Oxley children had come inside when they saw their mother. As Lulu joined them, King excused himself, went to the bar, got two glasses of wine and headed to the rear porch to see Savannah while she was still alone.

The young woman was sitting on the couch staring into the fire that blazed in the fireplace at one end of the room.

"Long day for you, Savannah," he said quietly.

She started and looked up, smiling when she saw who it was. He handed her one of the glasses and sat next to her. "A glass of Château Palmer can work miracles for the spirits. It's a fine French wine."

"‘Palmer' doesn't sound French," she said, staring at her glass as though she could see images in it.

"He was an English general under Wellington who came to Bordeaux with his army around 1814 and stayed. He purchased a property that eventually became known as Château Palmer, and started producing wine, which goes to show that the grape, like the pen, is mightier than the sword."

"I don't know much about wine," she said. "I'm more a Jack and Coke girl."

"One can never go wrong with Jack and Coke, but if you're interested in wine, I'd be glad to help you, although you could start learning right in this house. Your parents have a ten-thousand-bottle cellar. I nearly fainted with envy when I first saw it." He took a sip of wine and watched her watching the fire. "I saw you with the Oxley children."

"They're nice kids," she said quietly as she played with her string of pearls. "The little one, Mary Margaret, was bawling when she got here, poor thing. She really misses her daddy. I brought them out here. Mom and Ms. Oxley wanted to talk."

"They seemed to have worked everything out."

"I really thought Junior had done it." Her eyes suddenly glimmered with a layer of tears.

"So did I, at first."

"I know I wasn't much help the other day."

"You were still in shock. Whenever you're ready to talk, I'm here."

She nodded absently, and her nervous fingers played over her pearls. He waited for her to speak, but she didn't. She simply stared into the fire.

He finally rose. "If you need anything, anything at all, just give me a call."

She glanced up and clutched at his hand. "How come you're not married?"

At first he thought she was flirting with him but then realized she was serious.

He said, "I was, a long time ago, and it just didn't work out."

"I think some people are supposed to be alone."

"You don't think you're one of those people, do you?"

She shook her head. "No. But I think my father was."

Puzzled, King sat back down. "What makes you say that?"

Before she could answer, they heard Remmy say, "I'm sure there are people who'd like to see you, Savannah."

They both looked over to see her standing in the doorway scrutinizing them.

Savannah rose obediently. "I'll see you, Sean."

He watched mother and daughter walk off before rejoining Michelle in the family room. Harry had caught Remmy and Savannah as they were coming back in and was speaking with them in a far corner.

Get as much as you can, Harry, thought King, because I pretty much struck out.

"Anything interesting?" asked Michelle.

" Savannah is one troubled woman. She knows something but can't get it out."

"Use your charm, Sean. She has the hots for you."

"Oh, you think so?"

"Please. Men are so blind when it comes to that."

"So anything happen on your end?"

"I've been invited to Eddie's next reenactment. I'm going with Chip."

King crossed his arms and stared at her. "Really?"

She stared back at him defensively. "Yeah, really. Why?"

"Women are so blind when it comes to that."

"Come on, he's married, Sean!"

"Yes, he is."

CHAPTER 52

MICHELLE DROVE WITH CHIP Bailey to the outskirts of Middleton, Virginia. It was a crisp morning with nothing but blue skies overhead and a nice breeze to relieve the growing heat.

"Good day to fight," said Bailey.

Is there really ever a good day to slaughter each other? thought Michelle.

The big man sipped on his coffee and munched on an egg sandwich from McDonald's. Michelle chewed on an energy bar and cradled her bottle of orange juice. She wore jeans, hiking boots and her Secret Service windbreaker. Bailey had donned khakis, a sweater and wraparound shades.

"You ever been to one of these?" asked Bailey.

"No."