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5
San Francisco International Airport
24 February
Saturday, 1:30 p.m. local time
Aidan was in a foul mood. He’d arrived here early only to find that his three p.m. flight had been canceled and he’d been rebooked on the next flight to JFK, scheduled for a six p.m. takeoff. That meant he wouldn’t walk into his apartment until some ungodly hour nearing dawn. Great. He didn’t give a damn about sleep; he could catch some on the plane. But Abby—he wouldn’t be able to give her even a quick kiss on her forehead. His little firecracker was the lightest of sleepers and required nothing more than several hours of slumber before she was refreshed enough to get up and go. One muffled footstep and she’d snap into wakefulness, ready to plunge into full active morning mode. And with her strep throat just under control, there was no way Aidan was rousing her before her little body clock went off.
He’d stay in New York long enough to spend the morning with Abby. He could hardly wait to see her face when he told her his plans for the upcoming week. She’d probably shriek and run around in circles, grabbing her favorite dolls and stuffed animals—not to mention her Minnie Mouse ears—to pack. While she was doing that, he’d fill in Joyce, who he’d frantically called to return home from New Hampshire. The blessed woman was already on her way, having perceived this as one of Aidan’s true emergency situations. She’d be arriving soon—but not simply to relieve Marc and Maddy, as she undoubtedly expected.
A grin tugged at Aidan’s lips as he contemplated Joyce’s reaction to the spur-of-the-moment vacation he’d be springing on her. As amazing a nanny as she was, the woman was past fifty and not about to jump up and down about spending a week in a can’t-catch-your-breath amusement park. But she’d be vastly relieved when he told her that Emma—who was young and energetic—would accompany them. It would all work out fine.
Still, he’d have to double Joyce’s weekly salary—not out of ne
cessity but out of guilt.
Once all his plans were in place, Aidan would grab a late-day flight to Munich, arriving there first thing in the morning, revved and ready to go. Marc would be flying there with him, even though he didn’t know it yet.
Despite the superb dossiers Simone had provided him with, Aidan was looking forward to working with his brother, as well as Forensic Instincts as a whole. Over the course of working together on several cases, he’d developed both trust and respect for them. Tapping into their expertise was a smart move.
Aidan made all three phone calls in rapid succession.
“My fucking flight was canceled and I won’t be home until almost dawn,” he announced when Marc answered the phone. “Also, how’s my princess?”
“She’s great,” Marc reassured him. “The penicillin kicked right in. Fever’s down. She’s in her room, reading a first-grade-level book to Maddy. She’s frighteningly brilliant—must take after Valèrie. Oh, and your apartment is still standing, but barely.”
That rare tender smile reserved for Abby curved Aidan’s lips. “She is amazing—and Mensa material. How are you and Maddy holding up?”
“Like soldiers.”
“Good. I’m glad you’re up to par. Because I need you to fly to Munich with me tomorrow. I’ll be there for a day. But I need you, boots on the ground, for the good part of a week. I just talked to Casey. She approved all this.”
Marc digested that thoughtfully. “Care to share?”
“Not on the phone. We’ll talk when I get home. After that, you and Maddy head out and catch a few hours of sleep. You and I will take off tomorrow afternoon. I’ll find a way to tie the trip to Heckman Flax business. Melissa will make the reservations.”
“You need me, I’m there.”
“Thanks. I also need Emma and Ryan and am calling them next. Ryan can do his job from New York. Emma’s another story. She’s going to Disneyland with Abby.”
Marc chuckled. “Sounds like fun. I hope you’re paying Emma for the week’s vacation she’ll need from her vacation.”
“I’ll pay for the next vacation she takes. Destination of her choice, taken with the guy of her choice. Five-star all the way.”
“Do Maddy and I get that, too?”
“Sure. Tell Maddy to start researching her dream spots. She can take the guy of her choice, too.”
“Very funny. I’ll let that fly because you’re in a piss-ass mood.”
“Is that Daddy?” Abby’s voice called out from Marc’s side of the line.
“It sure is,” he called back. “Wanna talk to him?”
“Yes!” The sound of her racing feet reached Aidan’s ears.
“Here’s your little genius,” Marc told Aidan. “See you soon.”
