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As the crowd erupts in applause, I look around the massive, sparkling gym and notice Kat’s parents in the crowd. They’re standing with two muscular guys who look like slightly different, but equally handsome, combinations of Mr. and Mrs. Morgan. One of the dudes is on crutches, so I’m guessing he’s Kat’s oldest brother, Colby—a firefighter who suffered a horrible accident several months ago. Is the other guy—the one with tattoo sleeves on his arms—the Morgan brother who asked for my help in finding Samantha the Flight Attendant? If that guy is, indeed, Ryan Morgan aka Captain, then he’s not going to like what I have to tell him.
I nudge Hannah. “Babe, are those two guys with Kat’s parents Colby and Ryan?”
Hannah looks to where I’m indicating and confirms their identities.
Onstage, Jonas says, “And so, without further ado, let’s let the band play while you guys climb and conquer our rock walls and have a great time.”
As everyone claps and cheers, Josh grabs the microphone from his brother and shouts, “Thanks for coming, everyone. Happy Birthday, Climb & Conquer!” He cues the band behind him which then launches into the classic party song, “Shout,” causing a flurry of whooping partygoers to storm the dance floor and begin throwing their hands into the air.
“Should we go over there and congratulate Josh and Jonas now?” Hannah asks. But she’s no sooner said the words than the Faraday brothers begin posing for photos on the side of the stage, while Sarah and Kat look on with pride. “Nah, let’s go later,” Hannah says, answering her own question. “It looks like it’s going to be a minute before they’re free to chat. Should we grab some food and beer while we wait?”
“Lead on, pretty lady.”
A few minutes later, we’re standing to the side of a large rock wall, drinking and eating and people-watching. “Oh, look. Kat and Sarah are heading to the dance floor,” Hannah says excitedly. “Let’s go dance with them!” I glance across the expansive, crowded space and discover Jonas giving an interview with a TV reporter near the stage, while Josh’s personal assistant, T-Rod, looks on.
“I think I’d rather say hi to Josh first. But go ahead.”
Hannah’s now bopping in place to the beat of the live music, raring to go. But she says, “Are you sure?”
“Absolutely. Put on your dancing shoes while I find Josh. I’ll join you later.”
Hannah squeals happily. “Okay. See you later!” And off she goes. I’m not surprised. Hannah not only loves to dance, she hasn’t seen Kat or Sarah since the wedding, and I know she’s been bursting at the seams to catch up with them.
As Hannah gallops away, I scan the crowded space, looking for Josh. Where is he? He’s nowhere near the spot where Jonas is talking to that TV reporter. After a moment, Josh suddenly emerges from the crowd, heading straight for me. Uh oh. He looks stressed. Is that because of today’s event or something else? When I wave at him and begin walking toward him, Josh motions for me to meet him behind a nearby rock wall.
When I get to Josh’s chosen destination, he hugs me and pats my back in greeting. “Hey, man,” he says. “Thanks for coming today. You didn’t have to do that.”
“I wouldn’t have missed it. Plus, it gave me an excuse to come see Hannah.”
“So, hey, man,” Josh says. “Do you think you could do me a favor? I need to find someone. Could you get me dialed in?”
Well, that settles it. He’s definitely stressed. It’s not like Josh to jump straight to asking me for a favor. Not that I mind. I’d give the man the shirt off my back, no questions asked, and no niceties required. “Sure,” I say without hesitation. “Who is it this time, boss?”
Josh tells me the name of the guy and everything he knows about him—his full name, the college he attended with approximate dates, the fact that his father is a senator and his mother some sort of philanthropist—and I tell him it shouldn’t be hard for me to find the guy with all that info to work with.
“Thanks, man. As soon as possible, please.”
“Yeah, I figured. When have you ever asked me to find someone ‘whenever it’s convenient for you, Henn’?”
Josh chuckles. “Sorry.”
“No worries. Whatever you need. Always.”
Josh takes a deep breath. Runs his hand through his hair. “So, what’s been shaking with you? Work good?”
I can’t imagine Josh genuinely wants to hear about my work. Clearly, something big is on his mind, and my Spidey senses tell me his anxiety has nothing to do with this grand opening party, which is plainly going fantastically well. But, hey, he asked, so I answer. I tell him I just wrapped up a job with the feds in DC, and also tell him the funny story of the work I did for that department store chain. “They truly believed they were impervious to hacking,” I say with a chuckle. “They’d supposedly hired the best cyber-security team money could buy to protect their data, but I dug around and broke ’em wide open in less than a day.”
