He drove us all back to the house, and after making sure that Danny was settled on the couch, I took a couple of aspirins, drank a big glass of water, and retired to the bedroom with Lester for a long cuddle that eased into sleep. As I dozed off, I felt happy that Danny had slid into my Florida life so easily.
Well, he and I were brothers, after all, so it wasn’t surprising, but it was still a great feeling.
FRIDAY MORNING I MET with Vito again after I’d contacted Leonardo Foa.
“Good job,” he said. “This case keeps moving forward quickly. The Syrian refugee who gave us the initial information identified one of the men Kuroglu gave up as the one who arranged his boat trip, and the Turkish police picked them up.”
“How’s he doing?” I asked. “The Syrian guy. Elyas Ahmadi.”
Vito looked at me, and I could see he was remembering the way I’d done an end run around him to discover Ahmadi’s name. “Settled in Amsterdam,” he said. “Grateful for the work we’ve done.”
“What about Jesse Venable?” I asked. “Is he going to do time?”
“ADA Lewin is still working with his attorney,” Vito said. “I still believe he was involved in those stolen coins from the Atocha exhibit, and I’m not going to let Venable get off scot-free unless he can finger whoever he worked with on that deal.”
That was up to Venable, I thought. He was a street-smart guy and I figured he’d do whatever he could to stay out of prison.
I felt great. Most of the time, I was a little cog in the big operation of the FBI, and I rarely had the chance to see the results of an operation I worked on. Usually the data I collected, from interviews or field work, was passed on to other agents, but this time I was right in the middle of things.
I had helped Frank Sena retrieve an important part of his family history, and through my actions had provided a prod to get Tom Laughlin out of the bars looking longingly at young men and into a relationship with a man I thought could cherish him. I’d solved a smuggling case with reverberations back to an ancient historical site in Sicily and the theft of art works from Venetian Jews. Frank would get some more of his uncle’s art, and perhaps others would retrieve their own patrimony as well.
Traveling to Venice on Frank’s dime had spoiled me a bit, as had seeing Jesse Venable’s lavish home and art collection, and Evren Kuroglu’s yacht. I doubted I’d ever make enough money as an FBI agent to live like either of them, but I didn’t mind that. As long as I could pay off my student loans, buy a house or a condo someday and take the occasional vacation with a great guy like Lester, I’d be happy.
It was gratifying, too, to see how Danny had grown up to be a strong, confident man who didn’t need his big brother always looking over his shoulder. I looked forward to being part of a team with him. Between him and Lester, I felt like I was finding my place in the world.
I was finding my place with the FBI, too. I had taken the job initially because I hoped to live the adventurous life my father had dreamed of, but I’d gotten so much more.
And my career was just beginning.
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Also by Neil S. Plakcy
Angus Green
The Next One Will Kill You
Nobody Rides for Free
Survival is a Dying Art
Fun, Sexy Erotica
Mr. Surfer and Other Gay Erotica
Golden Retriever Mysteries
Nectar of the Dogs
In Dog We Trust
The Kingdom of Dog
Dog Helps Those
Dog Bless You
Whom Dog Hath Joined
Dog Have Mercy
Honest to Dog
Dog is in the Details
Dog Knows
Dog's Green Earth
Have Body, Will Guard
Three Wrong Turns in the Desert
Dancing with the Tide
Teach Me Tonight
Olives for the Stranger
Under the Waterfall
Finding Freddie Venus
The Madness of Husbands
Mahu Investigations
Mahu
Mahu Surfer
Mahu Fire
Mahu Vice
Mahu Men: Mysterious and Erotic Stories
Mahu Blood
Natural Predators: A Mahu Investigation
Zero Break: A Mahu Investigation
Accidental Contact
Children of Noah
Ghost Ship
Deadly Labors
Standalone
Pledge Class and Other College Boy Erotica
Photo Booth
Creeling the Bridegrooom
The Outhouse Gang
David and Jonathan: An M/M Romance from the Bible
How to Succeed at a Two-Year College
GayLife.com
The Burning Water
Watch for more at Neil S. Plakcy’s site.
About the Author
Neil Plakcy is the author of over thirty romance and mystery novels. He lives in South Florida with his partner and two rambunctious golden retrievers. His website is www.mahubooks.com.
Read more at Neil S. Plakcy’s site.
Survival Is a Dying Art Page 22
