The Export by J.K. Kelly (read along books txt) 📕

“God, remember when you used to be able to smoke in these buildings,” Matt asked, drawing in a deep breath of air. “It’s as if I can still smell your predecessor’s pipe.”

Dale smiled and took in a breath as well. “Yes, the wood-paneled walls must have absorbed some of it over the years. The facilities manager has wanted to strip them down and paint it away, but I won’t let them.”

“Reminds you of your dad, doesn’t it?” Matt suggested. There was a scrap of bagel left on the napkin he had passed her. She threw it at him, hitting him squarely on the forehead. He knew he deserved it, so he hadn’t tried to block, catch, or knock it back at her.

“You still love me, don’t you, Claire?” he asked with a laugh. She began to reach for a thick briefing book that was alongside her desk phone, but Matt put up his hands. “No mas!”

Dale’s expression changed yet again. Yes, she did still love him, and he knew it. She just couldn’t – wouldn’t – give up her career in law enforcement unless he did as well.

“So, let’s finish this up pretty quickly, young man,” she said. “First, yes, it’s a new dress. And, yes, the guns do look incredible, don’t they! Miss them and all the rest now, don’t you? Second, you know better than to discuss an assignment like Tilton without reading someone in first. Third, you brought me a bagel. And fourth, you bring up my dad and the dog, all in a matter of minutes! You’re driving me crazy!”

Matt smiled at her, noticing the tear in her eyes, and he felt one forming in his.

“Crap, you’ll just work out another twenty minutes tonight to burn off the carbs. I was just screwing with the CIA guy. If anyone brings up Tilton or the trigger-happy dead guy, we’ll know Jules can’t keep a secret. I miss your father, not as much as you do, of course. But every time I smell a certain pipe scent, it reminds me of all the great times we spent in Lake George together.”

Set deep in the Adirondack mountains off Interstate 87, halfway between New York City and Montreal, the summer resort area had grown in popularity over the years. On the outskirts of the village many of the small, quaint cabins had been replaced by million-dollar lodges similar to those found in cities like Aspen and Vail.

The monied from the Big Apple had taken a liking to the region and if they wanted to snow ski in winter, Lake Placid – the site of the 1980 Winter Olympics – was just a short ride further north toward Canada. The Holiday Inns and the other chain and local hotels of the town still existed. It just cost a lot more to stay in them these days. Matt’s late father had a summer home there on the east side of the lake. The family had always preferred the mountains and the lakes to the crowded beaches of the Jersey shore.

“Yeah, and the dog? Are you trying to use some psych technique on me to get me to come over and cuddle or something?”

Matt sat quietly and just stared at her.

“Someone got something going, didn’t they?” she exclaimed, as if a light bulb had just appeared over her head.

He continued to look at her without flinching.

“You son of a gun, you met somebody, didn’t you?” He smiled. “I knew it! Someone got into your head, or maybe a little bit into your heart, and now you’re missing some of the warm and fuzzy that goes along with caring about someone, aren’t you?”

Matt laughed. “No, I was just thinking about that damn dog of yours,” he continued. “I spent a fortune on that carpeting, and that little shit crapped all over it – relentlessly!”

*

Dale pictured the dozens of times she had come home to their condo only to find Matt cringing at the land mines her Yorkshire terrier had left for him. She smiled, but then her mood changed again. She thought of how hard it had been two years ago, breaking up with Matt, losing her dog, and then her father, all in the course of six short months.

She’d had enough and stood up. “Okay, that’s it for the ride down the emotional memory lane,” she declared.

Matt knew how busy her typical days were, and he had already taken up a great deal of her time. He stood up and walked around the desk to give her the bear hug they both missed tremendously. She walked him to the door, but before opening it, she stopped and looked him straight in the eyes.

“Whoever the girl is, you’ll have to tell me about her sometime,” she said softly. “Just not today, I’m too busy saving the damn world!”

Matt leaned in and kissed her cheek. Opening the door, she had one last thing to say to him. “By the way, you have a two o’clock at Langley. This one is going to be a real challenge for you.” She paused. He hadn’t seen this expression in her eyes in quite some time. “This one could be very dangerous and it involves the abuse of women.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

He was hungry and the Old Ebbitt Grill would suit him just fine. Since he hadn’t worked out much recently, he decided to pick up the pace and make it a quick walk toward the White House. The city had more history packed into it than any other in the country, with the exception of Philadelphia, and he preferred to work, play, and dine where the ghosts of past presidents might still wander. Matt calculated his timeline and was sure he had enough to enjoy some good food and then catch a cab to Langley.

He texted Charlie, simply asking, How’s Lois? and thought of what Dale had suggested at the end of their meeting. Was he craving the