Deadline

“You had that much vacation time saved up?”

“Yep. And I’d have just as soon sacrificed it and stayed on the job for as long as possible.”

“Use this time as a period of adjustment between your demanding career and a life of leisure.”

“Leisure,” he said morosely. “Soon as my retirement is official, Eva’s got us booked on a two-week cruise. Alaska.”

“Sounds nice.”

“I’d rather someone pull out my fingernails with pliers.”

“It won’t be that bad.”

“Easy to say when you don’t have to go. Eva’s ordered me a prescription of Viagra to take along.”

“Hmm. She wants you to make up for all the nights you couldn’t come home?”

“Something like that.”

“What’s the downside? Knock yourself out.” Dawson raised his glass.

Headly acknowledged the toast and, after a moment, asked, “So, how’d it go with Dragon Lady?”

Dawson told him about the meeting and the story Harriet had assigned him.

“Blind balloonists?”

Dawson shrugged.

Headly leaned against the back cushion of his chair and studied him for an uncomfortable length of time.

Irritated by the scrutiny, Dawson said, “What? You got a comment about my hair, too?”

“I’m more concerned about what’s going on inside your head than what’s growing out of it. What’s the matter with you?”

“Nothing.”

Headly just looked at him, not having to say anything.

Dawson left his chair and moved to the window, flipping open the shutters and looking out onto the well-manicured patch of lawn. “I talked to Sarah when I passed through London.”

The Headlys’s daughter was older than he, but, while growing up, the two families had spent so much time together that they’d been much like brother and sister, grudgingly caring about each other. She and her husband lived in England, where they worked for an international bank.

“She told us you’d ‘passed through’ without staying long enough to go see them.”

“Flight schedule didn’t allow time.”

Headly harrumphed as if he didn’t accept that as a plausible excuse to forgo a visit. And it wasn’t.

“Begonias are thriving.”

“They’re i

mpatiens.”

“Oh. How’s the—”

“I asked you a question,” Headly said with annoyance. “What’s the problem? And don’t tell me ‘nothing.’”