WOODY COULDN’T SLEEP. He’d tried, but his breakfast hadn’t settled right, and after raiding the Rolaids, he changed into his swim trunks, grabbed an iced tea, and sauntered out to the pool. His two dogs, Ralph and Ed —Labs almost as old as he was —heard the screen open, and they were up and out to the pool with him.

He lowered himself onto the first step and sat, sliding over so his legs would dangle in the water. Ed, the younger of his dogs, snuggled up behind him and licked his ear. Woody returned the affection with a hug, reminded one more time how happy he was that his last ex-wife left him the dogs. She’d not left much else, but then there wasn’t much else that he cared about.

Abby was about the only person he counted as family now.

He’d never had any kids of his own. Abby was the closest he had to a daughter. The special connection he’d felt the day she’d been handed to him through the flames had lasted twenty-seven years. At least no ex-wife could ever take that away.

He’d brought his phone outside with him, and he opened it now, pressing one button for speed dial. He needed to talk to Asa. When it went right to voice mail, he simply said, “Call me.”

He set the phone down and took a gulp of his tea. It was a warm afternoon and he considered a swim but just didn’t have the energy. Yawning and rolling the tea bottle across his forehead, for the first time in his career he wondered if it was time to retire.

The phone chimed. Asa.

“’Bout time,” Woody said when he answered.

“Yeah?” His friend’s boozy voice assaulted his ear. “What do you want?”

“She’s gonna investigate it.”

Silence.

Finally, “Can’t you stop her?”

Woody sighed, closed his eyes, and rubbed his forehead. “Tried. I’ve run out of good reasons and she’s too smart for bad ones.”

Asa cursed.

“Look, what’s it matter anyway?” Woody asked, never understanding his friend’s wish to keep the case closed. “You’re safe up there in Idaho. Just stay put. Why do you think this will bite you in the butt?”

“You don’t understand.”

“I know I don’t. You’ve never told me everything. But I do know she’ll find out. Once she starts digging, she’ll find out.”

“That’s what I’m afraid of.”