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Colonel Love shook his head. “Personally, I don’t think Millard is our guy, but who am I to argue with the CIA? I think wehaveto bring Millard in for an interview. Which is going to be awkward as hell. Maybe, hopefully, it doesn’t go anywhere, but Millardhasto be our starting point.” He rose and offered his hand to Andy and then Quinn. “In the meantime, thank you, gentlemen, for all your help, and sorry for that little mix-up earlier…”

There are places I’ll remember

All my life though some have changed…

The Beatles were singing “In My Life” when they reached Safehaven.

Unbelievably, or so it felt, it was only a bit after two in the afternoon as Quinn and Andy drove down Main Street.

After threatening for days to dump another load of snow, the skies had cleared to a cloudless and heavenly blue. The earlier snow had all but melted away. The sun glittered on the choppy water in the harbor and sparkled like gems in the Christmas garland strung across Main Street. Shoppers, bundled against the cold, trundled along the wooden walk, laughing and talking. Other than the yellow crime-scene tape stretched across the front door of Time in a Bottle, it was all picture perfect.

Andy raised his hand in silent greeting to Mrs. Dubonnet, who was fixing a fallen string of Christmas lights. This wouldbe her first Christmas without Mr. Dubonnet. That was a melancholy thought…

Once upon a time Andy had loved Christmas. He had been hoping that spending the holiday with Uncle C. would rekindle some of that pleasure—at the very least, for Uncle C. But it was starting to feel like Christmas was a thing that only happened to other people.

“I don’t think you’ve said anything since we left Bangor. Everything okay?”

Quinn’s voice jolted Andy out of his preoccupation. He nodded, offered a weary smile. “You?”

“Yeah.” Quinn winked. “Looking forward to a nice, quiet retirement.”

Andy snorted. “I’ll believe that when I see it.”

Quinn’s expression was unusually serious as he said, “No lie. I didn’t enjoy seeing bullets flying your way this morning.”

“Same.” In fact, having to go through Quinn dying a second time would be pretty much unbearable. Not that he was going to say that.

“You handled yourself like a pro, though.”

Andy didn’t even bother arguing the ridiculousness of that statement. “Do you think they’ll catch Sirius at the airport?”

“Sirius?” Quinn’s expression turned wry. “There’s always the chance. But Sirius is pretty good at knowing when to take a bow.”

“He gave me forty-eight hours to find the gems. In theory he ought to still be lurking somewhere nearby.”

“It’s possible. The thing is, the gems are now a liability. Without them, there really isn’t any solid evidence against him. With them? Case closed. If it were me, I’d cut my losses.”

Yes. It seemed Quinn had always been adept at cutting his losses.

“And what about Robie? Is he going to cut his losses?”

“Robie’s a fucking lunatic,” Quinn said succinctly. “The sooner he’s behind bars the better. And with every cop in the state looking for him, that shouldn’t be much longer.”

“I hope you’re right.”

Quinn threw him another of those quick, uncertain looks. “Hey. I know you’re tired and worried, but I promise you, it’s nearly over.”

Andy nodded. Hewastired. Hewasworried.

“Even if they aren’t quite ready to charge Robie with the murders of Bok and the Whittakers, they can charge him with the attempted murder ofus. That video will be pure gold in a courtroom.”

Andy nodded again, absently. He didn’t want to come right out and admit it, but he’d reached saturation point. So much had happened in such a short amount of time. A series of life-changing events in quick succession, some of which he’d barely had a chance to absorb, let alone process.

He gazed unseeingly out the window at the pretty little streets festooned for the holidays. He blinked, said wonderingly, “That’s weird. It’s broad daylight, but all the Christmas lights are on.”

“Hm?”

“Everyone’s Christmas lights are on.”