Page 108 of Girl in the Water

“Good to know who comes first with you,” Ian grumbled into his coffee. Then sighed. “She moved out.”

Iris came to sit at the table with him. “What are you talking about?”

Might as well get it over with. “We kind of had a fight.”

“She’s right.”

He rolled his eyes. “Thanks for the vote of confidence.”

For a cheerful, softhearted woman, his mother faked a pretty good “mean look.” “Don’t make me choose between the two of you.”

He chewed eggs that tasted like garden dirt. Everything felt off this morning. He could swear someone stole the caffeine out of his coffee. He couldn’t perk up for anything.

“Why?” his mother demanded, either oblivious or uncaring of his misery.

“She wanted things I couldn’t give.”

“You mean she wanted a real relationship. How is it that I’m the only person who’s seen this coming?”

He stared at her, appalled, giving up on the eggs. “You always treated her like she was my little sister. Like she was your daughter!”

“My daughter-in-law. Really. I’ve been hoping quietly like a good mother and not being pushy about it. But an idiot could see that you two were made for each other.”

Acid bubbled up in his stomach. “I don’t want to talk about it. I’m not going to ruin her life.”

“Good. I love that girl. You mess with her, and you answer to me.”

He stared at her. Didn’t know what to say. Had all the women in his life gone crazy? Was it a worldwide hormone wave? Maybe solar storms drew female hormones like the moon drew the oceans?

He might have been dumb about Daniela, but he wasn’t dumb enough to ask that question out loud.

His mother sighed. “I was okay without your father, you know.”

“What does that have to do with anything?”

“I fear that you think we would have had it easier if he hadn’t left. I know you wanted to be the exact opposite, a good provider for Linda and the boys. I know you blame yourself for not staying home when she asked. But you couldn’t have stayed. That’s not how the army works.”

He closed his eyes trying to block out the words, rubbed the pads of his fingers over his eyelids.

“You’re scared.”

“I’m not scared.” He opened his eyes so he could glare at her. “I’m trying to do the right thing here.”

“For whom?” She flashed the you-can’t-fool-your-own-mother look. “You still feel guilty about Linda and Connor and Colin. For years, you punished yourself with senseless fights, and the drinking, and those floozies. Don’t think I don’t know. All that punishment and you still don’t think you deserve better.” She paused. “I partially agree.”

He blinked. “You do?”

“I don’t think you deserve Daniela, not if you keep acting the coward. I raised you better than that.” She rose, kissed him on the top of his head. “I love you.”

And then she left.

Ian went into work, trying not to think about what his mother said, because then he might have to admit that she was right, and he wasn’t ready for that.

He filed his reports, ran a search on Marcos Morais, and found out which diamond mine he had provided security for last. Then he packed up the diamond-sugar mix, put in a letter explaining Marcos Morais’s theft and connection to Goat Man and Goat Man’s description, and sent it via courier with door-to-door delivery to the guy who owned the mine.

The mine owner would have all the resources in Brazil and wouldn’t rest while Marcos and his accomplice were still in one piece. Not as satisfying as Ian taking Marcos out, but not as dangerous either.

When he was done, he walked into Karin Kovacs’s office. “Any new cases coming in?”