Deadly Straits (A Tom Dugan Novel) by R.E. McDermott Read Free Book Online Page A

American in appearance. He had a dozen now, and the first was the finest.
    Yousif Nassir Hamad, or “Joe” Hamad, was finishing college, with honors, on a US Navy ROTC scholarship. Fluent in Arabic, he was courted heavily, and Borqei had been helping him review his options, deciding just where in the navy he could best serve Islam. Now it had been decided for them. Borqei gazed at the message with distaste.
    Kairouz Residence
London
28 May
    “No!” Cassie glared defiance, flopping the hair bow on the table. “This dorky uniform is bad enough. Please, Papa, tell her I don’t have to wear it.”
    Alex studied the bow over his cup, remembering Cassie’s delight when Mrs. Farnsworth first made it. As Cassie, at age fifteen, struggled between her physical and mental ages, conflicts had become frequent—difficult for Cassie, but harder still on Mrs. Farnsworth.
    “Cassie, the bow makes you even prettier,” he said.
    “I hate it, I hate it,” Cassie spoke into her cereal, pouting.
    “Cassie,” Mrs. Farnsworth said, “a proper young lady does not pout. People respond to courtesy, not petulance or angry demands. Would you like to ask me again, young lady?”
    Alex stiffened. The proper-young-lady campaign was difficult for him, but Mrs. Farnsworth was insistent that repeated challenge strengthened Cassie’s abilities. He accepted the theory but was incapable of causing Cassie discomfort. He bit his tongue and left correction to Mrs. Farnsworth, thankful she was made of sterner stuff.
    “Please, Mrs. Farnsworth, must I wear it?” Cassie asked, barely audible.
    “Not if you don’t wish to,” Mrs. Farnsworth said. “Now go up and tidy your hair. It’s almost time to go.”
    “Oh thank you, thank you,” Cassie cried, rushing to the door. She stopped midstride and turned. “Oh. I almost forgot. When will Uncle Thomas be here, Papa?”
    Alex smiled. “He arrives this evening, Cassie. He’ll have dinner with us.”
    “Cool,” Cassie said, then bolted for the door.
    “Don’t ….” Mrs. Farnsworth said at Cassie’s retreating back, “… run.”
    Alex chuckled as Cassie disappeared. “A bit late, I’m afraid.”
    Mrs. Farnsworth smiled. “She’s coming along nicely.”
    “You expected that?”
    The housekeeper nodded. “Self-assertion. Notice how she tried to play us against each other? A good sign.”
    Alex deferred to her judgment. She’d cared for Cassie since infancy, and the shelves of her bedroom overflowed with books on development, special needs, and remedial teaching techniques. Many nights he saw her through the open doorway, pouring over arcane tomes.
    He sighed. “I have mixed emotions at seeing innocence replaced by manipulation.”
    “Loss of innocence is inevitable, sir, if she’s to achieve independence. We won’t be around forever.”
    Alex nodded as they sipped coffee in silence. Mrs. Farnsworth seemed uneasy, on the verge of speaking several times, then studying her coffee.
    “The coffee isn’t that interesting. Speak your mind, Mrs. Farnsworth. If it’s about Thomas—”
    Mrs. Farnsworth shook her head. “I resigned myself to your friendship with the boorish Mr. Dugan some time ago. It’s this Farley I’m concerned with. He’s not working out, sir.”
    Alex stiffened. “Go on.”
    “I can’t understand why, without notice, you engaged him as our driver, replacing Daniel after years of loyal service. I’ve managed to keep Daniel busy with other tasks, but he feels wronged. He may leave us.”
    “You’re quite right, Mrs. Farnsworth, and I do apologize. The need arose suddenly and for reasons I can’t discuss, but I’ve handled it badly.”
    “‘Need,’ sir? What need? Farley’s reckless and unsavory in the extreme, hanging about the kitchen, offending Mrs. Hogan with crude humor, and calling Daniel an ‘old kike’ to his face.” She lowered her voice. “And he ogles Cassie with undisguised lust. The lout must go.”
    Alex tried to speak several times