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we just cruise past? I mean literally.
Duhart was wide-eyed. You mean a boat?
Why not?
I ve never been on a boat in my life, excepting a couple of ferries.
I ve been on boats a lot. I ll teach you.
Duhart looked skeptical.
It s worth a shot, said Reeve. Besides, I m paying, re-member?
Which was about as much argument as Eddie Duhart needed.
Next day, on their way to rent a boat, they passed the Watergate Hotel. The
rental place was actually a club, and not supposed to rent, but Eddie had
promised quiet cash and the boat back within a couple of hours. The owner
wanted a deposit, too, and that had to be negotiated. But eventually it was
agreed. They had their boat.
It was a two-person motorboat, though the motor wasn t exactly powerful. There
was a rowing club next door, and Reeve feared they d be overtaken by scullers.
They were in possession of a good map, which showed they were about fifteen
miles from Mount Vernon. According to Duhart, they d come to the house before
that. Neither man discussed how they would actually recognize the house as
belonging to Jeffrey Allerdyce. Reeve was trusting to instinct. And at least
they were doing something. He didn t mind reconnaissance when there was
something to reconnoiter, but so far they d been staring at smoke.
It was a fine day of sharp sunshine and scudding thin wisps of high cloud.
There was a stiff breeze at their back as they puttered down the Potomac. They
passed Alexandria on their right, and Duhart said they d be coming to the
district soon where Allerdyce had his home. Reeve had brought a small pair of
green rubberized binoculars. They were discreet but powerful. They hadn t been
cheap, but as Wayne had said, they were marine-standard. Reeve had them around
his neck as he steered, giving the throttle an occasional twist to push up the
revs on the engine. He was wearing his tourist clothes today, plus sunglasses
purchased on the plane from London and a white sailing hat borrowed from the
boat s owner.
After they d left Alexandria behind, Reeve slowed the boat down. Remember,
he said, we ll get two stabs at this, so don t fret. Try to look casual.
Duhart nodded. The breeze had kicked around and was rocking the boat a bit.
Duhart hadn t gone green at the gills exactly, but he wasn t saying much, like
he was concentrating on his breathing.
They came to a row of palatial houses, two- and three-storied, with pillars
and porches, gazebos and landing decks. Most carried polite signs warning
boats against mooring. Reeve saw rectangular black arc lights dotted on
lawns movement-sensitive, he guessed. He saw an elderly man pushing a lawn
mower across grass which looked like green baize. Duhart shook his head to let
him know it wasn t Allerdyce, as if he needed telling.
On one of the wood-slatted sundecks, a man lazed with his feet up on a stool,
a drink on the arm of his chair. Behind him on the clipped lawn, a large dog
chased a punctured red ball tossed by another man. The dog s jaws snapped on
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the ball and shook it from side to side your basic neck-break procedure. Reeve
waved jauntily towards the man on the deck. The man waved back with three
fingers, keeping one finger and a thumb around his glass, a very superior
gesture. I m up here, he was saying, and that s a place you ll never be.
But Reeve wasn t so sure about that.
He was still watching the two men and the dog when Duhart puked.
It came up pink and half-digested, a half-sub special and a can of cherry
Coke. The $3.49 brunch floated on the surface of the water while Duhart rested
his forehead against the side of the boat. Reeve cut the engine and shuffled
forward towards him.
You okay? he said, louder than was necessary.
I ll be fine feel better already.
Reeve was crouching close by him, his head angled as though staring at his
friend s face. But through the thick black lenses he was studying the layout
of the garden where the man and the dog still played. He saw another dog pad
around the side of the house, sniffing with its nose to the grass. When it saw
there was a game in progress, it bounded onto the lawn. The first dog didn t
look too thrilled, and they snapped at each other s faces until the man with
the ball barked a command.
Be still!
And they both lay down in front of him.
The man on the deck was still watching the boat. He d made no comment, hadn t
even wrinkled his face at the sudden jetsam. Reeve patted Duhart s back and
returned to the back of the boat, restarting the outboard. He decided he had
an excuse to turn back, so brought the boat around, bringing him closer to
where the dogs were now playing together.
Hey, the man with the dogs called to his friend, your turn to check if
Blood s crapped on the front lawn!
It was the sort of confirmation Reeve needed. The two men weren t owners they
weren t even guests they were guards, hired hands. None of the other houses
seemed to boast the same level of protection. He d been told that Allerdyce
was a very private man, an obsessive just the kind of person to have security
men and guard dogs, and maybe even more than that. Reeve scanned the lawn but
couldn t see any obvious security no trips or cameras. Which didn t mean they
weren t there. He couldn t explain it, but he got the feeling he d located
Allerdyce s house.
He counted the other homes, the ones between Allerdyce s and the end of the
building land. There were five of them. Driving out from Alexandria, he would
pass five large gates. The sixth gate would belong to the head of Alliance
Investigative.
Reeve was looking forward to meeting him.
They set off back to the boat club, then drove back out towards Allerdyce s
home. Duhart hadn t said much; he still looked a bit gray. Reeve counted
houses, then told him to pull over. To the side of the gate was an intercom
with a camera above it. Behind the gate, an attack dog loped past. The stone
walls on either side of the gates were high, but not impossible. There was
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