How Spy I Am by Diane Henders Page A

on the scanner because it’s transmitting, but it’s not
transmitting sound, just your location. Like a GPS.”
    “Oh. So that’s how
Richardson found me so easily in Calgary.” I thought that over for
a few seconds. “So I’ll have to carry it with me, or they’ll know I
removed it. But at least I know nobody’s listening in on me.” I
frowned at Spider. “Did you know they were going to do that? Do you
know who did it?”
    Spider shook his head.
“I assume it’s on Stemp’s orders, but I didn’t know about it. They
must have just inserted it under that burn on your arm while you
were unconscious. They must have thought you’d never notice.”
    “Let’s hope they still
think that,” I said. “Thanks.”
    “You’re welcome.”
    I picked up the tiny
capsule and dropped it back into my change purse. “I guess I’ll
take my little electronic leash and get going then.”

    My appearance at the
Greenhorn was greeted with jubilant exclamations and hugs, and a
delicious lunch and a couple of hours of soothingly predictable
bookkeeping helped ease my taut nerves.
    On my way back to
Sirius, the small park beckoned. I pulled into the parking lot and
slipped out of the truck, gratefully stretching my legs in a brisk
walk through its treed perimeter. I was emerging into the open area
when the sound of children’s happy voices made me glance toward the
playground.
    I dodged back into the
concealment of the trees to stand dumbly, my heart stuttering in a
calypso rhythm while I watched gorgeous Honey Travers and her two
perfect children frolicking with Kane.
    Both children were
blond like their mother. The little girl’s golden ringlets bounced
as she tugged at Kane’s jacket, her angelic face pleading. She
looked about four years old, and as I watched, Kane swept her up
onto his massive shoulder as if she was made of thistledown. She
squealed her delight, clinging to his supporting arm.
    Her brother, maybe a
couple of years older, lowered his buzz-cut blond head and charged
Kane in a mock tackle. Kane scooped him up, tucking the child under
his free arm like a squirming football while they both whooped and
laughed.
    The joy in Kane’s face
was unmistakeable, every line of his body easy and relaxed. He
turned to face Honey, still laughing, and I dropped my gaze to my
boots, feeling like a voyeur.
    As I turned away, I
glimpsed Honey with her hand resting on Kane’s chest, her beautiful
face alight with tenderness.

Chapter 12
    Back at Sirius
Dynamics, I was shuffling down the hall trying not to replay the
scene from the park when Stemp emerged from his office. I braced
myself.
    Stay calm. Stay civil.
Do not pull out your gun and shoot the sonuvabitch, no matter how
much he deserves it.
    “Ms. Kelly.” He gave
me his usual expressionless stare. “I haven’t received your choice
of cars yet.”
    “Oh. Right, I forgot
about that.” I swallowed the urge to rip a strip off him for the
fact that I had to choose another car at all.
    “I left the list,
along with the Widdenback dossier, on your desk. Please make a
choice by end of day.” He continued down the hall, and I made for
my office, seething silently.
    When I opened the
folder, I felt my shoulders relax. It was better than I’d dared
hope. There were several sedans and SUVs, each with a complete spec
sheet including torque, displacement, and 0-to-60 time trials. None
of them were the latest model year, but they were all-wheel drive,
and all of them were more modern and powerful than my old
Saturn.
    I pushed away my faint
feeling of disloyalty and let myself get excited. A new car! A
powerful new car! I spread the spec sheets out, grinning.
    At last, I settled on
a Subaru Legacy and tiptoed down the hall to Stemp’s office, my
heart in my mouth. Now that I’d gotten excited about it, would he
snatch it away from me? Tell me he’d changed his mind, or somehow
sabotage me?
    I tapped at his open
door and at his ‘come-in’ gesture, I stepped inside to