Page 55 of Preying Game

“I think I can find herbal tea. Some of the Decorah guys drink it.”

“Why?”

“Long story. I’ll tell you when you know them better.”

“Grant and Mack?”

“No, some of the other agents.”

When he got up, she said, “I didn’t mean for you to go to any trouble.”

“No trouble.” He found a box of assorted herbal tea bags in a cabinet and let her choose.

She picked cranberry. He put the tea bag in a mug and added water. Then he put it in a rectangular appliance hanging over the stove. A minute later, he took out a steaming mug.

“That’s the microwave thing?”

“Yes. And you have to be careful because the container you put in comes out hot. Also, food heats according to how much there is. A little takes a short time. Something larger takes longer. It’s better for warming food than for actually cooking.”

She listened carefully, taking in another lesson.

“I don’t even know what you did for a living.”

“I was a junior high school English teacher.”

“It’s called middle school now. That’s still a career you can have—although you’ll need to get used to doing grades and other stuff with a computer. And probably the breakdown in grammar skills will make you weep.”

“But I have no teaching credentials here.”

“Frank and I talked about that. Decorah Security will have to give you a new identity.”

“How?”

“We find someone who died as a baby, and you pretend you’re her.”

“Is that legal?”

“No. But it works. You’ll need a driver’s license, a library card, a social security number. All kinds of stuff.” He dragged in a breath and let it out. “It’s going to be confusing, but no worse than an immigrant coming here from a third world country.”

“Which is?”

“A country that’s not modernized, and the standard of living is low. Newcomers have to learn all kinds of stuff.”

“Okay,” she answered, but she felt way out of her depth.

“I know it’s all hard to take in.”

“We can go back to bed, and you can make me forget about it. And then you can clue me in to more hard reality in the morning.”

“Good idea.” They both stood.

“I should help you do the dishes.”

“I have a dishwasher.”

“I know there were people who did back in my time. But we didn’t have one on the farm.” On the last word, her voice broke, and she felt her eyes fill with tears.

Rushing around the table, he reached for her, gathered her to him and sat down, lowering her into his lap.

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