Past Crimes (30 page)

“No,” I said. “Once they stamp my papers, I’m done.” I hoped they’d send me on one more rotation. I wanted to see my team one last time.

“Well,” Luce said, and I could tell without looking at her that she was smiling. “At least you’ve earned a pension. Of sorts.”

Talos had been pretty desperate to recover their diamonds. The reward had edged up steadily since the robbery in February, until it reached two hundred thousand. With the two rubber cylinders that I’d turned in to the cops and the others fished off the ocean floor by the state-police divers, Talos already had the lion’s share back in their hands.

Ephraim was sure he could make their insurance company cough up. He had incentive, since the reward would be my only way of paying his legal fees, as well as Dono’s astronomical hospital bill.

There was some money yet to be found. The cash from Cristiana Liotti’s apartment. The police theorized that Boone had hidden it away somewhere. I knew that most of it was still in its plastic wrap, stashed in a locker near a temporarily empty slip at Shilshole marina. When I’d tossed the package to Hollis, I’d told him I thought the
Francesca II
should be bigger than her predecessor.

I couldn’t keep Dono’s diamonds for myself. I wasn’t that boy anymore, the one who could turn a blind eye to the price paid for free money.

But I was okay with the gray areas.

I closed my eyes and leaned back, just to feel the wind rushing over me.

Even after all the debts, there should be a sizable nut remaining from the reward. Maybe enough to get a boat of my own. Take Luce out, point it south, and see where it takes us.

Pirate days.

I would like to thank the following people for aiding and abetting
Past Crimes
:

My editor at William Morrow is Lyssa Keusch and at Faber and Faber it is Angus Cargill. Their perceptive insights have added spirit and depth to the book, and I am very grateful for their hard work and enthusiasm at every stage. The teams at each house have been as welcoming and focused as any new author could hope. Caspian Dennis of the Abner Stein Agency in London boldly represented the work on new shores. I also owe thanks to the sharp eyes of copy editors Maureen Sugden and Sarah Daniels, who removed the weeds from the garden.

This is a work of fiction. I have taken the occasional liberty with organizational structures, jurisdictions, geography, and anything else useful to help the story along. That said, I have aimed for accuracy wherever possible, and I am deeply indebted to the professionals who have lent their hard-won knowledge to the work. From the veterans of the United States Army, those are Chris Cooperider, 18E, Christian Hockman, Bco 1/75 Ranger Regiment, and Matt Holmes, 82nd Airborne, 1st Brigade combat team. From law enforcement, they include Officer John Skommesa from Seattle’s East Precinct, and Sergeant Ed
Striedinger of the Major Crime Task Force. In each case, the cool stuff is theirs, and any mistakes are mine.

To my parents, Peter and Karen, thank you for raising me to believe that everything could be within reach, if eyes, mind, and heart all remain open. And to my wife and daughter: endlessly supportive, fiercely protective. I love you.

For mystery author and teacher extraordinaire Jerrilyn Farmer, and the rest of the Saturday Morning Gang, I value your opinions and friendship immensely, and I am honored to work with you.

I would also like to acknowledge International Thriller Writers. It was at their annual ThrillerFest conference where I first met my agent, as well a host of brilliant writers ranging from newcomers to the downright famous. All of them were friendly and generous with their advice at a time when it was most valuable.

My agent is Lisa Erbach Vance, at the Aaron Priest Literary Agency. She was the first in the publishing world to believe in this book, and by extension me, and support us both with her time, tremendous energy, and incomparable savvy. For an untested writer, that kind of validation goes beyond words. Thank you, Lisa.

And finally, my sincere thanks to you, the reader. At the end of the day, it is for you that this book exists.

Glen Erik Hamilton is a Seattle native and is currently working on a second novel featuring Van Shaw and Seattle’s criminal underworld.