Foreign Deceit Read Online Free PDF

him.  
    Mark stepped around Sarah out onto the front porch.  
    “Can I talk to you for just a second?”  
    “Of course, David. Of course.” Mark nodded his head to Sarah, who stepped in and closed the door quietly.  
    Wolf turned and walked a ways down the massive front deck, and the guy followed next to him. He placed his hands on the railing and looked out into the brightening pines.  
    “What do you do Mark?”  
    “I’m a builder. Custom homes,” he said rubbing his hands together. It was starting to get cold during the nights and it was a frosty late summer morning.  
    “And, do you know what I do?”  
    “Yep. You’re on the police force. Up for appointment to Sheriff from what I hear.”
    “And you’re shacking up with my ex-wife, who’s three days fresh out of rehab, at her parents house, where my son happens to live.”
    Mark exhaled uncomfortably and scratched his head.
    Wolf looked at him in silence.
    “Yeah, I guess that’s exactly what is going on,” he said. “Look, I met Sarah in rehab. I’m…I wasn’t in the rehab myself. Well, not this time around. I…I was before. I’m an addict. Now I’m clean, and I spend a lot of time helping out at the center as a counselor. Sarah and I met, and we’ve become very close.”
    “Okay, whatever. I don’t want to know the love story. That’s none of my business. But I’ll be checking out your story, you can bet on that. That’s my business. Because my son is everything to me, and, well, here you are.”
    Mark held up his hands in a defenseless gesture, “Hey man, I’m not here to interfere in any way with your relationship with your son, or…anything like that.”
    Wolf gave him a sideways glance, “No, Mark, I’m not worried about that. It’s much simpler,” he said looking him in the eye. “If you touch my son, I’ll take you into the hills, kill you, and dump your body in a mine.”
    “Ah. Okay.” He chuckled and looked up into the trees.  
    Wolf stared at him unmoving, waiting patiently for the semblance of a grin to wither to nothing from the man’s face. He didn’t like how long it took.  
    “Alright then. Just so we’re clear.” Wolf turned and walked away.  
     
       

    Nate Watson’s Watson Geological Services pickup sat in his house driveway; half the windshield locked in frost, the other half dried by the bright morning sun. Wolf pulled in directly behind and got out. He didn’t bother calling before visiting. He knew he would be home, and  
    Wolf stepped onto the front porch and looked through the windows. Nate looked up wide-eyed, did a double take at the site of Wolf, and gave him a beckoning hand wave.  
    “Hey! What’s going on? How’s it going?” Nate was cooking what seemed to be an ungodly amount of food on a skillet in the kitchen, which smelled like bacon and fresh ground coffee. Wolf’s mouth immediately began watering. “Perfect timing! The skillets almost done, there’s plenty for you too!”  
    “Hey man. Uh, cool. I wasn’t fishing for a free breakfast or anything. I just need to talk. But, I’ll take it.”
    “Pffffft, sit down. HONEY! KIDS! Breakfast is ready!”
    A small boy darted into the kitchen almost running into Wolf’s legs.  
    “Hey Willy! How you doin’?”  
    “Good. Hi Dave,” he said. “ What are you doing here?”
    “I came to mooch your food and talk to your dad.”  
    “Hey Davey.” Brooke entered the kitchen and squeezed his arm. “What’s up?”
    “Not much. Hey.” Wolf gave her a hug.  
    A two kid hurricane blew into the kitchen straight into them.
    “Kids! Chill out!” Brooke stumbled sideways.  
    “Hey Dave!”
    “Hey Dave!”
    “Hey Joey, hey Brian.”  
    They sat down at the large kitchen table and dug into their plates. Wolf put on an act of normalcy the best he could. He always enjoyed spending time with their family, but as always, it was also a painful reminder of the alternate reality he was so close to having, but didn’t.