The Spy Who Read Too Much

by Raymond Michaels

About the Author: Raymond Michaels has published stories in Mystery Weekly Magazine July 2016 and Strange New Worlds 2016.

Excerpt

“Let me get this straight,” I said to Donovan Edge over the phone. “You’re new client is a missing CIA agent?”

“Relax. It’s not the end of the world,” Donovan said. “My client is the wife of a missing CIA operations officer.”

“You’re right, it’s not the end of the world. It’s worse. You know how I feel about working with Agency people.”

“He’s got a cover job at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History.”

“That doesn’t make it better.”

I don’t usually mind picking up the phone when Donovan calls. He’s the best private investigator in the DC area and even if you don’t live in or around our nation’s capital, you’ve probably seen him on TV or online, flashing his baby blues, mouth set in grim determination because being a PI is serious business, dammit. But I was thinking now that I should give a little more love to the DECLINE button on my cell phone whenever the name DONOVAN EDGE popped up.

I’m his lawyer and in law school we were encouraged to answer the phone when the client called. So there’s that. But I also perform other services as needed and I had a feeling this was going to fall under the Other Services As Needed category.

“A Mrs. Lana McGuire has hired me to find her husband, Pendleton McGuire,” Donovan said, ignoring me as he usually does when I begin to whine. “He travels often for work and usually calls her and the kids every day he’s away. He’s been on a business trip for three days and hasn’t checked in yet and she’s worried.”

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