Before Delsey could jerk out his tonsils, he added, “I was out surfing with my brother in L.A. last June. He took me to hear them play in Santa Monica at the One-Up Club. He actually called it a little retro for his taste. It takes all kinds, right? So, I’ll pick you up tomorrow evening at seven o’clock, at Agent Savich’s house. Any problems, there, Savich?”
“Not a one.”
Davis Sullivan gave them a general salute and was out the door.
One of Sherlock’s brows shot up. “Davis is a fast worker. Be careful, Delsey, that man’s got a reputation that would make Mama’s hair turn white.”
“I used to,” Delsey said sadly.
Savich said, “As long as he doesn’t wear a dog collar like Vincent, I’m fine with it.”
“Sounds like it’s his brother I want to meet,” Delsey said.
Savich grinned, and Delsey found herself smiling back at the big man with the hard face. “Sherlock, before you take her home and settle her in, we need to speak a moment.”
“I’m really staying with you? You don’t mind?”
“Not a problem,” Sherlock said, and patted her arm. “It will be our pleasure.”
Delsey fretted her thumbnail. She suddenly felt like she was being tossed around like so much flotsam, sleeping in yet another strange bed, intruding on strangers, like she didn’t belong anywhere, and she hated that. “I’ve never been to Washington before. Davis said you live in Georgetown.”
Sherlock nodded. “Your room is across from Sean’s. He’s our five-year-old son, and a live wire. Sometimes he talks in his sleep. You can either join in and discuss Flying Monks, one of his gazillion video games, or ignore him.
“Since you’re not only talented but also beautiful, I have a feeling Sean might ask you to marry him. If you accept, you’ll be his fourth wife and the oldest. So he might ask you to help support his other wives.” She laughed, and Delsey thought she was the most beautiful woman she’d ever seen. And she was married to Mr. Hard and Tough.
Then she remembered exactly who Sean was. “Goodness, Sean is the Sean Savich? Like half the planet, I saw him on YouTube at Emma Hunt’s performance in San Francisco.”
“Hopefully all the hype and media attention is about over,” Sherlock said. “A five-year-old on a two-week sugar high isn’t any fun.”
Savich took the time to introduce Delsey Freestone to all the agents in the CAU, tell them all she was the sister of Griffin Hammersmith, the new agent coming from San Francisco to join the unit. Then he guided her into his office, nodding for Sherlock to follow.
Savich looked Delsey over. “You look like Griffin’s twin.”
Delsey grinned. “Isn’t that something? Griffin told me that you, Sherlock, play like a dream. I can’t wait to hear you. Does Sean play?”
“After a fashion,” Savich said. He studied her, then his voice dropped and she realized it was time to get down to business. “Griffin tells me you’re a trouble magnet, that two people have died around you in the past three days, one of them a gang member who tried to kill you.”
What to say to that? Nothing but the truth. She said, “I’m pretty scared, all right,” and leaned toward this man who looked like he ate knuckles for breakfast. “I’m sorry I’m a trouble magnet, but things always sort of happen when I’m close by. It started when I was a teenager, but listen, there wasn’t any trouble at Stanislaus until I opened my shower curtain to see a dead man in my bathtub and got smacked on the head. Really, it wasn’t my fault.”
Sherlock said. “Are you having any concussion symptoms?”
Delsey shook her head. “I feel fine, no more dizziness or feeling like someone hit a home run off my head. I got my memory back really fast, so I could tell Griffin what happened.”
Sherlock studied her as her husband had. “Maybe it’s a good thing Griffin is so intuitive.”
“Oh, you mean how he simply knows sometimes what someone’s going to do or where they are? Yeah, he’s done that all his life.” Her eyes lit up and Savich thought, Uh-oh.
She leaned in close. “Agent Savich, I’ve got some ideas about what happened to poor Tommy Cronin. I don’t want to be a burden, I’d like to do something. Really, tell me what you need and I’ll do it.”
She was as eager as Sean with a new basketball. Sherlock was right, he thought, Sean was sure to ask her to marry him. She was dealing with a horrific experience in Maestro, she’d had to leave her brother behind, and she was worrying about being a burden. It must be driving her nuts. Not a bad idea to keep her busy. “You’re part of family here, Delsey, but we can’t have you working for us, there are rules about that. You’ll be no burden, believe me. We’re looking forward to having you stay with us.”