time zone, but the morning had brought with it the feeling that a troop carrier had hit him and backed over him again.
Tipping his head from side to side, he attempted to roll out the kinks in his neck. Payback for falling asleep half-upright while trying to cram.
The room smelled like every other breakfast buffet heâd ever eaten at. The scent of over-brewed coffee mingled with those of frying bacon and mass-produced scrambled eggs. His stomach revolted at the hint of a big breakfast. Toast it would be.
Glancing around the room, he located his uncle-slash-boss sitting at a table for two by the window, a half-empty glass of orange juice in front of him. The day was blue and cloudless. Right across the road sat the national museum, Te Papa. A large sign in front advertised a T. rex exhibition.Now that would be a fun way to spend the day. From behind the large gray and beige building, the harbor stretched out, dotted with sailing boats and what looked like a large cruise ship coming in.
Yet another thing he couldnât wrap his head aroundâÂautumn in April. And a mild one at that. It felt wrong to be wearing shorts and a T-shirt when in Iowa his family was hunkered down in a never-ending winter.
Pulling out the chair opposite Louis, he sat and looked for a waiter. Coffee, he needed coffee. They had run out of time the evening before to cover whatever his uncle had wanted to discuss, so Louis had suggested they reconvene over breakfast, and right now Jackson was barely coherent enough to put one foot in front of another.
âMorning, Jack. Sleep well?â His uncle was wearing a navy-Âblue Ralph Lauren polo shirtâthank goodness there was no costume today because the itinerary involved some gourmet food tour in the morning followed by a flight north to some place he couldnât pronounce this afternoon. However, with his white bushy hair and air of excitement, Louis reminded Jackson of the rabbit from Alice in Wonderland . And the way his exuberance seemed to be focused in on Jackson made the hairs on his neck stand on end.
âMorning. Not bad, thanks.â Jackson ordered some coffee and toast, then turned his attention back to the man who he hoped would be his financial savior. âYou?â
Louis beamed. âExcellent. Most excellent. I thought I would have trouble, but I went down like a German U-boat in the Baltic.â
His great-uncle had never served in World War II, beingall of five years old when it broke out, but from the way he peppered his speech with military comparisons you wouldâve thought heâd been on the front lines the entire time.
Silence settled as Louis took another sip of orange juice and gazed out the window, apparently in no hurry to make further conversation.
Was he waiting for Jackson to say something? He knew little about his great-uncleâhis grandmotherâs brother on his motherâs side. By the time he was born, it had been decades since Louis had fled Iowa and the small stifling community they both had been brought up in. Jackson always felt an intangible sense of kinship with him, thoughâthe two black sheep of the family who didnât want to spend their lives working the land, slaves to the vagaries of weather and a million other things you couldnât control.
The family lore centered around Louisâs uncanny ability to buy land in Texas that years later would become highly sought after by oil companies, making him a very rich man. Now Jackson wondered if he also had some sort of law enforcement background or whether he was just a natural at making people squirm.
Jackson tented his fingers in front of him, suddenly aware he had no idea what was expected of him on this trip. The whole bizarre situation had come together at the last minute and his uncle had been vague as to what Jacksonâs role would actually entail. The prolonged silence broke him. âSo, um, I guess we should talk about what you would like me
Tipping his head from side to side, he attempted to roll out the kinks in his neck. Payback for falling asleep half-upright while trying to cram.
The room smelled like every other breakfast buffet heâd ever eaten at. The scent of over-brewed coffee mingled with those of frying bacon and mass-produced scrambled eggs. His stomach revolted at the hint of a big breakfast. Toast it would be.
Glancing around the room, he located his uncle-slash-boss sitting at a table for two by the window, a half-empty glass of orange juice in front of him. The day was blue and cloudless. Right across the road sat the national museum, Te Papa. A large sign in front advertised a T. rex exhibition.Now that would be a fun way to spend the day. From behind the large gray and beige building, the harbor stretched out, dotted with sailing boats and what looked like a large cruise ship coming in.
Yet another thing he couldnât wrap his head aroundâÂautumn in April. And a mild one at that. It felt wrong to be wearing shorts and a T-shirt when in Iowa his family was hunkered down in a never-ending winter.
Pulling out the chair opposite Louis, he sat and looked for a waiter. Coffee, he needed coffee. They had run out of time the evening before to cover whatever his uncle had wanted to discuss, so Louis had suggested they reconvene over breakfast, and right now Jackson was barely coherent enough to put one foot in front of another.
âMorning, Jack. Sleep well?â His uncle was wearing a navy-Âblue Ralph Lauren polo shirtâthank goodness there was no costume today because the itinerary involved some gourmet food tour in the morning followed by a flight north to some place he couldnât pronounce this afternoon. However, with his white bushy hair and air of excitement, Louis reminded Jackson of the rabbit from Alice in Wonderland . And the way his exuberance seemed to be focused in on Jackson made the hairs on his neck stand on end.
âMorning. Not bad, thanks.â Jackson ordered some coffee and toast, then turned his attention back to the man who he hoped would be his financial savior. âYou?â
Louis beamed. âExcellent. Most excellent. I thought I would have trouble, but I went down like a German U-boat in the Baltic.â
His great-uncle had never served in World War II, beingall of five years old when it broke out, but from the way he peppered his speech with military comparisons you wouldâve thought heâd been on the front lines the entire time.
Silence settled as Louis took another sip of orange juice and gazed out the window, apparently in no hurry to make further conversation.
Was he waiting for Jackson to say something? He knew little about his great-uncleâhis grandmotherâs brother on his motherâs side. By the time he was born, it had been decades since Louis had fled Iowa and the small stifling community they both had been brought up in. Jackson always felt an intangible sense of kinship with him, thoughâthe two black sheep of the family who didnât want to spend their lives working the land, slaves to the vagaries of weather and a million other things you couldnât control.
The family lore centered around Louisâs uncanny ability to buy land in Texas that years later would become highly sought after by oil companies, making him a very rich man. Now Jackson wondered if he also had some sort of law enforcement background or whether he was just a natural at making people squirm.
Jackson tented his fingers in front of him, suddenly aware he had no idea what was expected of him on this trip. The whole bizarre situation had come together at the last minute and his uncle had been vague as to what Jacksonâs role would actually entail. The prolonged silence broke him. âSo, um, I guess we should talk about what you would like me
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