Read Online Full Disclosure by Dee Henderson - Free Book Online

message from Kate sent from her office number. He listened to it as he logged on to his computer and made a note to follow up with her on his way in to work. He glanced again at the time and reached for the phone. Kate at work, Dave at home—he had a question to ask.
    Dave answered on the fifth ring. “Tell me you’re not calling me this early.”
    â€œKate just left me a voice mail from her office phone, so I know you’ve got Holly duty this morning. Your daughter is up at five a.m. whether you like it or not.”
    Dave was silent trying to come up with an answer and gave up with a sigh. “I really dislike the fact you’re a detective. What do you need, Falcon?”
    â€œWhat’s the biggest mistake people make with Ann?”
    â€œSeriously? You called now to ask me that?”
    â€œYou’re the one that went from not going to tell me about her, to trying to be a matchmaker. If I’ve got a question, I’m going to ask it,” Paul replied, smiling. “So what is it? The biggest mistake people make with Ann?”
    â€œCalling her at five a.m. She’s a night owl.”
    â€œYou already told me that.”
    â€œWell, she’s not as forgiving as I am,” Dave replied. “I’ll give you it’s a good question.” He was quiet for a bit, then said, “People think they have time to win her over, to gain her trust. The truth is Ann’s efficient and decisive, and she’s acutely paying attention from the point she meets you until she makes a decision about you. She wants to know if you keep your word. She wants to know how you treat your current friends. People think she keeps an open mind about them. Actually she doesn’t.
    â€œOnce she’s seen who you are, once she’s made a decision about you, the door closes. She’ll be just as friendly, cordial, polite, and helpful as before, but once she’s made a decisionabout you, it’s final. You’re either on her list of potential friends, or you’re not. It’s the small stuff that is the most telling to her. If you tell someone you will do something, do you remember what you said, and do it? Do you remember who your friends are and create space for them in your life? If you don’t create that space for current friends, you don’t need another one. If you can’t remember and keep your word, you can’t be trusted. It’s a brutal standard, but if you want a chance with her, you have to pass that character test.”
    â€œThanks. That will be useful.”
    â€œI sure hope I’m not making a mistake encouraging this interest. I’m dropping Holly off at my sister’s on the way in to work. You can call me until seven if you’ve got another question.”
    â€œI haven’t made the decision to call Ann yet.”
    â€œYou’re not an idiot. I’m hanging up now. Holly wants her breakfast.”
    Paul set his phone back on the desk. He thought about Dave’s answer. Ann was a very cautious woman if those were her personal lines. He wouldn’t have seen that answer coming.
    He set aside the conversation to come back to at a later time and turned his attention to family business. He logged into the private email system the Falcon family maintained and brought up the secure family website. His dad believed those old enough to press a button on a camera could keep the rest of the family updated on what was happening in their lives. The photo book was filled with pictures of family meals, school outings, and pets doing funny things. Paul uploaded photos from the restaurant, confirming the rebuild was under way, read over Jackie’s post about what had occurred, appreciating her ability to finesse the seriousness of what had happened with the reassurance she was okay, then took time to read over his mom’s shoulder from her chat two days before with his niece Celia, who apparently now had a new