Daniel Ganninger - Icarus Investigations 01 - Flapjack by Daniel Ganninger Page B

has a daughter from a first marriage.  We believe he had been corresponding with her, and she was the last contact he made before his disappearance.”
    “ You want us to talk to her?”
    “Yeah, but there’s a slight problem with that.”  He gave a look of consternation.  “She just happens to be in a, ah, witness protection program.”
    “ You guys can figure that out.  What’s the problem?”  Galveston asked.  May thought to himself before answering.
    “ We have a political problem with that.  You see, she’s not under the protection of the Justice Department.”
    “ What?  That’s ridiculous.  You’re the FBI, you can do anything you want if it’s federally related, right?”  Galveston asked.
    “ Not exactly.”  May dodged the questions like a politician.  “She’s a British citizen and we don’t know where she is.” 
    “ Hold it, hold it.”  Galveston became clearly exasperated with the roundabout question and answering session.  “She’s in a witness protection program in Great Britain?  Is that what you’re getting at?  Deal off, nope, no way.  This deal is off.  I know where you’re going with this,” Galveston exclaimed, getting up from his chair.  He began waving his arms like a madman.
    “ Dan, calm down,” May tried to console him.
    “ What is it, why is that so bad?” I stuttered, thoroughly confused.  Had I slept through a portion of the conversation?
    “ So this is the other reason why you’re here.  Nope, not going to do it,” Galveston turned his back to May shaking his head.
    “ Look, you’ll just have to chalk it up to a crazy coincidence.”
    “ I’ll say,” Galveston cried, continuing to shake his head.  “When were you going to fill me in on this tidbit of information?”
    “ It’s been a few years. I thought you might be over it.  I guess you do hold your grudges,” May told him.
    “ Hell yes I do.  What that woman put me through.”
    A woman, somehow a woman was involved , and by the way it sounded it was a woman Galveston had some history with.  I smiled at the thought.
    “ What’s the story there?” I asked excitedly, hoping for a juicy bit of gossip.
    “ You see,” May started turning toward me.
    “ Don’t you tell him anything,” Galveston yelped, but May continued.
    “ Dan’s ex-fiancé happens to be an assistant to the Chief of SIS, and a former field agent in counter-espionage.”
    None of this information was known to me, and not that Galveston’s history mattered so much, but I had no idea what these two were talking about.  I found out the SIS is the Secret Intelligence Service of the United Kingdom and the equivalent of the CIA. It is often referred to as MI6 and made infamous by none other than James Bond.  At least I knew who we were dealing with. 
    “ Galveston and his friend had what you could call a tumultuous relationship when he was stationed in London a few years back,” May said continuing his history lesson.  “She cut out on him and he didn’t hear from her again.  Eventually she told him she had been called back to field service and that she couldn’t handle a long distance relationship.”
    “ She asked for a transfer and ran away like a frightened little girl,” Galveston added, fuming.  “That’s all he needs to know, don’t tell him anymore.”
    “ No, that’s okay, please, do tell,” I goaded May to spill more juice.
    “ The point is you have a contact in the SIS, good or bad.  Elizabeth could potentially find Dr. Sloan’s daughter, Margaret.  It would take us weeks to get the clearance to find her in a witness protection program, and its weeks we don’t have.”
    Galveston continued to sit in his chair and after taking some deep breaths stood up to stretch, not saying a word.
    “ That little vein on his neck is about to spurt blood.  He’ll tell me in due time,” I said and pointed towards Galveston’s tomato red face.  “Maybe we should get down to the business