Dead Asleep by Jamie Freveletti

kickstand.
    â€œI thought it was safer to keep Sumner here out of the loop, concerning who he’s keeping company with.” Sumner strolled up the steps and put a hand out to shake.
    â€œI told Ms. Stromeyer that I’m aware of who she is. The voice is distinctive, and I’ve spoken to her on the phone enough times to recognize it.”
    Banner’s smile broadened. “And still she covers her face. Suspicious one, isn’t she?” Sumner nodded. Stromeyer dashed up the steps and waved a hand at them both.
    â€œThis suspicious woman is going to sleep. Enjoy your breakfast.” She slipped past Banner and headed to the back of the house and her bedroom.
    Banner had rented the three bedroom villa in part because of its secluded location and its comfort. He used one room, Stromeyer the other, when she was not in St. Martin, and the third was converted into a home office where they kept their base of operations while in the Caribbean.
    Stromeyer entered her room for the first time in a week. She removed the mask and sighed when the cool air hit her face. She was five-foot-seven and had light brown hair, streaked with blonde, that hit her shoulders. Though a bit younger than Banner, she had also spent time in the military. She knew how to shoot a gun, fight, and fly both airplanes and helicopters. The bulk of her military service, though, was spent at a desk in the appropriations department learning how to requisition, transport, shift, or decommission just about anything in the military system. It was her knowledge of the protocols and paperwork needed for a military contract that prompted Banner to offer her a job. His promise of the occasional field operation in addition was the reason she accepted.
    Stromeyer walked to her closet and opened the panels, putting away her shoes, stripping off the dark clothes and dumping them into a hamper. She twisted her hair into a knot as she walked to the adjoining bathroom. After securing it with elastic, she washed her face, brushed her teeth, and threw on a nightgown that hung from a hook on the back of the door.
    She shut all the wooden blinds and slipped between the cotton sheets with a sigh. The last image in her mind before she drifted off was of the woman’s body hanging from the tree. She made a silent vow to find her killer.

Chapter 13
    B anner looked up from the table when Stromeyer walked into the kitchen. It was late afternoon and he estimated that she’d slept almost nine hours.
    â€œHungry?” he said. She nodded.
    â€œStarving. Where’s Sumner?”
    â€œHe took the motorcycle and headed to a hotel. Said he was exhausted from the night. He’ll come back in the evening for dinner.” Banner stood and pulled out a chair at the table for her. “Sit down. I was just going to make a late lunch. You want some?”
    She sat and nodded. Banner thought she appeared pensive. He’d always admired Stromeyer’s ability to work through a problem to its conclusion, even if that meant hours behind a desk coordinating paperwork and reading regulations. He preferred action. He headed to the refrigerator and started removing what he needed.
    â€œSumner told me about the threat made against him and Caldridge. That it was made against them both narrows the field of possibilities, doesn’t it?” he said.
    â€œAbsolutely, but I don’t think it’s related to the cartel from last year,” Stromeyer said.
    â€œI agree. Since the leader’s death, his foot soldiers have disappeared.” He reached for a loaf of bread and removed two small plates from the cabinet. “No, it has to be either from the incident in Somalia or Colombia. Sumner and Caldridge were together during those two missions. It probably emanates from one or the other.”
    Stromeyer grimaced.
    â€œI don’t even want to think about Somalia. What a stressful time. Which reminds me to ask: how are we doing? New contracts