Counterterrorism.â
âA-Dick,â Jack says, smiling, throwing it out there.
âWhat?â
âThatâs what they call an assistant director. An AD or A-Dick. Not necessarily a term of affection.â
âAs I was saying,â Teddy says, elbowing his way back into the conversation, âthereâs some indication that Assistant Director Bevins is a friend with benefits.â
âThey sleep together?â
âPast tense, if it happened. But theyâre still close.â
âJack?â
âA matter of speculation,â he admits with an indifferent shrug. âNobody knew for sure and they certainly werenât saying.â
âOkay. The counterterrorism connection is interesting, given whatâs happened,â Naomi points out. âLetâs keep that in mind as we move on.â
âHow did he first get in the business of rescuing kidnapped kids?â Dane wants to know. âWas that part of his purview at the Bureau?â
âNo. Later, after the accident, while he was undergoing therapy for a sleep disorder. An acquaintance asked for help, he managed to recover the child and found a new calling.â
âBack up there,â Naomi says. âSleep disorder?â
âYeah. I donât know if itâs weird or ironic or what, but ever since he woke up from the accident, Mr. Shane has suffered from a peculiar, possibly unique sleep disorder. Like theyâve studied him, written articles about it.â
âIronic would not be the correct term,â Naomi suggests. âTragic would be the correct term. Is that agreed?â
âGreat song, though,â Dane interjects airily.
âNuts,â Jack says, suddenly animated. âIf you donât know what ironic means, donât use it in the lyrics. Rain on a wedding day isnât irony, itâs bad weather. It sucks, but it isnât ironic.â
Naomi interjects, âEnough on the golden-oldie lyrics. Back to subject, please. Teddy?â
âA death row pardon two minutes too late is definitely ironic,â Teddy points out, in a small, hesitant voice.
âTeddy!â
âOkay, okay. Took a while to separate the facts from the legend, but despite or possibly because of his sleep disorder, which means he sometimes stays awake for days at a time and eventually hallucinates, Randall Shane is considered to be among the best solo operatives who specialize in child recovery.â
âNot among,â Jack says, arms folded. âThe best, period. Randall Shane is the last of the real kid finders. They broke the mold.â
Teddy shrugs his narrow shoulders, as if to concedethe point. âUnlike many in the field, which can be pretty shady, monetary gain does not seem to be his primary motivation. For him itâs a calling.â
âMost of his cases are pro bono,â Jack concedes.
âSeventy percent,â Teddy says.
âWhatever, Shane ainât about the money. He canât even afford to drive a decent car,â Jack says.
Teddy suddenly has a mischievous glint in his eyes. âCurrent ride, a five-year-old Townie, previously registered to John B. Delancey of Gloucester, Mass.â
Jack shrugs his wide, well-tailored shoulders, but heâs no doubt impressed. âDonation to a good cause. And no, I didnât get a tax deduction because Shane has never registered as a nonprofit, although he should.â
Teddy keeps going. âCurrent residence, Humble, New York. Small town in the general vicinity of Rochester.â
âHumble?â Dane says, grinning. âIs that ironic?â
Naomi sighs loudly, which effectively stops the banter. âYou have more?â she asks.
âTons,â says Teddy. âI found more than a hundred references to the so-called Shaneâs Sleep Disorder Syndrome. Plus interesting facts on a variety of his cases.â
âExcellent, but hold for now,â Naomi says.