Some signs of spring were about as it had turned into a warm sunny day, yellow daffodils were poking their heads out to welcome the warming weather. Parking his truck in the hospital lot, he grabbed a bag of fresh clothes for Annie - he was there to get her. He had spent three hours talking with the state investigator and had found out few things himself. The Sheriff's department was for the time being under the control of the state police, two deputies had turned in their resignations and another one arrested, needless to say further investigations were under way. Isabella Kline's nephew, Otis Kline had been temporally assigned as chief deputy and all indications were he would be the next sheriff. Eyal and Otis chatted briefly before the state investigator came in to interview Eyal.

Annie had just finished washing her hair again, getting the last ounce of salt water and sand out. She remembers falling a few times in the surf when waves hit her from the back. Brushing and blowing drying her hair she was anxious for Eyal to arrive with news. The doctor in the ER had removed the water soaked cast, taken several X-rays and placed a splint with material that looked like bubble wrap on her ankle. She had three stitches in her side where she had fallen on a jagged rock and a few new scrapes and bruises to add to the ones she already had from Colombia. Poor Annie was a pretty banged up lady at this point but in great spirits. In a chair was a plastic bag full of wet clothes and she was hoping Eyal would bring dry clothes, if not - she would be leaving in the very unflattering hospital gowns.

"You are looking chipper this morning." Eyal coming into Annie's room, putting the bag of clothes on the bed beside her. "Thought you might like some dry clothes."

"Yes thanks, I was just thinking about that. The doctor just left and once I'm fitted with a walking cast we can leave."

"Fine, I'll go down and get some coffee while you get dress or I can stay and help you with the task."

"I think I know how to dress." Annie swings her broken ankle in his direction.

It was close to noon by the time Annie had her walking cast and discharged paper work done. The warm weather felt good to Annie as they left the hospital. "Yah, spring and a new beginning." Annie breathing in the fresh air.

"It's time for lunch, want to stop before we head back to the cabin?" Eyal didn't want Annie face the disarray of the cabin from last night, he want to buy some time for a reason.

"Okay, yeah I'm hungry and also have many, many questions to ask." Annie hobbling along with only needing one crutch to walk.

"Sure, I can fill you in with a lot of answers. Also, when I was leaving the Sheriff department today, Isabella Kline was waiting to see me. Her nephew had told her what happen and later this afternoon, after school is out she and her daughter will be at the cabin to help put things back in order. She is extremely appreciative for our help. Also I took the liberty of calling Danielle, she and the girls will be here Saturday to start spring break."

Stopping at The Bull Pit for lunch, they were greeted by a few people and thanked. The shooting of Sheriff Southerland was fast spreading news and the general sentiment - the locals were happy. The manager shook Eyal's hand, "Your lunch is on the house today, a small way to say thank you."

Taking their seat, "Well I'm certainly not use to this type of treatment." Eyal smile.

"Little do they know it's all in a day's work, so enjoy being a hero." Annie winked at him. "Once we order, you can start filling me in on all the news."

Ordering the blue plate special of barbeque beef, salad and country fries, Eyal was loving the so call down home cooking. Perhaps he needed to spend more time in rural America.

"Where to start? Our victim, Peter Jamison trying to make right his betrayal of selling secrets. Eric has traced the bank account and movement of cash. There were monthly transfers to Peter's check accounting in a Salam bank of $2,000 per month - his living expenses. A little over a million divided equally between two orphanages in his native country, Montenegro. A hundred thousand to the local food bank and another hundred thousand to the Animal Humane Society in Pacificview. I'm guessing that is where he got his dog."

"Knew I liked the man when I first met him. So the two million is not the link to his murder?" Annie smiling at the waitress as she placed their lunch orders on the table.

"Nope, trying to be a good citizen got him killed. Two days before he was killed, Jamison called the Sherriff's department to report his suspicions not knowing Jim Southerland was involved. They still have the log of the call. The state guys have gotten search warrants for both storage units, Jamison's and the other one."

"Why was Jamison's cabin trashed. Remember completely torn up looking for something." Pouring salad dressing on her fresh garden salad and looking at Eyal.

"Good guess would be Southerland and Pappas trying to make the murder look like a crime of robbery. They were also looking for any pictures Jamison might have taken, remember his cell phone was missing, pictures on the cell. The fact that he was in hiding with a bank roll of two million just added creditability to the reason for the murder. Just pure luck playing into their hands." Eyal was digging into his barbeque beef and speaking between mouth full's.

"Guess those two men that showed up at Jamison's cabin was also arranged by Southerland. Thinking about it, Jim missed an easy shot for a well-trained police officer." Annie referring to the pot shots taken at the cabin.

"He could have taken dead aim and still not kill the guy. State lab found the shell casting and wad fragments - they were shooting blanks. Absolutely staged for our benefit."

"What about Pappas, how is he tried in?"

"Now that is where things get interesting. The DEA has been called in as Southerland's operations here are only the tip of the iceberg. Last night the Coast Guard boarded Pappas' fishing boat and wallah, a major stash of drugs, he has been arrested with drug trafficking and now singing like a bird. Remember Southerland had been canned for taking bribes?"

"Yeah. He had been with LADP Vice." Annie nodding her head, the picture was coming together.

"There is a major drug trafficking and illegal weapons hub in LA run by a Mexican national named Hector Fernandez and Southerland was on his payroll per say, there was evidence to terminate his employment but not enough to prosecute him. George Pappas was the go between and enforcer working with Southerland. When he lost his job with LADP, Fernandez saw an opportunity to expand his distribution further north, into the Pacific Northwest. At that time, this little town was searching for a Sherriff and with his impressive resume, he was hired. It took him a year to lay the ground work and establish the contacts to distribute the drugs. That's when George Pappas relocated here, his fishing boat was the transport boat to places in Washington state and British Columbia. With Southerland as Sherriff, it was perfect protection and the operation was running smoothly for six years until Peter Jamison started probing around."

"Okay that answers that part but what about the large yacht, the one belonging to Green Earth Organic Gardening?" Annie was now digging into her cherry pie with ice cream topping.

"The man who owns Green Earth is named Nino Alvarez, the half-brother of Hector Fernandez." Eyal was eyeing his pineapple cheese cake.

"Keeping it in the family. So now what?"

"It is now a federal investigation with the drugs and weapons. The state police will be handling the murder investigation as well as looking in the ranks of the Sherriff department. Isabella's nephew has been made chief deputy." Taking a bite of his dessert, Eyal looked at his watch, "Annie answer me this."

"What?" Annie with a somewhat sharp tone to her voice, an old habit with Eyal.

"How come chaos and trouble migrate to you?"

"Don't know, maybe I'm lucking and need some Israeli to show up for the rescue."

The next few days were spent talking with both Federal and state investigators and on Friday night, there was a community dinner given at the local country club to honor the town's temporary residents and heroes. There were no speeches but a lot of thank you and we'll miss you type of chatter. The record was set straight that they were not married, just investigative agents for the government that worked together and only stumbled onto the case because of Annie's broken ankle. The nickname of the case is now 'Anklegate'.

"Too bad you are not married, you carried off that cover so beautifully. You two seem to know what the other one is thinking." Isabella Kline was the organizer for the dinner and incredibly happy with trusting Annie that rainy day in front of the market.

"Years of working together." Annie was thinking how well they did get along and trusting each other.

That night back at the cabin, "Guess our charade of man and wife will end tomorrow when Danielle and the girls arrive. I've enjoyed it but I've got to return to work also."

"You not staying?" Annie was in hopes he would stay a little longer without a murder and drug case at hand - just to take pleasure in each other's company. Something they never seemed to have time for, always some type of espionage or mystery to interfere.

"I have unfinished business to take care off. You still have the key to my DC apartment?"

"Yes."

"Feel free to use it, your secret sanctuary. I'm sure there are times you just want to be away from everything and everybody." Eyal knew she was having trouble with the Auggie relationship and want her to have a place to escape.

"Thanks Eyal, I going to need your sanctuary to regroup. Auggie and I are finished, I can't live being tightly watched under his thumb anymore and really dread going back to Langley. I too have some unfinished business to take care of but for tonight, let us just enjoy the smell of the ocean and the breeze, just relax on the porch with wine and good company."

"Okay Neshema, I'll get the wine and something to snack on." Eyal opening a bottle of wine and both taking their places on a folded blanket on the top steps of the porch.

"Let's talk, you and I can have some interesting conversations - Mossad vs CIA." Annie wanted to chat but didn't have a clue about what, Mossad CIA thing was the only subject that popped in her mind and it wasn't what she wanted to discuss.

"Let's put that topic to rest, how about your plans for the summer - any vacation in the forecast?" Eyal wasn't in the mood to talk shop, besides Mossad was history for him.

"I have a lot of leave time accumulated, the weeks off with my ankle was all workmen's comp time. I don't know, you have any suggestions."

"My sail boat, she is a handsome double mast rig, magnificent for sailing the open sea, breathtaking to say the least. There is such a serene feeling of freedom, just you and the sea." His boat was Eyal safe heaven, it was clear his love of the sea and being in seclusion on his boat.

"That was one of the things on your fantasy list. I just may take you up on your offer this time." With a captivating smile that was not lost on Eyal.

"Neshema this is what it should be like, just you and me, no watching a target, not turning an assets or waiting for a bush pass. Getting to know each other, our real lives with our likes and dislikes and what puts a smile on our faces. I know very little about what you like to do for fun, so make your fantasy list for me. We'll have fun working thru both list together." Eyal was talking about the future.

"I can do that, you know Eyal I love camping in the mountains or whitewater rafting. This may sound boring to you but I can spend hours browsing an art museum."

"That wasn't on my list but also one of my favorite things to while away an afternoon. See, already we have something in common. We may have a lot of interest in common."

"Speaking of which, is there anything you would like to do that you haven't done." Annie asked.

"Your whitewater rafting would be one. You make the plans and I'll make the time." Eyal gently touching her face, "Also, pack your bag for May 26 weekend of fast cars, champagne and we'll stay on a friend's yacht in Monaco. It's F1 weekend."

"Oh my yes, Eyal you were serious."

"Dead serious Annie, I want to spend wonderful hours with you. It will be hard with our line of employment but we can make it work." Pulling her a little closer, they spent the rest of the evening creating a fantasy punch list of things to do together - planning a future. They sitting on the top step looking out at the moon lit night with Eyal's arm around Annie waist. Precious tranquil tender moments between two loving souls and the beginning of a magnificent star-cross love affair.