Thin Blood Thick Water (Clueless Resolutions Book 2) by W B Garalt Page B

to represent her in the mysterious court summons.
    Max, as a result of his cooperative work with the State Police Inspector, had caught the attention of a fellow college alumnus, Chip Chaplain, who was a former military acquaintance of the inspector. Based on the inspector’s recapitulation of Max’s effective and discrete assistance in solving the mysterious serial killings, Chip offered Max the opportunity to enter the USAP Partners.
    With Max’s new position as a USAP Partner, and Maggie’s expanded ventures in financial consulting, their business lives weren’t crossing paths as frequently as before. Maggie was surprised at the warm sense of excitement that arose when Max had asked for the use of her unique financial expertise once again. Maggie’s immediate willingness to re-arrange her business operations to accommodate him, spoke volumes to both of them.
    When the hour grew late, the couple ended the conversation with an agreement to make contact for final arrangements on the revisit to Nova Scotia.
    At 9:10 AM on Thursday, Max was in Brad Charles’s office to check on transportation options for his return trip to Nova Scotia. The preferred date was the following Monday.
    According to Brad there were several options by air. There were other means such as by railway/ferry, direct by boat, or drive-on ferry. Air flight was by far the shortest travel time, and direct flight vs. commercial airline was preferred.  By now Max had been briefed on, and had test-flown, most of the aircraft in the USAP inventory. He had already developed personal likes and dislikes among the fleet.
    “Would the ‘Beaver’ be ready for Monday? Max asked.
    “Not a chance,” said Brad. He explained to Max that an ‘arranged’ flight by floatplane such as his last trip would not be possible for at least ten days. His reason for the time delay was that the floatplane would not be converted and/or available until then.
    “I’ve got the Beaver suspended while the floats are being outfitted for ‘you-know-what’, Brad said. Max recalled the Partnership briefing a short time earlier wherein Brad had proposed installing secretly concealed grenade launchers in the float pontoons of both floatplanes. The proposal had been unanimously approved and the operation was apparently underway.
    “What about the Cessna Caravan Amphibian? Max asked.  It was pointed out that Ezra had the ‘Caravan’ in Panama while it was being used on an investigative assignment. Brad did not disclose the client’s name, and Max was aware of the fact that it would be pointless to ask. Then Brad mentioned that since there might be three-to-four people on the Nova Scotia trip, and he suggested that Max speak with Chip on the matter.
    Max was somewhat stymied on what seemed to be a stalling approach being utilized, by Brad, to his planning for the trip. He was also wondering who the other one, or two, travelers might be.
    Chip was expected shortly. Max left word with head secretary Heather for notice when Chip arrived.  In the meantime he took the time in his C.F.O. office going over the bi-weekly payroll report that his financial clerk had submitted for his approval.
    With a beep on his intercom, Heather announced Chip’s arrival.  Max stepped out of his rear door and strode through the hidden walkway to the meeting room and then up the stairs to the operations office.
    “Good morning Max,” Chip greeted, good-naturedly. “I heard that you got my memo on the Bickford property, do you have any questions on it?”
    “I’ll have to make another visit there to evaluate the business portfolio. So far everything is falling into place except the travel arrangements,” Max replied. “Brad tells me that both float planes are unavailable. If I fly one of the other planes into a local airport I’ll have to rent a car there or get picked up. I have two questions. The first question is whether the customs check will be pre-arranged like the last trip, or will we