Not five minutes after Race and I bid farewell, Monty Smith returned my call.
“Hello, Ms. Persistence.”
“Hey Morty.” I was so ecstatic that he"d returned my message, I felt like doing a double cartwheel.
He laughed heartily. “I wish everyone sounded so joyful when I called.”
I swallowed a chuckle upon hearing that familiar hee-haw horse neigh. “Howzit?”
“Awesome. I just landed a new position. Pay"s better. Job"s safer. Hannah and I are getting married next week and all"s good with the world.”
“I love a happy ending.”
“They have their merit,” he said cheerfully. “I got your message. What"s up?”
“When we last met, you seemed to know a little about Cholla Poniard.”
“Uh-huh.”
I took a deep breath. “You have skills—and accesses—that we don"t. I"d like to enlist your assistance.”
“I d
