Tommy Jordan sat on the bed in a seedy Miami hotel room staring at a screaming newspaper headline. SENATOR BENNETT'S SON-IN-LAW MISSING: Feared Drowned After KItesurfing Accident. Below the headline was a photo of Tommy with his kitesurfing gear, smiling his best fake smile, one hand on the kite line and the other giving the camera the "hang loose" sign.

Marrying a political big shot's daughter had seemed like the best move ever, but after a few years, Tommy had enough and he had to get away. In preparation for his "accident" Tommy had made a practice of getting up at dawn every morning to go kite surfing, even though rising at that hour nearly killed him for real. One morning, his beautiful wife Kara found his board and kite washed up on the beach, with no sign of Tommy.

The only thing Tommy regretted was having to sacrifice his best kite and board, but he had no other choice. The ocean was a perfect place to disappear. Soon he would be able to buy all the surfing equipment he wanted.

Tommy looked up from the paper as the evening news came on the flickering hotel TV. A reporter interviewed his father-in-law, who looked properly shocked and saddened, even though Tommy knew he was probably delighted to lose his least favorite son-in law. Next to the senator stood Kara, her beautiful blue eyes filled with tears as she told the reporter that Tommy was the best husband in the world and she didn't know how she would live without him. Her tears were more than he could bear, and she shut the TV off. In spite of how much he loved her, he knew that they were both better off if the world thought he was dead.

A few minutes later, Tommy jumped at the ringing of the disposable phone in his pocket. He picked it up and a familiar voice said, "Was I convincing?"

"Almost too convincing," Tommy replied. "You almost had me crying."

Kara laughed. "I guess those acting classes in college finally paid off. Everything is going perfectly."

"Did you get the money?"

"Every last cent. Twenty million dollars in an account in both of our new names. Daddy's political enemies would have probably given me fifty million for the info I gave them if I had asked for it. I guess they hate him even more than we do. I'll wait a few days after your memorial service and then go for a late night swim, leaving behind a note saying I can't live without you and am going to let the sea reunite us, or something sappy like that. I'll see you in a few days and we'll get out of the country and start spending that money."

"Be careful. We can't have you getting caught."

"Don't worry. The ocean is a perfect place to disappear."

Arakun
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