Traces — Carl Brookins

As we wander through life we leave evidence of our passing: footprints, DNA, connections with others. Our trails are sometimes large and vibrant, often pale and uncertain. Marjorie Kane is a retired exotic dancer who, after peak years of headlining in upscale venues worldwide, gradually descends into performing in meaner clubs. A bright woman, she planned well for her retirement. She meets Alan Lockem, a retired army intelligence officer interested in continued service. Together, Lockem and Kane take on unusual and sometimes dangerous tasks of assisting troubled civilians and former colleagues. When Alan is asked to retrieve a flash drive copy of military records, it seems simple enough.Then he and the courier miss connections in Minneapolis. The third attempt results in the courier’s murder amid a reverse burglary of the couple’s home. Encounters with foreign spies, armed home invasion and assistance from international, federal, and local police complicate efforts by Lockem and Kane to unravel the traces of these crimes and aid colleagues across the pond.