"Admit it, you'll be glad to get rid of me."

"We still don't know who those men are, or what they want with Shane. I think it'd be best if they don't find you for a while."

She squinted at him. "Were you listening to us? Youwere spying on Shane and me, don't say you weren't. You followed me, and spied on us. Admit it."

He pursed his lips. "I'll tell you mine, if you tell me yours."

"Tell you what?" she asked.

"Your truth. I'll trade a truth for a truth."

"I already know your truth. I just hoped you'd be man enough to admit it."

"You're man enough for both of us," Geoff said.

"Thanks for reminding me how obnoxious you can be. For a second, I almost forgot."

She leaned back in the booth, and stared up at the sombrero lamp hanging over the table. Her fingers twisted the red cloth napkin in her fingers into a knot as she thought about where she was, and how she'd arrived here. Everything wasnot under control, no matter how many times she lied to herself about it. Things had been out of her control for a very long time. Maybe forever. And now, thanks to her, Shane and Lizbeth were being pulled farther into the quicksand. Not to mention this poor sap sitting across from her pretending they were on a date. Delusional. That's what he was. Almost as delusional as her. Maybe they were the perfect couple, after all.

Glenn sat up, and threw her napkin on her plate. Geoff looked up at her. She stuck her tongue out at him. He winked, and gave her the finger. Once she started laughing, she couldn't stop. Neither of them could. They laughed until their lungs burned, and their eyes swam. Then, Geoff waved his napkin in surrender, and agreed to split a beer with her. Not to be outdone, Glenn had no choice, but to order dessert. Within the hour they were back on the road. Leaves scurried in front of the car, hopping across the highway like spit on a hot griddle. Glenn hugged her arms to her chest, and looked at Geoff, who was staring into the rearview mirror.

"I was thinking," he said. "About Bobby. It seems crazy, but I wonder if this is connected to him."

"You're right. That's pretty crazy," Glenn said.

"It's just that you came to us because of Bobby, and then your friend wanted to see you about a picture, and then these guys came out of nowhere, and I can't help wondering if it could be connected to Bobby's death."

"No," she said. "Shane and I had other business. It had nothing to do with you."

Geoff checked the side-view mirror. "Still, I think I'll take back roads getting to your house." He turned onto a narrow road and pulled into the gravel lot of a thrift store. "I want to try something. I need you to call Shane one more time."

"Not likely,"

"Humor me, all right? What's the worst thing that could happen?"

Geoff climbed out of the car, and Glenn followed him to a pay phone at the back of the Goodwill store. Usually there were street people on this block, but it was so cold they had all taken shelter elsewhere. Nothing marked their arrival, except the silent yellow receptacles for donations, historical grimy cobblestones, and sooty brick walls. She plunged her hands in her pockets, and shivered.

Geoff said, "At least this will tell us if the line is dead."

Glenn lifted the receiver and cradled it under her ear, dropped change into the slot, and punched the numbers on the keypad.

"It's ringing," she said, through stiff lips.

"Great." Geoff's breath created a balloon near his face like a cartoon. He took the receiver and pressed it to his ear. "May I speak to Shane?" He put his hand over the mouthpiece. "Last name?"

"Singleton."

"Mr. Shane Singleton."

"Is it Lizbeth?" Glenn asked.

He nodded. "No, he doesn't know me." He chewed on his lip. "Tell him I have something. A photograph." Geoff offered Glenn half the ear-piece.

Lizbeth asked, "A photograph?"

"I was in the train station, and I saw him drop it."

"Hold on one moment."

Geoff covered the receiver. "She has the cutest little lisp."

"Yeah, she's Spanish," Glenn said. "What are you going to say?"

"Mr. Singleton?" Geoff's eyes sought Glenn's.

"My wife says you have something that belongs to me?"

"If you're Shane Singleton," Geoff said. Glenn nodded. "I was in Union Station, and there was a girl who knew you."

"A girl?"

Geoff paused. "Prettiest little blond you ever did see." He grinned at her.

"I'm sure I don't know her."

"Well, I didn't get her name, but she said the photo was yours. I'm willing to see that you get it back... if the price is right."

"That sounds like extortion," Shane said.

"Supply and demand, the lubricant of capitalism. Of course, I could toss it in the nearest trash can."

"No, don't do that."

"God bless America."

"And, the girl? Is she all right?"

Geoff looked at her. "She was plenty mad when I got a hold of the picture. She's a regular little spitfire, ain't she? You know what? I'm getting bored. I'll be in touch." He hung up. Then, he snatched her into his arms. "I think," he said, "I just dealt myself in on this poker hand."

"That was idiotic. You have no idea what you're getting yourself into."

"I think it was a pretty good bluff." He laughed. "The way I figure it, you're going to have to confide in me now whether you want to or not."

"But, you don't have the picture. You have nothing to back up your bluff."

"They don't know that. All they know is there's a new player. It should confuse things, which might get Shane off the hook while I look after you." Geoff tightened his grip on her. "I am going to get you out of this mess."

"You have an unbelievably rich fantasy life," she said.

"You don't know the half of it. You stir something in me, wild thing. Something altogether primitive. Before, you showed up at my front door I felt dead inside. I don't know how long this roller coaster ride is going to last. All I know is I plan to enjoy it as long as I can. And the crazy thing is, the same thing happened to you, the first time you looked at me."

"Like I said, you have a rich fantasy life."

"I have lots of fantasies about us, and all of them end up with me making love to you."

Glenn stared at him. "Here?"

He escorted her to the car. "What's wrong with you, woman? Ain't you got no class? I said, we'll end up that way." She reached for the door handle, but he put his hand over hers, surrounding her petite fist with his powerful hand. "There is one thing I want you to think about."

He turned her around, and took her face in those hands that were surprisingly warm. His body urged her against the car, as his mouth found hers. She didn't pull away. As his large frame engulfed her, he slid his hand under her sweater. It traveled across her shoulder blades, and flattened across her back. The tip of his tongue teased her top lip. Then, his other hand was on the taut smooth skin of her stomach, on the waistband of her pants. And, then she knew what he was after.

"Got it!"

He waved the photograph triumphantly over her head.

"You said I could trust you." She pushed him away, and clamped her arms tightly across her chest.

Geoff tossed the photo to the pavement behind him. "I'm not the one who needs a lesson in trust. Now, that we don't have that between us, I can show you what I really want." He wrapped both arms around her, and held her snuggly against his broad chest. He nosed her ear, and kissed her tenderly on the neck. "Youcan trust me."

He kissed her softly on the nose, then released her. Glenn watched him retrieve the picture from the ground, and hand it to her. She was still fuming.

"It looks like a small thing, doesn't it," he said. "But, it might as well beWar and Peace . No more secrets. Okay? I don't want anything separating us, but our clothes. And, eventually, we'll shed those, too, and then there won't be anything between us but skin, and by that time I'll think of a way to do away with that. I'm going to get inside that fortress you call a heart, you just wait and see."

"I'll wait," she said, and put her fingertips on the photograph.

"That's the trouble with booze, you know. It slows the reflexes." He released the picture. "As long as you keep drinking, men are going to keep taking advantage of you."

"As long as you keep treating women like victims, you're going to miss out on the opportunity." She curled up her fist, and punched him in the stomach. "You had me, right in the palm of your hand. But, what did you do? Nothing."

"And that upsets you? Not that I didn't take the photograph, but that I didn't take you. It's not too late, you know. I have the rest of the day, and we're less than a mile from where you live."

"Yeah, yeah, you're all talk."

"Are you daring me?" he asked. "You are. This is your strange, fascinating way of seducing a man? Youdare him to take advantage of you? That is so high-school."

"And, therefore, just the sort of thing that would turn you on."

"Who am I to argue with logic like that? Let's get you home."

Glenn got in the car, and he closed the door, then came around, and got in the driver's side.

He shook his head. "You know? You actually believe you have me right where you want me. You believe all us men think with our zippers. Just a hint that there might be sex, and we become zombies. I think I'm insulted."

"Just drive the car."

"Yes, Master," he said. "Whatever, you say."

9.

Glenn entered her apartment, and looked around. "It feels like somebody's been here."

"Nobody's here," Geoff said, and closed the door behind them.

"Not so fast. Let's check the other rooms, okay?"

"My Psych professor would call that 'paranoia'."

"Yeah, well even paranoids have real enemies."

Glenn took off the camera, and slipped out of her coat. She checked the bathroom, as Geoff searched the bedroom.

"All clear," he said.

"I guess. Just can't shake this feeling." She opened her portfolio, and shuffled through the pictures. "I didn't put these there."

"Sure you did. I saw them this morning."

"I had these underneath. On the bottom."

"You weren't exactly alert this morning. You can't be sure," he said.

"They were freshly done, you know. So, I put them under the stack. To flatten them. It's a reflex with me, like breathing." She handed the photographs to him.

"I don't get it. These are the pictures of my parents," he said. "Why would anyone care about these?" He put the pictures down.

Glenn shook her head. "I have to reach Shane. There must be a way." She paced across the floor. "Shoot, why didn't I think of this sooner? The fax. It has to be something he'll recognize, but doesn't give me away." She drummed on a legal pad with a pen. "Do you have any ideas?"

"A picture?" Geoff said. "Thepicture."

"But, first I have to make contact." She wrote in block letters 'GLEP'. "What was that you called me when you were on the phone with him?"

"I said you were a spitfire."

"That'll let him know there's a connection between us."

Glenn wrote 'the spitfire' and fed it through the machine, followed by the 4X5 photo of'The Conspiracy' . The fax beeped announcing an incoming message. She crossed her fingers as she waited. 'Just the fax, ma'am'. It was signed with a double S, one spooned around the other.

"It's him," Glenn said. "That's his signature."

Relief flooded through her. All that kept going through her mind was,He's safe, thank God . Another message came through. She laughed.

'Halfway around world. Do NOT pass Go, do NOT collect $. Sheep is Top Hat. Take a ride on the Short Line. SS'.