Clarke watched with apprehension the reflection of his wife in the living room window as she processed his confession. Her initial response had been a setting of the jaw then watery eyes and her silent move to the window. Now she was hugging herself and he could see her shoulders shaking. Arny's advice wasn't sitting too well at the moment.

Darlene refocused her eyes and picked up Clarke's image in the window. This was the man she had given her love to, the man who's vows were spoken with such sincerity. She pictured Sonjia in her mind, having met her at various company functions, and did a comparison.

She was younger than Darlene, never impressed her as bright but she was flashier where Darlene showed more sophistication and she had the advantage of being quite well endowed. Was this what her husband of nine years really wanted? Should they have had the children he kept hinting at? She saw him wiping his mouth and she knew that their whole relationship now depended on her reaction to his declaration.

"Clarke−" The sound of the doorbell cut off her statement and he reluctantly turned and went down the hall to the door. A moment later he returned looking shaken and followed by a stunning black woman who was smiling brightly.

"You must be Darlene, it's so nice to meet you both."

"Clarke who is this?" Darlene folded her arms tightly.

"I'm Clarke's new partner; we have business to discuss so why don't you go and make some coffee... no decaf thanks."

"Clarke!"

"Just- just do it okay, I'll try and explain in a minute."

Darlene gave him a withering look, ignored Luane and left the room.

Luane was sitting in Clarke's favourite chair when she returned with a tray and three mugs of steaming coffee and Darlene glared at him again as she set it down on the coffee table between them.

"Any cream?" Luane asked.

"No." Darlene sat and picked up one mug, sipping briefly.

"A regular Emily Post, eh Clarke?"

"Just get on with what you want." He sulked.

"Fine." Luane tasted her coffee and shivered slightly, putting the mug back. "There is an item I want and Clarke has access to the owner of the item so he is going to find out where it is for me and we," she circled her finger around the three of them, "are going to get it."

"What is she talking about, Clarke?" Darlene managed another glare, this time at Luane.

"Jeffery Glimb's pen that we- the company gave him when he retired."

"Isn't that what Allen was after?" Her hand trembled and she gripped the hot mug in both hands.

"Bingo, Mrs. Ames, only there's another pen that I'm more interested in and that's the one Clarke is going to sniff out for us. Right, Clarkie?"

"I'm calling the police."

Clarke's hand shot out. "No! Darlene, don't."

Luane's gun appeared from her purse and she shook her head sadly. "I really only need Clarke you know." The barrel came around and aimed at Darlene."

"NO! Please. I'll do whatever you ask just don't... please." Clarke moved to Darlene's side and put his arm around her. "If you harm her you might as well shoot me too because I won't lift a finger to help you."

Luane's eyebrows rose and she gave them an amused look. "Does this mean Sonjia is no more?"

"You bitch!" Clarke stood and grasped his head.

"You know Sonjia don't you, Darlene?"

"If it's any of your business, yes. I know Sonjia and whatever you're intimating you can stop wasting your time... I've talked it over with Clarke and we have settled things between us." Clarke gaped down at her and then at a smirking Luane.

"Lucky guy, Clarke. Lucky guy." Luane lowered the gun and crossed her legs. "Now that we are all on the same−" The doorbell interrupted again. "Who's that?"

"Why don't you answer it and find out." Darlene snapped.

The gun came up again and gestured at Clarke. "Get rid of whoever it is, and we aren't friends Darlene so just watch your pretty mouth."

Once again Clarke returned to the living room followed this time by two men. Luane started to rise.

"I told you to get rid–"

"Siddown and shut it, sweetcheeks." The short man moved quickly to the other rooms and came back nodding. "Clear."

"Clarke?"

He held out his arms. "I have no bloody idea except that they have guns too."

"Too? What's this too–?" The tall man stepped back as Luane's gun came up and fired, leaving a hole just below his throat. He staggered backwards and fell out into the hall. The short man was slow to react, watching his partner disappear and Luane fired again, blowing out his kneecap. He screamed and crashed to the floor, his gun skidding across the carpet to Clarke's feet.

"Don't even think of it." She walked over and scooped up the gun then walked back and stepped on the man's wound. He screamed again and swore aloud.

"Who sent you?"

"You bitch, you blew out–" His scream was even louder as she pressed down with her foot.

"For God's sake leave the man alone." Clarke shouted.

Darlene went and stood beside Clarke, the events leaving her a trembling wreck inside.

"When he tells me who–"

"Gravestone! Bishop bloody Gravestone." The groan was agonizing.

Luane stepped back and nodded. "I might have known." She reached down and grabbed the man's arm, yanking him painfully to his feet. "Go and tell Gravestone that we'll be making a new deal." She shoved him toward the door and he hopped on one foot, crashing into the wall.

"For Christ sake, my knee. I can't walk." He looked down at his blood soaked pants and groaned again.

"If you don't want a matching pair get the hell out of here now, and don't forget what I said about Gravestone."

The short man groped his way along the wall, maneuvered past his fallen partner and down the hall to the door. After a few minutes they heard the sound of a car engine revving and then headlights swept past the window and it was gone.

"You're crazy!" Clarke waved his hands around pointing at the blood on the rug and the body in the hallway. He felt a weight against his side and grabbed Darlene before she collapsed on the floor. Easing her down into a chair he smoothed her hair back and kissed her cheek, murmuring softly.

"How touching let's get back to business."

"You are one cold bitch." Clarke said. "Listen to me when I say there is nothing I can do to help you. I have no access to Glimb, hell I don't even know where he lives."

"I do."

"Good for you, you go and ask him then 'cause I sure as hell won't be."

Luane studied the couple and silently agreed that this approach was a dead end waste of time; she needed direct contact again. This time without Gretta. She stood up and paused. Maybe a better plan would be if Gretta was there. This time she would kill her on sight. She put her gun away and left the room.

"Hey! What about him?" Clarke ran to the hall and pointed down at the body.

"What about him? Put him out at the curb for pick up for all I care." She opened the door and left leaving it open. Clarke quickly hurried and closed it before anybody could see inside then he leaned against it and stared at the body. What the hell was he going to do?

***

"My partner's dead and I've had my knee blown off so just shut your mouth and listen. I quit and I don't even want payment–"

"Payment! For what? You bumbling idiot, twice you blew a simple job and you expect Pa–"

"I told you I didn't want your money! My partner was right, you should have hired that black bitch Lawrence to do your dirty work."

"What? Black? That wasn't Lawrence." Gravestone ground his teeth until his jaw ached.

"Well then you should have hired her whoever she is."

"I did..." He slammed the phone down and reminded himself that it was the only one left that he hadn't smashed.